I've been off for the past few weeks visiting my homeland, Poland and then spending a couple of weeks meandering in a little hire car round the Norwegian fjords. It was amazingly tranquil with very friendly locals and wonderous nature everywhere. The photo above is of a tiny book and coffee shop that I found on a colourful, cobbled street in Stavanger.

The trip got me thinking of my favourite Scandinavian children's stories - a list which is naturally headed up by the inimitable Astrid Lindgren. Here are my top 5. What are yours?

• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
• The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
• The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen
• Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson
• Bridget and the Gray Wolves by Pija Lindenbaum