In the Slavic folklore of historic Russia, Baba Yaga is a deformed, hideous witch who performs evil deeds. An Leysen introduces a new generation of children to this classic tale in her new book, "Baba Yaga." Similar to Cinderella, little, pretty Olga is made to work day and night for an evil stepmother. The stepmother seems to have cast a spell over Olga's loving father, because he does not notice the abuse. In a fit of rage, the stepmother sends Olga to her evil sister, Baba Yaga, hoping that Olga will never come back. Olga, however, is saved from being the witch's dinner by the cleverness of her little wooden doll. Leysen captures the good and evil of the story perfectly. I loved the book's charming, beautiful illustrations which brought the characters and the story to life. This book belongs in every library, next to other classic fairytales and folktales. Five stars.
(In return for an honest review, I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Age Range: 5 and up
Grade Level: Kindergarten and up
Lexile Measure: 710 (What's this?)
Hardcover: 56 pages
Publisher: Clavis (September 13, 2016)
