Status
Available
Collection
Publication
HarperCollins (1991), Edition: 1st, 36 pages
Description
A retelling of the old Russian fairy tale in which beautiful Vasilissa uses the help of her doll to escape from the clutches of the witch Baba Yaga.
Local notes
School Library Journal, 05/31/1991
Gr 2-5-- Two talented individuals--one American and one Soviet--have teamed up to tell the most beloved of Russian folktales, a cross between Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. When her stepsisters order Vasilissa to the fearsome Baba Yaga's house for fire, she is given a series of impossible tasks. Managing them all with the help of a doll given to her by her long-dead mother, Vasilissa is subsequently freed of her stepfamily and marries a Tsar. The text is long, but Winthrop's excellent retelling is perfectly suited to the culture that produced it, and for storytelling. The language is restrained but richly conveys the wonder of the events. Particularly effective are the descriptions of Baba Yaga's house and her three servants. Equally fine are Koshkin's dramatic illustrations; executed in what appears to be gouache or tempera, they possess a grainy matte texture that complements the story's somber tone. Decorative patterns fill the regional costumes worn by the characters. A distinct sense of place is evident, from the glowing skulls that light Vasilissa's path to the court of the Tsar. And Baba Yaga is gruesomely resplendent.
Gr 2-5-- Two talented individuals--one American and one Soviet--have teamed up to tell the most beloved of Russian folktales, a cross between Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. When her stepsisters order Vasilissa to the fearsome Baba Yaga's house for fire, she is given a series of impossible tasks. Managing them all with the help of a doll given to her by her long-dead mother, Vasilissa is subsequently freed of her stepfamily and marries a Tsar. The text is long, but Winthrop's excellent retelling is perfectly suited to the culture that produced it, and for storytelling. The language is restrained but richly conveys the wonder of the events. Particularly effective are the descriptions of Baba Yaga's house and her three servants. Equally fine are Koshkin's dramatic illustrations; executed in what appears to be gouache or tempera, they possess a grainy matte texture that complements the story's somber tone. Decorative patterns fill the regional costumes worn by the characters. A distinct sense of place is evident, from the glowing skulls that light Vasilissa's path to the court of the Tsar. And Baba Yaga is gruesomely resplendent.
Awards
NCTE Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K—Grade 6 (10th Edition: 1988-1992)
Children's Favorites Awards (Selection — 1992-1994)
Teacher Favorites Award (1989-1993)