adapted by Hiawyn Oram & illustrated by Ruth Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1998
Superb artwork enhances this offbeat, minimalist retelling of the old Russian folktale in which Baba Yaga the witch is outwitted by an innocent little girl, with the help of a magic doll bequeathed to her by her now-dead mother. The outlines of the tale are familiar enough: the hapless, persecuted child, here named Too Nice, driven into the forest by her cruel stepsisters, Horrid and Too Horrid; the witch's house on chicken legs; the impossible tasks that are accomplished with the aid of the magic doll; the child's return with one of Baba Yaga's possessions (here a predatory toad) that finishes off Too Nice's tormentors. Some of the more colorful details of other versions are lacking here, and Baba Yaga has more bark than bite; when Too Nice passes the final test, Baba Yaga dances elatedly, less a mortal menace than a therapist who has practiced tough love. Brown's illustrations add psychological depth to the tale, with the barely visible figure of Too Nice's dead mother embracing her daughter on the front cover, the ominous black endpapers, the depiction of Too Nice's siblings as carbon copies of her; the caricature of housewifery in Baba Yaga's scraggly broom, her sloshing cauldron, and the rows of preserve jars holding ingredients for ghastly stews. Particularly striking are the scenes where the doll's shadow, hugely magnified by the angle of the light, completes Baba Yaga's impossible tasks. It's not particularly ``Russian'' in style, but it is excellent witchy stuff. (Picture book/folklore. 6- 10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-525-45947-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1998
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by Joyce Milton & illustrated by Larry Schwinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
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by Joyce Milton ; illustrated by Franco Tempesta
by Meredith Hooper & illustrated by Bee Willey ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2000
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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