Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🎨

Pippi Longstocking

arts Maturity 9-11 Next article →

Pippi Longstocking is a famous character from children's books.

Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)
Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)

She is a nine-year-old girl with red hair and freckles. Pippi is known for being superhumanly strong. She can even lift a horse with one hand! She is very playful and loves to tell tall tales. Pippi lives a very free life at Villa Villekulla.

Pippi Longstocking TV series
Pippi Longstocking TV series

She shares her home with a monkey named Mr. Nilsson and her horse. Pippi has a suitcase full of gold coins to help her live independently. Her father is a sea captain named Ephraim Longstocking. Her best friends are two neighbors named Tommy and Annika Settergren.

Creating Pippi was a special way for a mother to help her child.

Pippi Longstocking TV series
Pippi Longstocking TV series

In the winter of 1941, a girl named Karin was sick in bed. Her mother, Astrid Lindgren, told her improvised stories to help her feel better. Karin even came up with the name Pippi on the spot. Later, in April 1944, Lindgren wrote these stories down using shorthand. She made a homemade book for Karin on May 21. At first, a publisher named Bonnier rejected the manuscript in September 1944. They thought the story was too advanced for young children.

After that rejection, the stories found a new home.

Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)
Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)

Lindgren sent the work to an editor named Elsa Olenius in May 1945. Olenius helped Lindgren change some parts of the book. She suggested making the dialogue simpler and the character a bit more tender. Pippi entered a competition for books for children aged six to ten. She won first place and the first book was published in November 1945. The books were illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman. Three main books were published between 1945 and 1948.

Many interesting facts surround this famous character and her creator.

Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)
Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)

Pippi's father was inspired by a real sailor named Carl Emil Pettersson. He was a Swedish sailor who became king of Tabar Island in 1904. The books became a huge success in Sweden very quickly. By the end of the 1940s, 300,000 copies had been sold. This success helped the publisher, Rabén and Sjögren, stay in business. Pippi has been translated into many different languages around the world. By 2017, Lindgren's many works were available in 100 languages.

Today, Pippi is known all over the globe.

Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)
Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop)

Her stories have reached readers in 80 different languages. Some people in Sweden even had big debates about her. Some critics thought her behavior was too wild for children. Other people thought she was a wonderful and free spirit. Pippi has also been made into movies and television shows. She remains a symbol of being kind and using power for good. Many children still enjoy her adventures and her funny personality.

452 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Pippi Longstocking TV series.jpg
Pippi Longstocking TV series.jpg
File:Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld 2014 (crop).jpg
Pippi Långstrump, Astrid Lindgrens Värld...
File:Snösättra upplagsområde, Greta Thunberg 2019.jpg
Snösättra upplagsområde, Greta Thunberg 2019.jpg
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.