The Day Adam Got Mad facts for kids

The Day Adam Got Mad, also known as Goran’s Great Escape, is a children's book. It was written by the famous Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The book was first published in Sweden in 1991. It tells a sweet story about a bull and a brave young boy.

The Story of Adam the Bull

This book is about a bull named Adam Engelbrecht. Adam is usually a very calm and peaceful animal. But one day, something makes him incredibly angry. No one knows why Adam gets so upset, not even Adam himself!

Adam starts running wildly around the stable and the farmyard. Everyone on the farm is scared and tries to get away from him. But there is one very young boy named Kalle who is not afraid.

Kalle bravely walks up to the angry bull. He starts talking to Adam in a very soft and gentle voice. At first, Adam doesn't seem to listen to the boy. But Kalle's kind voice is so comforting. Adam Engelbrecht slowly calms down. He even lets the boy gently pet him.

Suddenly, Adam is no longer angry at all. Kalle then walks the calm bull back to his stable. The people on the farm are amazed by what they saw. They keep telling the story of Kalle, calling him the "youngest bullfighter in the world."

Behind the Book

How the Story Began

Astrid Lindgren wrote The Day Adam Got Mad. She based the story on something her own father, Samuel August Ericsson, used to tell. It shows how family stories can become wonderful books!

A Film Idea That Changed

A director named Johanna Hald wanted to make a movie from The Day Adam Got Mad. She even wrote a script for it. However, Astrid Lindgren didn't think the script was quite right. So, the movie was not made. Instead, Johanna Hald later directed two popular movies about another of Lindgren's characters, Lotta from The Children on Troublemaker Street.

Adam in Another Book

The story of Adam Engelbrecht is also mentioned in another book by Astrid Lindgren. It's called Kerstin och jag. In that novel, a bull named Adam Engelbrecht, who is the son of the original Adam, lives on a farm. A farm worker named Johann tells the twins, Barbro and Kerstin, the exciting story of how the first Adam got mad.

The Art of Marit Törnqvist

Marit Törnqvist created the beautiful pictures for The Day Adam Got Mad. She is a talented illustrator. After she drew pictures for another of Lindgren's books, A Calf for Christmas, the publisher asked her to read more of Lindgren's short stories. They wanted her to choose one she would like to illustrate. Marit Törnqvist chose The Day Adam Got Mad because she loved the story.