Géza Szávai: A zöld sivatag vőlegénye (The Fiancé of the Green Desert)
Illustrated by Dóra Keresztes
Pont Publishers, Budapest, 2005
120 p., full colour illustrations
The characters of this fairy tale novel have to face the facts pouring every day both from real life and TV news. Hens, frogs, owls, donkeys are escaping from the town that has already lost touch with the revitalizing power of Nature. A 'sensitive robot child', Koko Sam, joins them. They give new life to the desert (they call their community Green Desert). Old tales, old creatures turn up, even a dinosaur. We can see Galvani's frog, whose leg was cut for an
experiment (at the end of the story it gets it back). A nuclear submarine has been stolen by terrorists, and the Green Desert stops the tragedy. They also give a home to the dog which was launched into space for experimental purposes.
In the novel the frightening contemporary world becomes more humane and hopeful by the logic and humour of fairy tale and fantasy.
The illustrator, Dora Keresztes has made an interesting animation: when children turn the pages very quickly, they can see a special motion picture.
