After a nearly six month absence (yipes!) I'm back. This time I dug into that oddball decade filled with books that are okay.... but lack a certain kid-appeal: the 30s.
I really enjoyed The White Stag with its condensed epic saga and gorgeous illustrations, but it didn't really feel like timeless children's literature. The Hun invasion is bloody, the peaceful Magyars are looked at with contempt by a character who is very well respected, and we get possibly the most depressing love story in children's literature.
However - this was an extraordinary peek into the folklore of Hungary (as noted in the author's introduction), how interesting that what historians and geneticists consider as the origin of modern Hungary is basically the opposite of what is found in folklore. But the true connections are just as fascinating, showing that Hunnic DNA in fact is found within the Magyars suggesting that the 'brother tribes' bit in the story is at least partially true. (I've not done a whole lot of research so perhaps I muddied the waters here, don't quote me.)
I'm having trouble coming up with things to say about this book, seeing as it's only 94 pages, and copiously illustrated to boot. Overall a good read that skews middle school boy in target demographic.
Seriously though. Gorgeous illustrations.
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