HOW THE MOOLAH WAS TAUGHT A LESSON and Other Tales From Russia

by Estelle & Lila Pargment--Adapt. & Trans. Titiev ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 30, 1976

The dimensions and the full-page illustrations--one for every four pages or so of text--make this look like a picture book, though the stories are geared to a slightly older attention span and Cruz's drawings are often too unfocused to give them a lift. There are four tales here from four different ethnic groups; in all four, the local climate and customs particularize familiar folklore themes--the peasant outsmarting his envious rich neighbor, the third son overcoming both a cannibalistic witch and a greedy czar, the beautiful gift choosing the maimed but loving suitor over a cruel, handsome one, and the young husband saved from all manner of indignities by his wife's wits and magic. The first two, especially, could make for lively reading aloud, and all are more than respectable--though none can be deemed essential considering the availability of similar material.

Pub Date: April 30, 1976

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 54

Publisher: Dial

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1976

Categories: NONFICTION