"We have lost a very important person. Astrid Lindgren has let generations of children recognize themselves in her books. With fantasy and a bit of attitude you can go a long way." - Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson.
"I think that Astrid Lindgren will become equated with what we think of as the Swedish national identity, so humble and ready to struggle. I miss her greatly." - Minister of Culture Marita Ulvskog.
"One of Sweden's absolutely foremost cultural personalities has passed away. Her characters are immortal, as is the memory of the absolute empress of literature for children." - Alf Svensson, head of Kristdemokraterna, the Christian Democratic party in Sweden.
"No one has affected the values from generation to generation like Astrid Lindgren. She was a uniquely funny, bold and a wonderful person in many ways." - Author and friend P-O Enquist.
"She has meant so much to me. We worked together for over 40 years. It was amazing to work with her. She left a great deal of freedom for me to work as I pleased." - Ilon Wikland, illustrator.
"An animal rights advocate has left us. She was incredibly important to the protection of animal rights in Sweden." - Birgitta Carlsson, former chairman of Förbundet djurens rätt, the Animal Rights Association.
"The only conclusion one can reach is that a person of great importance to the publishing house has passed away." - Suzanne Öhman-Sundén at Rabén & Sjögren, the publishing house of all of Lindgren's books.
"Astrid Lindgren's books created a revolution. With her came a new genre, where the pranks and adventures of children were accepted." - Francoise Bigot-Orfini, Lindgren's French publisher Hachette.
"Astrid Lindgren's death is a great loss to the Swedes and to all the children of the world." - Boris Pankin, former Soviet-Russian ambassador in Stockholm.
"Thanks to her, Sweden became a world power in the area of literature for children." - Horace Engdahl, chairman of Svenska Akademien, the Swedish Academy (where she, for some reason, was not a member, and which, for some reason, never awarded her the Nobel Prize for literature).
"For me and my family, every meeting with Astrid Lindgren, in reality as well as in the world of the tales, has been a festive moment. All of us wish to thank Astrid Lindgren for her comprehensive and valuable works." - Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav.
"It is a loss for the children of the world. The substance of her literary works made the world a richer and more motley place." - German President Johannes Rau.
Translation of quotes from SVT Text, the teletext service of the Swedish Television SVT, www.svt.se/texttv.