Hungarian / Hungary
A kék hajú lány
(The girl with the blue hair)
Dóka, Péter
(text)
Lakatos, István
(illus.)
Budapest: Móra, 2013. – 79 p.
ISBN 978-963-11-9467-8
Hospital | Illness | Cancer | Friendship
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2014
Thirteen-year-old Oliver needs his stuffed toy rat with him to fall asleep, has no friends, and loves to climb trees. His luck runs out one day when he falls from the tree and must remain under observation at the hospital. In the children’s wing, Oliver discovers a world full of secrets and suspense and also new friends, trying to help anyone who is ill or unhappy. He really likes Mira, the girl with the blue hair. Chemotherapy has made her hair fall out, so she wears a blue wig. Mira has retreated to a world of fantasy, but Oliver manages to bring her back to this world. Well-loved Hungarian picture book author Peter Doka capably handles this sombre topic, telling the story from the perspective of a young adult who refuses to succumb to a life-threatening illness. The colourful drawings help the reader better imagine this world of fears and bad dreams.