Dawn Casey

Busy cleaning her house one winter's night, Babushka doesn't see the star in the sky, or hear her neighbors cries of awe. But when three richly-dressed men stop at her home to rest, she feeds them her soup and listens to their tales of a newborn baby, the Prince of Peace and Lord of Light, whom they seek. Declining their invitation to accompany them on their quest, she soon comes to regret her decision, and gathering all manner of gifts, sets out in their footsteps. In the process, she encounters many children in need, dispensing gifts to them along her way...

This story, which is often erroneously presented as a traditional Russian folktale, has been presented in a number of other picture book versions, including Ruth Robbins and Nicolas Sidjakov's Caldecott Medal-winning Baboushka and the Three Kings, Charles Mikolaycak's Babushka: An Old Russian Folktale, Arthur Scholey and Helen Cann's Baboushka: A Christmas Folktale from Russia, and Elena Pasquali and Lucia Mongioj's The Tale of Baboushka: A Traditional Christmas Story. I say erroneously because apparently this story does not have its roots in Russian lore, and does not actually reflect a Russian tradition involving a holiday gift-giver. The story is very similar to traditional folktales from Italy (see Tomie dePaola's The Legend of Old Befana), as well as the Dominican Republic (see Julia Alvarez & Ruddy Núñez' El mejor regalo del mundo: La Leyenda De La Vieja Belen / The Best Gift of All: The Legend of La Vieja Belen), but I have it from reliable sources that there is no Russian variant of the story. Rather, this Russified version of the tale comes from American author Edith M. Thomas' 1907 poem Babushka (A Russian Legend), taken from her collection, Children of Christmas. I am unsure as to Thomas' sources, but apparently there was also a play based upon her poem.

In any case, although not actually a Russian tale, I have retained this on my "Russian folklore" shelf, simply because it is so often described and cataloged that way, and because it is of interest, I think, to those interested in the subject. Leaving all that aside, I found this version by British author/illustrator team Dawn Casey and Amanda Hall quite lovely, and I enjoyed reading the story, and perusing the soft, pastel illustrations, done in watercolor and crayon. Although I cannot recommend it as a folktale, I do recommend it to those seeking Christmas fairy tales for younger children.… (más)

A simple loving story about a tree shared by two friends as they grow up ends with a lesson in how to grow a tree from an acorn. Perfect!
The illustrations by Geneviève Godbout are simple, meaningful, imaginative, clear, and with gentle colors.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, and especially to a school or teacher or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Kids, Ivy Kids Eco via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available April 02, 2024… (más)

Yeh-hsien has only one friend, a beautiful red fish, who she visits every day. Unfortunately, her cruel stepmother tricks the fish and kills it out of spite. However, the fish’s bones magically allow Yeh-hsien to make and receive wishes, including to attend a large festival, which alters the course of her life.

Although I am not the hugest fan of fairytales, it was interesting to read another variation of the Cinderella story. Despite cultural differences in the details, there’s more of a common throughline than not. The writing was evocative, and I could very nearly smell the food fragrances at the festival. The illustrations are also compelling to look at, with lots of bright colors. This edition is written in both Cantonese and English, making it accessible to many readers.… (más)

First things first: the illustrations are some of my favorite. I love Genevieve Godbout. Her book "Goodnight Anne" I adored when I found it in Victoria, BC, Canada. So Genevieve's illustrations of a family getting ready for apple cake fully capture the thankful spirit.

This book was dubbed as a "Thanksgiving, but not" book. Truly, it is about being thankful and expressing gratitude. But there aren't the usual Thanksgiving elements (even including pumpkins on that list) to be found. Not that I personally have an issue with Thanksgiving elements ;) Still, patrons will love this book. It feels year round to me.

Because isn't gratitude something that should be practiced all the time?… (más)