What Does Pippi Look Like?

We all have our own imagined visions of how fictional characters look, which is one reason I generally like to read a book before I see its film equivalent. I prefer to form my own picture before I see Hollywood's version.

Someone like Pippi inspires a strong impression in the reader, with or without pictures. I've been living with my ideas about Pippi for a long time -- since the original editions (in English) from the 1950s, illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman . I suspect that my own idea of what Pippi really looks like is more connected than I like to admit to the illustrations I pored over as a child. Compared to the overwhelming power of screen images to shape our perceptions, it's easy to forget that book illustrations can strongly influence our perceptions, too.

I'm reminded of this as I look at newer cover art for Pippi, updated for modern children. I find myself reacting strongly to the new images because -- guess what? -- they don't look like my Pippi!

Of course, I will cope. The important thing is that Pippi lives on. But I'm curious what other Pippi-lovers might think.

Below are links to four illustrators' images for the cover of Pippi Longstocking. Which do you prefer?

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Statue of Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking
and many other books for children, at Junibacken in Stockholm.

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