Baba Yaga and the Wise Doll

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A memorable Russian fairy tale to entrance and enchant Ruth BrownÆs stunning illustrations accompany an extraordinary fairy tale about a little girl who, with the advice of her wise doll, escapes a truly terrifying witch and her slimy, child-gobbling toads. When Too NiceÆs evil sisters, Horrid and Very Horrid, force her to kidnap the witch Baba YagaÆs jeweled toad, Baba Yaga devises a series of impossible tests for the little girl. If Too Nice passes them, she gets the toad, but if she doesnÆtùthe toad gets her! ...
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Ruth Brown New York, New York, U.S.A. 1997 Hard Cover New 9 x 11. First American Edition. First printing. Glossy pictorial hardcover. No D/J. A wise dolls is challenged by Baba ... Yaga to a series of impossible tests. But the doll's mother gives her a gift that leads her to the iraculous completion of the tasks. Read more Show Less

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Brown, Ruth (Illustrated by). 1998 Hard cover First edition. 1st American edition. 1st printing. New in new dust jacket. Slight shelf wear to jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over ... boards. With dust jacket. 32 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: Children/juvenile. Children's picture storybook: Too Nice is sent by Horrid and Very Horrid to kidnap one of Baba Yaga's child-gobbling Toads. Seeing her coming, Baba Yaga plans a series of impossible tests. Read more Show Less

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More About This Book

Overview

A memorable Russian fairy tale to entrance and enchant Ruth BrownÆs stunning illustrations accompany an extraordinary fairy tale about a little girl who, with the advice of her wise doll, escapes a truly terrifying witch and her slimy, child-gobbling toads. When Too NiceÆs evil sisters, Horrid and Very Horrid, force her to kidnap the witch Baba YagaÆs jeweled toad, Baba Yaga devises a series of impossible tests for the little girl. If Too Nice passes them, she gets the toad, but if she doesnÆtùthe toad gets her! Too NiceÆs only companion through the ordeal is the wise doll in her pocket, a gift from her mother, whose help leads to the miraculous completion of the tasks. And as gifts beget gifts, Too Nice gets the toad and the two evil sisters get theirs!
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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The august skills of Oram (Badger's Bring Something Party) and Brown (Cry Baby) create a droll yet affecting take on a Russian fairy tale. Earthy colors and the dramatic manipulation of light and shadow mark the artist's sweeping full-bleed spreads, from which a cherubic waif named Too Nice stares out with mesmerizing brown eyes. Her sisters, Horrid and Very Horrid, demand that Too Nice bring to them one of Baba Yaga's dapper Toads (bedecked in jeweled vests and diamond collars). But first, she must complete a series of tasks at the witch's bidding (e.g., separating out a pile of dirt and poppy seeds). With the help of a small doll, a gift from her deceased mother, Too Nice accomplishes her mission and returns home with a seemingly benign Toad who nonetheless gobbles up the greedy siblings. Oram's clever twist in inventing sisters more horrid than the sorceress will likely amuse even die-hard fairy tale fans, while Brown spares youngsters potentially scary scenes in favor of depicting more frivolous moments: Baba Yaga's house sprouts chicken legs to carry her through the forest; food flies as the witch and her Toads prance on the table, alongside a jovial dancing cauldron. Learning a sound lesson, Too Nice changes her name to Just About Righta fine description for this clever and elegant book as well. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3The ever-popular Russian witch nearly steals the show in this enjoyable picture book. One day, Horrid Child and Very Horrid Child send Too Nice Child to Baba Yaga's house to bring back one of the witch's toads. Fortunately, Too Nice has a magical helper, a doll given to her by her mother before she died. With the doll's help, the girl accomplishes seemingly impossible tasks set for her by Baba Yaga. The ultimate test is a question: "What was it you came for?" Too Nice's answer delights the witch and she gives her one of her bejeweled toads. It gobbles up Horrid Child and Very Horrid Child and hops back home. Too Nice stops being too nice and becomes "Just About Right." Oram's retelling downplays the frightening aspects of the witch. One flaw in the otherwise excellent retelling is the lack of any source notes for this version. Brown's atmospheric illustrations work wonderfully with the text. Using layers of acrylic paint and glazes, the artist has fashioned full-page illustrations that effectively merge reality and fantasy. They also have a sly humor about them. Baba Yaga's pet toads hang tightly onto the roof of her house as it gallops along on chicken legs, and after Too Nice Child answers her question favorably, Baba Yaga and her toads dance a jig on top of the dinner table. A bewitching offering.Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, IL
Horn
This snappy retelling features plenty of dialogue and a protagonist named Too Nice, who is harassed by her sisters Horrid and Very Horrid and forced out into the woods to visit the terrifying witch Baba Yaga. Fortunately, she is accompanied by the wise doll-given to her by her mother before her death-who gives Too Nice advice and accom-plishes the tasks set by Baba Yaga. With the doll's help, Too Nice wins Baba Yaga's approval and a bejeweled toad, who immediately devours Horrid and Very Horrid. "And Too Nice...became...Just About Right." Ruth Brown's dramatic illustrations contrast the big-eyed, innocent Too Nice with a tangibly-and glamorously-demonic Baba Yaga. The textured paintings reveal the witch's rough skin and broom-like hair as well as the depth of the blackened forest, from which tiny pairs of eyes appear like pricks of light. The brisk text lightens the spooky pictures with glints of humor, and Too Nice is a sturdy heroine who doesn't seem to mind one bit that those sisters got just what they deserved. This version seems to draw on several of the old Russian tales, though no sources are given.
Kirkus Reviews
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)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780525459477
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 1/15/1998
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 32
  • Age range: 3 - 6 Years
  • Product dimensions: 9.00 (w) x 11.12 (h) x 0.33 (d)

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