Loranga, Masarin och Dartanjang facts for kids

Loranga, Masarin och Dartanjang is a fun Swedish children's book. It was written by Barbro Lindgren and first came out in 1969.

An English version of the book, called Soda Pop, was released in 2017. This edition has brand new drawings by Lisen Adbåge.

Meet the Characters

This story is about a boy named Masarin and his dad, Loranga. They live together in a house that's full of surprises!

Masarin's grandfather, Dartanjang, lives in the woodshed. He often worries a lot about being sick, even when he's not. Sometimes, he can also be a little bit confused.

Loranga, Masarin's dad, is a very unusual grown-up. He often wears a bathrobe and even a tea cozy on his head! He loves to play silly games and is not very serious.

Masarin's Adventures

Because Loranga is so playful, Masarin often has to be the responsible one. For example, he takes care of his great-grandfather. This great-grandfather thinks he is a cuckoo bird and lives at the top of a tall pine tree!

Masarin doesn't mind all these strange things. He actually loves that his dad plays silly games with him. They often play hockey using a very soft, overripe tomato instead of a puck!

Other interesting characters in the book include Gustav the Thief, the grumpy Old Man, and the friendly Hot Dog Vendor.

Story Adaptations

Loranga, Masarin och Dartanjang has been made into many different things. These are called adaptations, which means the story has been told in new ways.

• In 1975, a stop-motion animated TV show was made for Swedish television (SVT).
• A cartoon version of the story came out in 2005.
• The story was turned into a play for the Stockholm Park Theatre in 2003. Ellen Lamm directed this play.
• An opera based on the book was performed at the Kungliga Operan (Royal Swedish Opera) in Stockholm in 2006. Carl Unander-Scharin wrote the music for it.
• A comic book version was created by Sara Olausson. It was published by Positiv Förlag in 2010.