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Hungarian Children’s Books
A publication of the Hungarian Books and Translations Office - PIM, 2014
introduction The present publication contains suggestions compiled by a panel of experts containing books for children and juveniles published in Hungary during the recent past. It is meant to target those foreign publishers who are interested in a wide spectrum of children’s publications, are curious to read about the best Hungarian offerings, and would welcome signposts to help them along the way. When compiling our list of offerings, our primary consideration was quality. At the same time, the panel has kept in mind the need for easy translatability and ease of comprehension. Consequently, our list of offerings does not contain works of obvious merit that would fit into a wider literary and cultural environment only with difficulty, if at all. The publication has also attempted to go beyond giving the usual brief synopsis for the books being offered by providing a sampling of the illustrations that, it is hoped, will convey the mood alongside the storyline. With view to the above, we hope that this small brochure will not only prove to be a useful guide but entertaining reading as well for all our partners.
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contents
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p.6
THE FAIRY WHO COULD SEE IN THE DARK
p.8
TRANSFORMED CHILDREN
p.10
DRAGON ON THE STAIRS
p.12
MARVEL AND LOLLOP
p.14
CAPTAIN AND ORANGE FISH
p.16
LENKA, PATRICK
p.18
LOUIS FAT’S IN TOWN
A sötétben látó tündér
Átváltozott gyerekek
Sárkány a lépcsoházban
Csoda és Kósza
Kapitány és narancshal
Lenka, Palkó
Kövér Lajos színre lép
p.20
THE GIRL WITH BLUE HAIR
p.22
THE HOUSE OF THE STONE MONKEYS
p.24
WHAT SORT OF BIRD
p.26
POOR JOHNNY AND ARNIKA
p.28
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL STAY HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON
p.30
FREEFALL
p.32
WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS
A kék hajú lány
A komajmok háza
Milyen madár
Szegény Dzsoni és Árnika
Szerintem mindenki maradjon otthon vasárnap délután
Szabadesés
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László Bagossy
THE FAIRY WHO COULD SEE IN THE DARK [A sötétben látó tündér]
László Bagossy’s book was originally written for the stage, which is understandable, since the author is a playwright and director. The story relies heavily on Hungarian (European) children’s story tradition. Its characters are fairies, kings and princes, magic mares, and the like. But this time we are told the story from the point of view of a young fairy child who is battling with the same problems of selfappreciation as any human child. What’s more, the protagonist is an underprivileged fairy who has no magic powers at all, though as his mother gradually makes him realize, he does have “Nearly every page of this large format childone: he can see in the dark. And what he sees are ren’s book contains large, full-page illustrastories. His special gift is that the stories he sees in tions that will appeal to our children, while the dark actually come alive. the onrush of events sweeps along both the reader and the listener. But take fair warning. The story is related by the fairy in the title so You won’t find many spots where you can convincingly, that by the end of the book, we are stop reading and say, ‘We’ll continue where convinced ourselves that we, too, are fairies who we have left off tomorrow!’, because you will can see in the dark. have to read the whole thing in one go – and not only for the sake of the child.” The book has been awarded both the IBBY and Beautiful Éva Csoma, www.fszek.hu, 2013 Hungarian Book prizes.
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PUBLISHER: Pagony Kiadó PAGES: 64 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2009 ILLUSTRATOR: Mari Takács
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Borbála Szabó TRANSFORMED CHILDREN [Átváltozott gyerekek]
PUBLISHER: Pagony Kiadó PAGES: 102 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2012 ILLUSTRATOR: Nóra Rácz
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Made up of five relatively short stories, the book takes the everyday lives of a family with three children into the world of tales. With an audacious leap, each story thrusts the most banal situations into the world of fiction, so that when we return to reality, we do so with simple yet worthwhile lessons in our bags. An eight year old boy who is transformed into his father and a five year old girl who is transformed into her baby brother, toys that come alive during the night, a jail for picky eaters made out of food that children hate, and the story of Cinderella as performed by the family with Barbie dolls – Borbála Szabó has compiled these and many more simple but brilliant ideas to make people of all ages laugh good heartedly. The author is a dramaturge by profession, which has left its mark on the precise and innovative structure of the dialogues. Full of action, her stories present the absurd “In keeping with adventure stories, the situations that arise between parents and storyline relies on sustaining suspense children, children and children, or else and tension, accidental coincidences, parents and parents, so that young and old mysterious letters from an anonymous readers alike will recognize themselves and sender, and surprising transformatheir families in them. tions that move the events along. And in the meanwhile, there emerges the picture of a lovable family made up of flesh and blood people.” Fanni Kucserka, Meseutca.hu, 2012
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Lídia Nádori DRAGON ON THE STAIRS [Sárkány a lépcsoházban]
The book contains seven short, lyrical tales about the life of Johnny, a fiveyear-old boy. It begins with a New Year’s Eve celebration and continues to the end of the year, and meanwhile life goes on – kindergarten, Easter, play, adventure. But life goes on on another track as well – Johnny’s parents are getting a divorce, grandmother dies, and the owl is very scary. This darker side of life, however, is present in the book in a less obvious way. For instance, his father is missing at Johnny’s birthday party, while grandmother is taken up to the sky by a paper kite. The stories rely heavily on the depiction of mood and the little boy’s point of view, which is always at the heart of the stories. We see the world through “If I were to be asked to summarize the book microcosms, through the filter in a single sentence, I would say, it contains of playing and the child-mother episodes from the life of a little boy. But these relationship. These emotional and gentle, melancholy stories have more to offer. atmospheric elements and the They delve deep without heaping word on top child’s perspective are enhanced by of word. They touch upon subjects difficult the excellent illustrations. to talk about, even for a grownup – divorce, death, loss, and anxiety.” Gabriella Rácz, Gyermekirodalom.hu, 2012
While children will be captivated by the world of the colorful illustrations as they are guided through the stories along their mysterious paths, their parents will feel renewed nostalgia for their own childhood and will be absorbed by the more profound repercussions of the texts. PUBLISHER: Naphegy Kiadó PAGES: 80 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2008 ILLUSTRATOR: Fruzsina Kun
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Zoltán Czigány
MARVEL AND LOLLOP TRILOGY [Csoda és Kósza trilógia]
The two horses Marvel and Lollop live peacefully on a farm at a short distance from Budapest. Lollop is a stallion with very little brains, who acts first and thinks afterwards (if at all). Marvel is just the opposite. His major concern and preoccupation is to set right the mischief that Lollop inadvertently causes. They are the Laurel and Hardy of Hungarian farm life or, better yet, the Asterix and Obelix of horse breeding on the Great Hungarian Plain. Still, they have precious little to do with their original environment (the farm). They are much more apt to make an appearance in a pizzeria, a museum, on the planet Mars, or even, surprising as it may sound, the primeval world of dinosaurs. For these two horses, nothing is impossible. As they go from adventure to adventure, we can’t take them seriously, and yet what happens to them touch upon very basic problems. In the book, Zoltán Czigány, who died at the age of 46, treats fundamental moral issues without every being “Lollop generally manages to cause quite a stir around didactic. The profound and often thought-provoking himself, but it’s not the kind of situation like when content, dressed in light, entertaining and seemingly someone bangs against the kitchen table and knocks over frivolous robes, will hold young and mature readers the tea kettle. No. Lollop would knock down the kettle equally in thrall. only to see what’s inside, and then would simultaneously cry out, wow, it’s so hot, and also, wow, wonder why Marvel and Lollop was awarded the Hungarian IBBY it’s so hot? Marvel is a really good brother to him who is Children’s Book of the Year distinction in 2008. always at his heels, trying to get him out of the mess he’s caused. He’s not much more experienced than Lollop, as far as that goes; on the other hand, perhaps he’s more sober-minded.” Anna Miklya, Magyar Narancs, 2008 12
MARVEL AND LOLLOP [Csoda és Kósza] PUBLISHER: Pagony Kiadó PAGES: 104 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2007 ILLUSTRATOR: András Baranyai
THE WORLD AROUND MARVEL AND LOLLOP [Csoda és Kósza körül a Föld] PUBLISHER: Pagony Kiadó PAGES: 104 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2009 ILLUSTRATOR: András Baranyai
THE OLDEST ADVENTURES OF MARVEL AND LOLLOP [Csoda és Kósza legrégebbi kalandjai] PUBLISHER: Pagony Kiadó PAGES: 104 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2011 ILLUSTRATOR: András Baranyai
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Angi Máté
CAPTAIN AND ORANGE FISH
[Kapitány és Narancshal]
The captain who loves giving orders once goes on dry land to see what the world is like beyond his kingdom beyond the seas. But no sooner does he leave his ship behind and is away from his obedient sailors, he has no one to give orders to. In fact, there are no orders to give. This puts his view of the world in a new perspective, and he realizes that he has much to learn. Then one day Orange Fish, his only friend who lives in a jar, disappears, and the captain’s log of things to learn is lengthened with searching for him. He searches and “A tale that is open to a number of interpretations, a tale he learns. Thanks to various meetings and for which we can invent numerous endings, a tale that exemplary tales, he comes up with a new philosophy of life and finds his way back to his floats on the deep sea of philosophy like a small paper friend who, as it turns out, has had surprising ship – at times this tale makes us laugh, and at times our and amazing adventures. eyes grow moist as we read, because it is so very true.” Ildikó Wittmann, Gyermekirodalom.hu, 2012
With its emphasis on the lyrical, Angi Máté’s book takes us into a hermetic world of fantasy where a street sprinkler and a chair that eats apples, a crab and a balloon moon make for easy companions. This unique world of images is beautifully illustrated by Kinga Rófusz’s series of full-page illustrations that, both in length and content, make up more than half of the book. Both the author and illustrator have received IBBY prizes for their previous books. PUBLISHER: Magvető Kiadó PAGES: 50 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2012 ILLUSTRATOR: Kinga Rófusz
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Katalin Szegedi
LENKA, PATRICK [Lenka, Palkó]
PUBLISHER: :CSIMOTA KIADÓ PAGES: 32 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2010, 2013 ILLUSTRATOR: KATALIN SZEGEDI
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Twin books are a rarity, especially in children’s literature. Lenka and Patrick are two separate stories with a shared ending, the story of the meeting between a chubby little girl and a skinny little boy. They are suffering from the same thing – being cast out of the community of “normal” children. Their physical imperfection is the cause of their psychological problems, but only until the two meet and become friends. These two books, published by Csimota Kiadó, form part of the Tolerance Series, which deals with subjects that will encourage children to show tolerance toward each other. The story of Lenka and Patrick shows children from the inside what it is like to be ostracized by their peers. “The two books, which tell the story of the developing friendship between the two children and the fantastic experience of finding each other, harmonize and complement each other even in their color. Reaching across the volumes, the two hearts beat to the same rhythm only to continue beating as one in perfect understanding.” Katalin Szabó-Tasi, Könyvmutatványosok, 2013
In the twin volumes, text and illustration are closely bound. The illustrations not only show readers what is happening, they take a part in the story telling itself. Katalin Szegedi has been included in the IBBY Honour List and was a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
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János Lackfi LOUIS FAT’S IN TOWN
[Kövér Lajos színre lép]
LOUIS FAT’S GOLDEN HAND [Kövér Lajos arany keze]
Louis Fat is so fat, he lives along the entire street, which is why the street was named after him. In wake of the grotesque upbeat follows the even more grotesque continuation. The very fat man can hardly move at all, so he needs help from his friend, Louis Slim. Slim helps him with the household tasks and with getting around town, and also, with eating and dressing. Slim picks his obese friend up so often that after a while he becomes strong and muscular, and he even wins a world weight lifting championship. The simple friendly assistance turns into a real sports venture. The two volumes contain a chain of amusing stories whose protagonists have to face different problems and who, despite their problems, manage to preserve not only their openness and tolerance, but their love for others as well. They never do anything “Pál Békés has said that one of the most to hurt anyone, and always strive to overcome the difficulties they interesting things about the book is the or their friends face. Is this an example to emulate or an idealized way it turns a simple street into a ‘magiworld? Who knows. In any case, it feels good being inside it, and it cal world’ and the way the author places feels good being able to share the characters’ happiness. ordinary people into it. This story-land, however, is not all that distant. It is not The author, the father of five children, was awarded an IBBY prize for Louis beyond the seven seas; it is the gentle Fat’s Golden Hand in 2008. world we all know, and the places where the stories unfold are familiar to us all.” Betti Varga, Prae.hu, 2008 PUBLISHER: General Press Kiadó PAGES: 88 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2007, 2008 ILLUSTRATOR: Jacqueline Molnár
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Péter Dóka THE GIRL WITH BLUE HAIR [A kék hajú lány]
The setting is a hospital. The main protagonist is Oliver, who falls off a tree and fractures his arm and ribs, but does not suffer more serious injuries. In the hospital ward he meets children with lives very different from his own, but what is much more exciting, while he is having lunch, a girl shows up. She is in a wheelchair and has blue hair, and Oliver can’t think about anyone else but her. Simple yet lyrical, the book is an adolescent love story on whose every page there hovers the oppressive shadow of sickness and death. Love and death - the protagonist, who is weighed down by the search for identity typical of puberty, must also learn to grapple with these two aspects of life. The text is strong and focused, and relies often and with a sure hand on the empathy of children. It does “Though Péter Dóka’s story for children not offer a recipe for living through problems and surviving is about the love (or whatever) that stirs them, it does not provide a didactic ending. It gives, instead, the hearts of young teens, it is not at all sufficient space for young readers to imagine the unfolding, romantic. Set in a hospital, it consistently each according to his or her personality. Instead of explaining reflects a realistic child’s view of the anything, it prefers to provoke reflection. world. But the sparing prose style, the refined spirit and easy to follow storyline The illustrations were made by István Lakatos, who was awarded will make it appealing to more mature an IBBY prize in 2011 for his own children’s book. audiences as well.” Lilla Proics, Revizor online, 2013
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PUBLISHER: M贸ra K枚nyvkiad贸 PAGES: 88 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2013 ILLUSTRATOR: Istv谩n Lakatos
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István Tasnádi THE HOUSE OF THE STONE MONKEYS [A komajmok háza]
The action proceeds along two tracks and two time frames, and yet one feels that the book is relating the alternative lives of one protagonist. We meet the boy, who lives with his mother in a Budapest apartment house, in the summer of 2012. He is Cornelius. He is suffering from asthma, and so is left out of many good things, such as playing soccer. His father is not with him; in fact, he doesn’t even remember him. Another boy is spending his vacation with his grandparents in the same building in the summer of 1982. He is George. He is the typical bad boy – he wanders off, sneaks into the movies to see “The Empire Strikes Back”, and disturbs the quiet of the peaceful apartment house. The house unveils its mysterious secret to both of them, for it turns out that it is inhabited by magicos being threatened by the murderous peritons, and their only protection is provided by the two stone monkeys standing guard above the main entrance. It further turns out that the little girl next door is really a salamander, her grandmother is a fairy, and Uncle Dragoman upstairs is, as his name indicates, a dragon. The often sad reality clothed in the garbs of tales has a profound effect on both children, and at the end of the story, things come to fruition with George and “Cornelius, who is living with his mother, Cornelius, father and son, finding each other. is looking for an explanation for why he doesn’t know his father, while George is The book was awarded the Children’s Book of the Year prize in 2012. wondering why he can’t do anything right. These subjects could hardly be treated more simply and with more clarity and beauty in a children’s book than it is treated by Tasnádi, who avoids providing the answers that grownups might give.” Bálint Kovács, Magyar Narancs, 2012
PUBLISHER: Pagony Kiadó PAGES: 88 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2012 ILLUSTRATOR: László Herbszt 22
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Árpád Kollár
WHAT SORT OF BIRD [Milyen madár]
Out of the mouth of babes and in-depth analysis, child psychology and grownup psychology, or a simple, intent gaze at the world from above and from below, the book offers all of this at the same time. The poems that comprise it are reminiscent of prose, yet are bona fide poems. The subject of most of them leaves traditional children’s topics behind to take readers of all ages into areas that will make them wonder why no one has treated these obvious problems before. “Árpád Kollár’s progressive and in no way overly lyrical book, What Sort of Bird, became a cult item even before its publication.” Boldizsár Nagy, Litera.hu, 2014
The volume is the taking of accounts through poetry. On the one hand, it offers an inventory of the world of children, the body, the objects they own, the things they like or dislike, their fictitious and real environment, their families and acts and, on the other, it is the depiction, through surprising metaphors, of a very special universe that exists in the fantasies of children as well as those grownups who have retained their childhood fantasies. The poems are characterized by a certain inner hesitation, thereby placing the child’s as yet wobbly world view into a brand new perspective, and through their special use of language, they bring to the surface mental processes that traditional poetic and syntactic structures are not sufficient to handle. This is what gives the poems in the book with their refreshing quality and sense of novelty.
PUBLISHER: Csimota Kiadó PAGES: 62 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2014 ILLUSTRATOR: Norbert Nagy
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Ervin Lázár POOR JOHNNY AND ARNIKA [Szegény Dzsoni és Árnika]
The book, which was made into a movie in the eighties and is on the reading agenda of elementary schools, is a contemporary classics of Hungarian children’s literature. The basic situation is as follows: the father is relating a tale to his daughter, but the daughter contributes the characters. Poor Johnny is a free-as-can-be young itinerant journeyman who is a stranger to constraint and is very happy, while Arnika is a beautiful princess who is brought up in a liberal family environment. What’s more, she is even allowed to choose a husband for herself. The moment the two meet, they fall in love. The trouble is that there’s a wicked witch who puts a curse on them, and they are turned into ducks. Actually, only one of them is turned into a duck, and to add insult to injury, they can turn back into a human being any time, except there’s a catch – this can happen only if the other one is turned into a duck instead. In order to find a remedy for the curse, the two embark on a journey to ask the Seven Headed Fairy for help. On the way they meet strange figures, a bit like the Little Prince, “The system of values based on love, who encounters typical human problems as he travels from planet familiar to readers of The Seven Headed to planet. They are confronted with the problems of highwaymen Fairy series, is given a new dimension in who in their effort to improve have formed a soccer team, the man Poor Johnny and Arnika, which shows whose feelings are always hurt, and twelve brothers who can feel each us that loving well means responsibility, other’s pain. Luckily, the two are often able to provide a remedy for the problems of the characters they meet. and that freedom comes with a price.” Zoltán Pompor
The story of Poor Johnny and Arnika borrows its building blocks from the world of folk tales, but when all is said and done, the stories are very much of today and contain lessons for today’s reader. Between episodes, the father, who is telling the tales, discusses the ethical problems posed by them with his children, but it is part of Ervin Lázár’s exceptional talent that he presents these dialogs without ever erring on the side of the didactic.
PUBLISHER: Móra Kiadó PAGES: 102 ILLUSTRATOR: László Réber / Jacqueline Molnár 26
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Ottó Kiss
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL STAY HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON [Szerintem mindenki maradjon otthon vasárnap délután]
A short and absurd yarn about why it’s good to stay home on Sunday afternoon. The hero of the story (story?) is Joseph Hay, whom everyone just calls Hay Joe, and there’s nothing Joseph likes better than to fly around above the small country town where he lives. Because, believe it or not, Joseph Hay can fly. How? Why? Don’t ask. You’ll just have to make do with taking this information in stride. The book is a double portrait. On the one hand, it is the portrait of the eventless events of the sleepy town where Joseph lives, and on the other, of a family without ties to each other. Take Joseph, for instance. Not only is he without ties to the ground, he veritably hovers over his life, and just as he is free of the ground, so he is free of the people around him as well. By the time he gets home, even the dinner on his plate is cold. By way of an “Not only does Joseph Hay’s character, but his aside, the author has dedicated his book “only to fathers with world view, too, bears similarity to Winnie the children”. Pooh’s. Just like Pooh, he also makes buzzing sounds and pretends he’s a bee, so people won’t Despite the author’s special brand of humor and the book’s recognize him – and in fact, policemen Joe and lyrical tone, it is very much down to earth, and is rendered Mike take him for a buzzing bee. His ’gruff and even more so by András Baranyai’s insightful yet entertaining rough’ simplicity and simple- mindedness re- illustrations. mind us of Pooh as well.” In 2007 the artist was awarded the IBBY prize for his work on this book. 28 Andrea Lovász, Új Könyvpiac, 2006
PUBLISHER: Csodaceruza Kiad贸 PAGES: 36 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2006 ILLUSTRATOR: Andr谩s Baranyai
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Zsolt Pacskovszky FREEFALL [Szabadesés]
Móra Kiadó’s Taboo Books series was especially designed as a forum for the discussion of delicate, problematic subjects. Zsolt Pacskovszky’s novel is the first Hungarian book in the series. And since the theme is problematic subjects, the author throws all restraint to the winds. The protagonist attends vocational high school in a small Hungarian town. He has many talents and aptitudes that predestine him for success – he is a fine soccer player, he is good looking, and he is good in his chosen profession. He likes to read, though in the school environment this works against him. His life is full of bitterness. Existence in the small town holds no perspective for him. His parents are divorced, and his father is an alcoholic. At school, he hooks up with bad company. He botches up his advances towards the only girl he likes. One day, the infinitely negative atmosphere is relieved by the appearance of a young and attractive literature teacher, who decides to seduce the boy. The greatest problem of the protagonist is that although his body and life situation would indicate and would require maturity, he is in fact inexperienced. He is a stranger to physical as well as spiritual love, has difficulty understanding another person’s needs and intentions, and so he repeatedly finds himself in situations in which he ends up doing the “The great merit of Freefall is that it is opposite of what is right. This story is a gigantic objective, at times even dispassionate, while exclamation point, a warning addressed to the late at other times it is subjective. At other times teen generation, an inventory of things that it is still, with its surprising honest style, it not wisest to avoid, no matter what. only conveys the atmosphere of a small town to perfection, but also provides a lifelike picture of the limits and hopelessness of the adolescents who live there.” Eszter Németh, Barkaonline.hu, 2013
PUBLISHER:
Móra Kiadó
PAGES: 160
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2013 30
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THE FAIRY WHO COULD SEE IN THE DARK
WRITERS
ILLUSTRATORS
(A sötétben látó tündér)
László Bagossy (1967): He has worked as a theater director both at home and abroad. He was earlier primarily known as a poet. The Fairy Who Could See in the Dark is his first published prose work. Mari Takács: mariland.hu
László Bagossy
Mari Takács
Borbála Szabó
Nóra Rácz
Lídia Nádori
Fruzsina Kun
Zoltán Czigány
András Baranyai
Angi Máté
Kinga Rofusz
TRANSFORMED CHILDREN (Átváltozott gyerekek)
Borbála Szabó (1978): One of the most successful young playwrights and dramaturges, she has worked on several shows for children and “children of all ages” and has cooperated with Dániel Varró, Péter Esterházy, as well as various famous Hungarian directors. Nóra Rácz: noraracz.blogspot.hu
DRAGON ON THE STAIRS (Sárkány a lépcsoházban)
Lídia Nádori (1971): She studied music, Hungarian, and German. She works primarily as a literary translator. For a while she lived in Berlin thanks to a DAAD scholarship. She is the translator of the works of Ingo Schulze, Herta Müller and Terézia Mora into Hungarian. Fruzsina Kun: fruzsi.hu
MARVEL AND LOLLOP (Csoda és Kósza)
Zoltán Czigány (1965-2011): He began his career as a poet, then turned to prose. Marvel and Lollop are the protagonists of several of his books for children. He has also worked on documentaries, art shows and children’s shows for Hungarian Television. András Baranyai: andrasbaranyai.com
CAPTAIN AND ORANGE FISH (Kapitány és narancshal)
Angi Máté (1971): Born in Transylvania, he became known for his first book, Mamo, which brought him several awards. His book, Once There Was, was awarded the IBBY prize in 2011. Kinga Rofusz: rofuszkinga.hu
LENKA, PATRICK (Lenka, Palkó)
Katalin Szegedi (1963): She writes and illustrates children’s books. Besides her own three books, she has illustrated over 50 others. Several of the books she illustrated have been awarded the Beautiful Hungarian Book Prize. In 2005 she was named Illustrator of the Year. szegedikatalin.blogspot.com Katalin Szegedi
LOUIS FAT’S IN TOWN (Kövér Lajos színre lép)
János Lackfi (1971): He is a writer, poet, literary translator, and editor with several volumes of prose and poetry, both his own, and in his translation. He is associate professor at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. He has received a number of prizes, including the IBBY prize for two of his books. Jacqueline Molnár: jacquelinemolnar.com 32
János Lackfi
Jacqueline Molnár:
WRITERS
ILLUSTRATORS
THE GIRL WITH BLUE HAIR (A kék hajú lány)
Péter Dóka (1974): He is editor at Móra Kiadó, though formerly he was a film reviewer. In college he majored in Hungarian literature and German. His short stories have appeared in a number of magazines and journals. The Girl with Blue Hair is his fourth novel. Péter Dóka
István Lakatos
István Lakatos: l-f-s.deviantart.com
THE HOUSE OF THE STONE MONKEYS (A komajmok háza)
István Tasnádi (1970): He is a poet, playwright, and critic. He has worked for various theaters as playwright, dramaturge, and director. His plays have been produced abroad. He began writing books for children and juveniles in 2009. István Tasnádi
László Herbszt
László Herbszt: illusztris.hu/herbszt-laszlo/
WHAT SORT OF BIRD (Milyen madár)
Árpád Kollár (1980): He was born in Serbia. He is a poet and president of the Young Writers Association. He also writes studies, essays, and reviews. He has received a number of awards given to writers for their first book. Árpád Kollár
Norbert Nagy
Norbert Nagy: graphic designer. He was born in 1974 in Budapest. He works mainly in advertising and branding design, but he designs book covers and creates independent graphic works as well.
POOR JOHNNY AND ARNIKA (Szegény Dzsoni és Árnika)
Ervin Lázár (1936-2006): Hungarian writer and recounter of tales, he was the author of countless children’s books and the creator of popular and much loved figures. His books, which are considered modern classics, have garnered him countless prizes, including the Kossuth Prize. Ervin Lázár
Jacqueline Molnár:
Jacqueline Molnár: jacquelinemolnar.com
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL STAY HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON (Szerintem mindenki...)
Ottó Kiss (1963): He is a well-knows poet, writer of children’s books, and editor who has won a Ottó Kiss
András Baranyai
number of prizes. His works, many of which have been translated into foreign languages, have appeared in prestigious Hungarian journals and magazines. He has published several volumes of prose and poetry for children. András Baranyai: andrasbaranyai.com
FREEFALL (Szabadesés)
Zsolt Pacskovszky (1968): He is primarily as a literary translator who has the translation of Timothée de Fombelle’s books, among others, to his credit. He studied in Budapest and Brussels. Zsolt Pacskovszky
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BOOKSANDTRANSLATIONS.HU 13 Hungarian Children’s Books is distributed to international editors and publishers Published by the Hungarian Books and Translations Office – Petőfi Literary Museum Selection committee members: Gabi Both, Péter Gombos, Zoltán Pompor, Nikoletta Szekeres, Zsuzsa Tamás Editor: Zoltán Jeney Texts: Zoltán Jeney, Ágnes Füle Translation: Judith Sollosy Photos: Judit Szabó J. (Péter Dóka’s portrait), Péter Dóka (Zsolt Pacskovszky’s portrait), Zsolt Sütő (Angi Máté’s portrait) Design: Csaba Varga
Petőfi Irodalmi Múzeum
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