Fearless Little Farm Boy

Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) was born on a homestead in Småland, Sweden. Her most famous book, Pippi Longstocking, was published in 1945 to great success. She is also well known for Karlsson on the Roof, her books about The Bullerby Children and The Tomten. Her books are loved all over the world and have sold around 145 million copies. She won many awards, including the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Pippi Longstocking in 1973; the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1958; and the International Book Award from UNESCO in 1993. Marit Törnqvist was born in 1964 in Uppsala, Sweden and divides her time between the Netherlands and Sweden. She studied illustration at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. In 2011 she was awarded a Golden Plaque from the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava, one of the most prestigious children's illustration awards. In 2024, Marit was the winner of the esteemed Johannes Vermeer Award, the Dutch state prize for the arts, the first time the award was presented to a specialist in children's book illustration.

'Satisfying and beautifully illustrated.'-- The Wall Street Journal'Lindgren's affection for Karl warms the tale of his heroism.'-- Kirkus Reviews'The charm and success of this traditional tale lie in Lindgren's masterful storytelling. Törnqvist's delicate, expressive watercolors accentuate the personalities of the farm folk and add suspense to Goran's plight. The artist's clever use of the endpapers to show a line of villagers looking apprehensively toward the story beckons readers just as effectively as Lindgren's words. The message that simple kindness is often an act of extraordinary bravery makes this a must for most collections.'-- School Library Journal'This story has a touching message about kindness and not underestimating people.'-- Kindling'The earthy watercolor illustrations are just beautiful.'-- Youth Services Book Review, STARRED REVIEW'Marit Tornqvist's colorful drawings bring out the atmosphere and countryside as the story evolves. Rural life and Sweden come alive in a tale that is perfect for read-aloud discussion about community involvement and problem-solving, with appealing illustrations adding to a story that will especially attract libraries looking for tales set in European nations.'-- Midwest Book Reviews'Children will delight in the story of how one Easter Day, Goran the bull broke free in an angry rampage only to be tamed by Karl, a seven-year-old boy.'-- Creative Steps'The illustrations are detailed and lush with a classic quality. An imaginative picture book about bravery.'-- YA Books Central'Marit Törnqvist's colorful drawings bring out the atmosphere and countryside as the story evolves. Rural life and Sweden come alive in a tale that is perfect for discussion about community involvement and problem-solving, with appealing illustrations adding to a story that will especially attract libraries.'-- Donovan's Literary Service'The watercolour illustrations have a cool Nordic feel, capturing a time and place that is past but not dated... Delightful.'-- Valerie Coghlan, Books for Keeps'The delightful illustrations make you feel as if you were actually there!'-- Tammy Dolling'A comforting and amusing story with lovely illustrations.'-- Jean Little Library'Illustrations, in translucent water based paints in earthly hues, are masterly. The design of the layout, with the necessity to integrate a long text with the images, is exemplary.'-- Jane Doonan, School Librarian'The writing is enchanting, and I love the old-fashioned storytelling style. The illustrations are so beautiful, and I really enjoyed looking for all the little details in the background with each of the characters.' -- Luminous Libro, Instagram'A sweet and charming story.'Red Poppy Reading, Instagram