Review Detail

THE FEARLESS LITTLE FARM BOY is a picture book about a young child accomplishing the impossible. Goran the bull was very angry one day and decided to escape one Easter Sunday. He ran out on the farmer Svensson, the farm hand. As Goran raged, no one dared to approach the angry bull and everyone barely escapes his charges. The townsfolk gathered around, and they hope they don't have to do anything drastic like fire a shot. Then, a little boy leans over and whispers to the bull until he goes over and allows the boy to scratch between his horns. The boy leads him back to the barn, and he is rewarded with coins and food.

What I loved: The illustrations are detailed and lush with a classic quality that will appeal to older readers. The story is comprehensive, giving personalities and additional insight into the people and animals involved in the story. The book is quite imaginative and shows how children can do big and courageous things.

What left me wanting more: The length of the book is a bit tough, with some pages being several paragraphs. This may work for children who are on the cusp of chapter books, but it will be a bit lengthy for young readers. The story has some challenges for sensitive readers as well, such as mentioning a shot that may need to be fired and a boy getting involved with an angry bull (though this is not a situation most children would ever be confronted with). As another small thing, there is also a lack of diversity in the characters, perhaps because it takes place in Sweden.

Final verdict: THE FEARLESS LITTLE FARM BOY is an imaginative picture book about bravery that will work for older picture book readers.