Забавна, увлекателна и много цветна. Петсън и Финдъс отново тръгват на приключение и въпреки, че кокошките се опитват да ги спрат, те пак успяват да си направят излет, пък било и в задния двор. И тази щука дълго ще ги преследва, в сънищата и в мечтите.

I love all the Pettson and Findus books and this one is no exception. Here Findus finds Pettson's old tent and after a short fishing expect they camp out in the garden.

It fascinates me that in translation the titular charcter has changed from Pettson to Findus. The Swedish original is called "Pettson tältar".

I first encountered Festus and Mercury (or Pettson and Findus, as they are called in the original Swedish edition*) in a bookstore in Europe back in the 90s. I read several of the books right there, standing among the book shelves, delighted with the quirky story and adorable illustrations, unable to tear myself away.

Well, I am happy to say these books have lost none of their charm. This little camping adventure has just the right dose of everything that makes kids' books great: a scary (imaginary) threat and a friend who knows how to have fun and also protect you; a few nosey nellies to keep away with outlandish tales; the comfort of a home where one can feel loved and safe; and a reminder that with the right company and a little imagination, one doesn't need to go far to have fun. (In fact this is a perfect book for people stuck at home in 2020!)

To me, the biggest draw in these books are the amazingly detailed illustrations. The story is fun and well told, but man, the pictures! So many clever and silly details to discover while reading (or listening to) the story.

* I don't understand American publishers' penchant for changing character names in book translations. Especially in a case like this, where Findus the cat turns into Mercury, whereas his friend Pettson turns into Festus. One would at least expect Findus to the the one who turns into Festus, as the two names are quite similar. I don't see what was gained from this weird name swap, especially since the name Festus isn't particularly familiar to Americans either, but whatever. I suppose for readers who haven't come across the original, this won't matter.

March 2019 - long for a picture book, with lots of humor. Some went over Ben's head, but he still enjoyed it.

Ihana kirja, joka tuli lapsena luettua monta kertaa.

Barndomsnostalgi till 100%! Pettson-böckerna har alltid varit mysiga och stämningsfulla, rekommenderar dem till alla.