Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
Third Person (Omniscient)
Using a third person omniscient narrator gives Astrid Lindgren the ability to know—and to let readers know—what any character is thinking or feeling at any time. If we had this power, we'd be using it nonstop (What's that, Uncle Phil? You think Grandma's Thanksgiving turkey was dry and tasteless? Worst bird you've ever had?), but somehow Lindgren manages to restrain herself.
Sure she tells us up front that the teacher begins to think Pippi is a "troublesome and unruly child" (4.47), and that the ringmaster is "not at all pleased to have Pippi performing in his circus" (7.42). And on occasion we are told that Tommy is amazed, Annika is astonished, or that Pippi feels sleepy, but for the most part, the characters' thoughts and feelings are conveyed through their dialogue and actions. We know Pippi feels sad when her eyes fill with tears; we know Annika is frightened when she stammers and stutters and begs for reassurance; and we know the ladies at the coffee party are aghast at Pippi's behavior by the way they continually try to ignore her.
The fact that Lindgren could spell it all out for us—how every character feels about every situation at every moment—and yet decides not to, leaves much of the action of the book, and any lessons that might be hidden there, open for interpretation. In this way, Lindgren invites readers into Pippi's world in much the same way that Tommy and Annika are included—as playmates along for the ride. We get to watch Pippi's outlandish behavior, compare it to the behavior of those around her, and draw our own conclusions.