Rumour has it that there is something wrong with the Great Vont Vláďa Dratuš, who was helped by the Fast Arrows to rule all the streets of Shadowdale in the spring. There are even rumours that he has lost the hedgehog himself in his cage. So the Quick Arrows are once again heading to the dangerous Shadowlands to help Vlad before uncertainty and violence engulf the Shadowlands.
Few people are unfamiliar with Foglar's Quick Arrows - a group of five boys from the Other Side. They are model scouts, they set an example at school, they are happy to help wherever needed, but at the same time they have adventures that many other boys and girls never dream of. They can serve as moral role models for children's readers, but their stories are always gripping and suspenseful, so this is definitely not just literature encouraging good behaviour.
The educational tendency that permeates all of Foglar's work is also evident in The Secret of Big Vonto. The Quick Arrows never forget to do their homework before their expedition, they try to resolve disputes non-violently by means of argument, and they always return home in time for their parents not to worry about them. However, everything is set so non-violently in the story that it doesn't affect the interesting story in any way, and only the adult reader is more likely to discover the author's intent.
The novel is written in a very flowery language, it can be a good tool for enriching vocabulary. However, there are some archaic expressions that will need to be explained to children. One example is the word "vůčihledně", which is hardly encountered in today's colloquial Czech.
The chapters devoted to the publication of Tam Tam, the magazine of the Fast Arrows, and The Collector, the magazine of their arch enemies, can be used as an introduction to media education. Specifically, when dealing with the issue of periodical publishing, the rules associated with publishing or tabloid elements, and misinformation.
For the first time, The Secret of Big Vonto is accompanied by full-colour illustrations by Jiří Grus.
Magdalena Trajerová
FOGLAR, Jaroslav. Tajemství Velkého Vonta. Ilustrace Jiří Grus. Praha: Albatros, 2021.
The review was created at the Department of Journalism of FSV UK under the supervision of PhDr. Jana Čeňková, Ph.D.
