children’s literature flourished. As elsewhere in eastern Europe, literary periodicals were
a way of providing stories and poems for young people at a low cost. One of these,
Kincskeresö [Treasure Hunter] sponsored events at which children could meet authors.
Some authors have achieved international success, notably Éva Janikovszky, whose
delightful picture books have been translated into many languages. She has also written
short stories and novels for older children and teenagers, such as Az úgy volt [It All
Started When...] (1980) and A Nagyzuhe [When it Rained Cats and Dogs] (1976). Her
picture books, which never lose sight of everyday life and the relationships between
children and adults, owe much to their illustrator, László Réber. Two of her books,
translated as Happiness and Even Granny was Young Once, were published in Britain in
- The latter, illustrated with a combination of child-like drawings and old family
photographs, is a graphic explanation of family relationships.
István Csukás published popular stories for adolescents from the late 1960s onwards.
Very prolific, he also produced picture books written in verse, and humorous tales for
younger children. Vakacio a Halott Utcaban [Holiday in Death Street] (1976), an exciting
detective story, and the more romantic Hogyan Lettem Filszinesz [How I Became A Movie
Star] (1981) are adventure stories for older children. Csukás also created favourite
cartoon characters in Süsü the Dragon and Pom Pom. Both Éva Janikovszky and István
Csukás worked for many years for Mora Konyrkiado, the major children’s publishing
house in Budapest, which continues to dominate the scene after the political changes of
More recently, Pál Békés has attracted attention with his badger stories, Borz a Samlin
[Badger on the Stool] (1986), and novels such as A.Kétbalkezes Varázslo [The Fumble-
Fisted Wizard] (1983). His books are a combination of the modern and the fabulous
while his messages are universal. The story about the fumble-fisted wizard, for example,
demonstrates the need for people to find each other even within the labyrinths of dull,
modern high-rise housing units.
RomaniaMany Eastern European countries seem to have had one individual committed to the
cause of children’s literature during the 1920s. In Romania this was Apostol Culea. The
modern Romanian language dates to the nineteenth century: Ion Creanga and Mihail
Sadoveanu wrote short stories which appealed to young people. Another influential
figure in Romanian children’s literature was Carmen Sylva, the literary pseudonym of
Queen Elizabeth, wife of King Carol I.Her book, Povestile Peleşului [The Tale of Pelesch
Castle] was first published in Romanian in 1882. This is a collection of fairy tales woven
around Pelesch Castle in the Carpathians and was very popular. During the communist
period it was banned because of its royalist connections but its lasting role in Romanian
children’s literature is shown by the fact that a new edition was published in 1991, after
the political changes of 1989.
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