Greg
By: Szofi Száraz
Publisher: Weeskinders, Hungary, 2026
Format: Hardback
A hero from the deep, deep sea
Greg is inspired by a real event: In 2025, a deep sea-fish surfaced on Tenerife, having come up from a depth of at least 2000, maybe even as much as 4000 meters. The fish was a Humpbacked anglerfish, known for its lantern, lighting up the vast darkness of the deep ocean.
The real fish came from a world of darkness to Tenerife's bright and friendly sunlight. In Greg, we meet the same kind of fish making the same kind of journey, but instead of sunshine, he his headed towards a dark and unfriendly world. The light in the lighthouse is out, and the surface world appears dark and unfriendly.
Humpbacked anglerfishes are, by all normal standards of beauty, not very pretty. The belong to the family of Melanocetidae which translates to "black sea monster". Száraz has managed to portray our little hero Greg, in a way where she uses the characteristics of the real fish, but in a way that makes him seem charming and endearing - despite all his very sharp teeth. Greg might not be picture-pretty, but he wins the readers hearts with his steady determination and optimism.
Száraz has used a variety of techniques in this book: Watercolors, acrylics, old pastels and colored pencils. The result both pleaasing and tactile, and the variety of effects has allowed her to portray all the depths of the vast ocean Greg navigates: The pitch-black deep-down dark, the colorful fish and plants and the glowing sea creatures that guides him on his way upward.
The reader is invited to follow along on Greg's upwards journey in the ocean. There are lots of little details to delight in and make little stories about on the way. The book requires readers with an observant eye, as the details that hint to what will happen further are sometimes very small: See for example the pic ture where Greg catches a ride with the red crab. In the top right corner, there is a tiny gray pencil sketch of the fisher boy we meet at the enxt page. The grey sktech blends into the background and is easily missed during the first reading. As most good silent books, this book calls for more readings than one, with new discoveries to be made every time the book is opened.
The ending is happy, but not sentimentally so. As in the rest of the book, Száraz places a lot of faith in the reader's ability to draw their own conclusions, thus giving space for each reader's experience and interpretation. For children, this will be an exciting adventure of a small fish travelling through the ocean and meeting all its creatures. For older children and adults, the book has depths of meaning, teaching lessons of hope and recilience.
The publisher, the all-silent-book publishing house Weeskinders, has done a great job with designing a cover and endpapers that not only fit the story, but deepens the readers understanding of it.
