MATRESHKA

A winning tale involving the appealing Russian dolls that nest one within another. Caught in a snowstorm, Kata takes refuge in what proves to be Baba Yaga's house; fortunately, she has with her a little wooden doll, just given her by an old woman to whom she's been kind. The minute Baba Yaga is out of sight, ``Matreshka'' comes to life; and, while the witch conspires to turn Kata into a goose and eat her, ever-smaller Matreshkas come out, one by one, to help Kata escape: the third Matreshka climbs into the keyhole to unlock the door; the fifth, the tiniest one, whispers in Baba Yaga's ear so that she mixes up her spell and turns herself into a frog. Ayres's lively retelling is delightful, accessibly colloquial in tone and sparked with Matreshka's rhyming chants; the Bulgarian-born artist's vibrant watercolors, with the lively figures silhouetted against a white ground, are just right for group sharing. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-8)