A press release from Penlight Publications:
English-speaking audiences can now enjoy this enchanting and timeless story, written by a pioneer of children’s rights.
Kaytek the Wizard
Kaytek, a schoolboy who wants to become a wizard, is surprised to discover that, with practice, he is able to perform magic spells and change reality. With prospects of mischief in mind, he conceals his powers and playfully causes strange incidents in his school and neighborhood. Though harmless at first, Kaytek’s antics and increasing abilities soon wreak major chaos around the city of Warsaw, and the police start searching for the cause.
Disillusioned, Kaytek leaves the country and wanders the world in search of the meaning of his unique abilities and their consequences. As Kaytek experiences a loss of innocence, the tone of the story and the accompanying illustrations get steadily darker. Revolving around the notion that power is not without responsibility nor without repercussions, this story speaks to every child’s dream of freeing themselves from the endless control of adults, and shaping the world to their own designs.
Reviews of Kaytek the Wizard
“The story is riveting, complex and thought-provoking.… The translation is excellent, and notes are provided to help readers understand local customs and geography.… Students of children’s literature will find the book and the afterword illuminating.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Recommended. A fascinating Polish fantasy that will appeal to many ages. Like reading a book and comparing it to the movie or reading a novel and comparing it to the script, it’s fun to read Kaytek the Wizard to compare it to modern fantasy… Kaytek the Wizard is definitely an adventurous story and, in the end, I closed the book satisfied.” —Bookfoolery and Babble
About Janusz Korczak
“The lives of great men are like legends—difficult but beautiful.” —Janusz Korczak
Janusz Korczak (1879-1942) was the pen name of Dr. Henryk Goldszmit, a pediatrician and child psychologist who famously ran a central Warsaw orphanage on innovative educational principles. Korczak left behind a large written legacy, including books on education, plays, essays, letters, and of course, novels and stories for children, including King Matt the First.
On August 5, 1942, Korczak was deported from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka along with the 192 orphans in his care.
2012: The Year of Janusz Korczak
This first English translation of Kaytek the Wizard coincides with the Polish Parliament’s declaration of 2012 as “The Year of Janusz Korczak.” This year contains two important anniversaries connected with Korczak: the 70th anniversary of his death and the 100th anniversary of the founding of his orphanage in Warsaw.
Other Korczak commemorations around the world:
On August 14, 2012, Andrzej Wajda’s 1990 film Korczak, was released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Confessions of a Butterfly, a play about Korczak’s last hours, will be on at the Lion and Unicorn Theater, London, from September 10-29, 2012.
Dr. Korczak’s Example, a play by David Greig for young adults will be running at the Unicorn Theatre, London, from September 23-November 13, 2012.
Originally published in Polish in 1933, this first English translation of Kaytek the Wizard is the work of Antonia Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Avi Katz (ISBN: 9780983868507, $17.95, 272 pages).
