Annie...Anya: A Month in Moscow - Hardcover

Trivas, Irene

3.62

8 ratings by Goodreads

9780531054529: Annie...Anya: A Month in Moscow

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0531054527 ISBN 13: 9780531054529

Publisher: Orchard Books, 1992

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Five-year-old Annie spends a month in Moscow learning Russian words, making friends, and exploring the city.

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From Publishers Weekly:

When five-year-old Annie arrives with her parents for a monthlong visit in Moscow, she is less than overjoyed at this "huge gray city" where she can't get peanut butter and banana sandwiches and no one speaks English. But when the youngster is packed off to a Russian day care center, she gradually befriends Anya. The two girls exchange Russian and English words (they discover their dolls are named Katie and Katya) and Annie realizes that Russia is not so different from home after all. Though Trivas's ( Emma's Christmas ) pleasant text has genuinely appealing moments, it is ultimately uninspired. The book shoulders the triple burden of telling a story, fostering cross-cultural understanding and teaching Russian vocabulary. Indeed, this last imperative seems to be its real raison d'etre: the narrative virtually grinds to a halt as Trivas clumsily introduces Romanized Russian words and their translations into the story line. Her ink-line-and-watercolor illustrations possess a delicate sweetness reminiscent of James Stevenson's work. But they are marred by the featureless faces of Annie and Anya, which too closely resemble those of their dolls. Ages 5-7.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- While her parents are working in Russia for a month, five-year-old Annie must adjust to a Russian daycare center, but she doesn't want to. She wants to go home to America, where things are familiar and she can play with her best friend and her cat. However, she has not reckoned with the irrepressible Anya, who decides that despite Annie's thunderous face, they WILL communicate. An intercultural exchange begins that does not end until the last page of this delightful, positive book. Children will be pleased and satisfied as Annie adjusts to her surroundings, becomes fast friends with Anya, and picks up Russian. There are about 30 Russian words and phrases sprinkled throughout, which young readers and listeners will enjoy repeating. Trivas's scratchy-looking watercolors capture cityscapes and the nuances of facial expressions with equal facility. A wonderful introduction to Russian culture, and one that makes the most of similarities and differences, this will leave readers feeling, along with Annie, that a month is too short. --Ann Welton, Thomas Academy, Kent, WA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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