Fearless little farm boy by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Marit Tornqvist, translated by Polly Lawson

I have a soft spot for Floris books, as they often create or republish titles from my childhood or ones that are similar. My favorite authors include Gerda Muller and of course Astrid Lindgren. This cozy story was originally published in the States in the 90s, under the title "The day Adam got mad" by Swedish publisher R&S Books. It had tepid reviews, except for Tronqvist's lovely watercolors. Last December, I saw an egalley of the new edition and gave it a brief review and now I'm happy to present the finished, hard copy! It's been slightly revised, although at least as far as returning "Adam" to the original "Goran" as the bull's name and the text seems to have been edited a bit to shorten it.

The cover is my favorite picture, showing young Karl, the "typical Swedish farm boy" heading home in the evening through the birch trees, his reward clutched in a bag. The opening end pages picture a gaggle of neighbors and onlookers leaning over the fence, showing a mix of everyday and Sunday clothing, ages, and expressions. The story is simple, but told in Lindgren's inimitable style. One day, for no particular reason, Goran the bull is angry. Usually the most amiable of bulls and good friends with gentle Svensson the farmhand, on a slow Easter Sunday he gets angry - and he gets loose! The crowd builds with suggestions, gossip, and enjoyment of the free entertainment on a usually quiet day. But soon it's time to milk the cows and the situation becomes urgent. Luckily, an ordinary little farm boy knows just what to do and Goran is tired of his fit of temper, so all ends well. Tornqvist's lively watercolors show a simple rural life with peaceful cows, a plethora of barn cats, and gossiping, sociable neighbors. 

Verdict: Even after the revision, this is still longer than a today's typical read-aloud - it's more the length of a chapter with illustrations, spread over a picture book. However, for those looking for longer, gentle read-alouds and those who enjoy more slow-paced stories, this will be a comforting and lightly amusing story with lovely illustrations.

ISBN: 9781782507642; This revised edition published February 2023 by Floris; Review copy provided by publisher and donated to the library