Babushka's Doll

Rating:
Summary: 4.5 Morality With Warmth
Review: "Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural"

This book's archetypal story elements (e.g., magic, a moral, intergenerational conflict) are indeed part fairy tale and myth. A young girl, overly demanding of her grandmother ("Babushka"), learns what it's like on the receiving end when her grandmother's doll comes to life and makes demands on the girl. This is not, however, typical Polacco because there's a subtle punitive quality to the doll's incessant demands and misbehavior: "'You didn't do it right," said the doll... Natasha began to cry. "I'm just a little girl," she said between sobs. I wish you were just a doll."'

However, I think that Palocco's evocation of a fairy tale (which often contain gruesome scenes, unlike the mild consequences here), and her warm, very colorful illustrations soften the doll's "vengeance." This is not "Chuckie." And in the end, her grandmother slyly tells her that she must have been dreaming (although we are led to believe that the doll really did come to life), and we are reassured that 'Natasha turned out quite nice after all.'

Palocco's large, loopy illustrations are always a treasure, and here, the pencil, pen, and acrylic bring some enchantment and a sense of fun to Natasha's "lesson."

Rating:
Summary: We love this book.
Review: "Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural"

This book's archetypal story elements (e.g., magic, a moral, intergenerational conflict) are indeed part fairy tale and myth. A young girl, overly demanding of her grandmother ("Babushka"), learns what it's like on the receiving end when her grandmother's doll comes to life and makes demands on the girl. This is not, however, typical Polacco because there's a subtle punitive quality to the doll's incessant demands and misbehavior: "'You didn't do it right," said the doll... Natasha began to cry. "I'm just a little girl," she said between sobs. I wish you were just a doll."'

However, I think that Palocco's evocation of a fairy tale (which often contain gruesome scenes, unlike the mild consequences here), and her warm, very colorful illustrations soften the doll's "vengeance." This is not "Chuckie." And in the end, her grandmother slyly tells her that she must have been dreaming (although we are led to believe that the doll really did come to life), and we are reassured that `Natasha turned out quite nice after all.'

Palocco's large, loopy illustrations are always a treasure, and here, the pencil, pen, and acrylic bring some enchantment and a sense of fun to Natasha's "lesson."

Rating:
Summary: The A mazing Doll
Review: It is a book that is full of surprises. The biggest, most interesting surprise is when Natasha uses her grandmother's doll. It came to life and the doll was mean to Natasha. I loved the drawings. This story could be a lesson for us not to be mean to our mothers...

Rating:
Summary: We love this book.
Review: My children love this story, and I enjoy reading it. I particularly like the illustrations. Very accurate portrayal of rural Russia--the windows, the well... I have ordered more of her books, we enjoy this one so much.