Matreshka - Softcover

Becky Hickox Ayres

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0440412889 ISBN 13: 9780440412885

Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell / A Picture Yearling Book, 1996

Synopsis

Kata's little wooden doll saves her life when she is captured by Baba Yaga.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Drawing upon traditional Russian folklore, Ayres creates an accessible and exciting picture book in which a young girl outwits the evil Baba Yaga. After sharing her meal with an old woman she meets on the road, Kata is given a little wooden doll named Matreshka. Lost in a snowstorm, the child stumbles upon the witch's fearsome house and is given a room for the evening. When Kata realizes she's to be Baba Yaga's next meal, the wooden doll saves her life. Out of the larger Matreshka pop four smaller dolls who find a way out of locked doors, crawl through a mouse's hole, and confuse the witch so thoroughly that she accidently turns herself into a green frog. Natchev's bold, lively illustrations occupy double-page spreads and have a fresh, often whimsical look. The watercolor washes boast a variety of textures, and the characters are depicted in an exaggerated manner. Unfortunately, there is a lack of agreement between text and illustration at the beginning of the book. The text has Kata returning from a trip to town while the illustrations show her just leaving her grandfather's house. Even so, the story will have wide appeal and is suitable for sharing aloud or reading independently. It also makes an entertaining introduction to Russian folklore and culture, especially if told using a set of Russian nesting dolls. --Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University, Normal
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Despite Natchev's bright, collage-like art, this Russian-inspired tale of a girl saved from an evil witch by a series of nesting dolls was characterized by PW as "rather bland." Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell / A Picture Yearling Book
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0440412889
• ISBN 13: 9780440412885
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Alexi Natchev