Babushka's Doll

by Patricia Polacco, Patricia Polacco (Illustrator)

Overview

Natasha isn't really a bad girl. It's just that she wants to play on the swing now, not after the wash has been hung up to dry. And she wants her soup now, not after the goats have been fed. Looking after Natasha keeps Babushka, Natasha's grandmother, very busy.
Then, after lunch, Natasha notices a doll sitting on Babushka's shelf...a doll Babushka tells Natasha she played with just once when she was a little girl. When Natasha plays with the doll while Babushka goes to the store for groceries, she discovers why once is enough with Babushka's doll...and finds out just how tiring it can be to take care of a child who wants everything now.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689802553
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	08/01/1995
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	357,818
Product dimensions:	10.28(w) x 5.32(h) x 0.12(d)
Lexile:	470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Patricia Polacco belongs to a family of storytellers, poets, farmers, teachers, and artists. They came from many parts of the world, but mainly Russia. She grew up to be an illustrator, a designer, and creator of many beloved children’s books, including The Keeping Quilt, The Blessing Cup, Fiona’s Lace, The Trees of the Dancing Goats, Babushka’s Doll, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, Sticks and Stones, and Palace of Books. She lives in Union City, Michigan. Visit her at PatriciaPolacco.com and follow her on Facebook.

Patricia Polacco belongs to a family of storytellers, poets, farmers, teachers, and artists. They came from many parts of the world, but mainly Russia. She grew up to be an illustrator, a designer, and creator of many beloved children’s books, including The Keeping Quilt, The Blessing Cup, Fiona’s Lace, The Trees of the Dancing Goats, Babushka’s Doll, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, Sticks and Stones, and Palace of Books. She lives in Union City, Michigan. Visit her at PatriciaPolacco.com and follow her on Facebook.

Editorial Reviews

Little Natasha can't leave her Babushka--Russian grandmother--alone: while Babushka methodically attempts to finish her laundry and livestock-feeding, the impatient girl always has another, more urgent agenda. When Babushka goes out, she presents her granddaughter with her own doll from her childhood. Tasha discovers the meaning of peskiness when the doll comes to life and makes her jump through hoops, entertaining her every minute. By the time Babushka returns from her shopping expedition, Tasha is exhausted from her afternoon with a most demanding playmate. Polacco's ( Thunder Cake ; The Keeping Quilt ) pencil illustrations are vibrant with the addition of marker colors and paint, from the large-featured grandmother to the straggly-haired Tasha to the expressive collection of barnyard goats. Many overeager youngsters may well identify with this engaging, well - told tale. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-- When Natasha wants something, she wants it now --not after her grandmother, Babushka, has finished her chores. Babushka gets tired of this attitude, and finally goes off to the market, leaving Natasha to play with a special doll that she keeps on a high shelf. The doll comes to life and subjects Natasha to the same sort of insistent whining that Natasha used on Babushka. The girl learns her lesson and turns out ``to be quite nice after all.'' This pedantic story is made more acceptable by Polacco's beautiful illustrations. Her expressive, Old World figures, bright colors, and charming details of a house and farm in Russia will delight readers, even if predictability makes the story less enticing than the pictures. --JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

When Natasha finds her grandmother’s doll on the shelf, she yearns to play with it. The old woman’s consent and departure on an errand set the stage for a magical, terrifying lesson for the child. Caruso delivers a sterling performance of Polacco’s cautionary story. Her extraordinary abilities with voicing capture even the nasty doll while her clarity ensures that every innuendo of Natasha’s experience can be appreciated. This will enchant all ages. S.B.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FEB 98 - AudioFile