Review by Booklist Review
Author-illustrator Patricia Polacco comfort~ably assumes a Russian accent to portray Old Babushka tending an injured goose in her home. While the camera's gentle pans and dissolves clearly reveal the lavish colors of the illustrations from the book (Putnam, Philomel, 1988), the clutter in an important scene makes it difficult to see how the goose creates disaster by breaking the decorated eggs Babushka intends to sell. The expressive narration, however, explains the incident, which is also reflected by the change in mood of the joyous background music. With enticing glimpses of the lovely eggs, viewers will be inspired to make their own designs. Gr. K-4. ~--Nancy McCray
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An old woman named Babushka always wins first prize in the Easter festival for her exquisitely painted Ukrainian eggs. When she finds a wounded goose outside her house, Babushka takes her in, cares for her until she is strong again, and names her Rechenka. The goose lays an egg each morning for the old woman, but as she begins to heal, she flies around, knocking over Babushka's jars of colored paints and breaking all her Easter eggs. Babushka is miserable, until Rechenka miraculously lays brilliantly colored eggs; the old woman wins first prize once more. Polacco's story is truly rewarding; Babushka's gift for coloring eggs comes across in a splendid array of folkloric patterns, minute detail and batik-like paintings. Babushka is given credit, but the artistry is Polacco's. Intricate designs and opulent colors shade every page, right down to the onion-shaped domes and peasants' festival garments. Ages 4-8. (April) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3 Babushka, a kindly, stout old woman, lives in a little house in the country near pre-revolutionary Moscow. She is renowned for the gorgeous Easter eggs that she paints so painstakingly during the long, cold winters and brings to the Easter festival in Moscow. As she is feeding hungry caribou one day, she rescues a wounded goose, names her Rechenka, and tenderly nurses her back to health. While exploring the cottage, Rechenka accidentally smashes Babushka's eggs and subsequently lays 12 beautifully decorated new ones to replace them. While Babushka is in Moscow winning a prize, the goose flies away, but she leaves one last egg in her basket. From it a gosling hatches that becomes Babushka's companion. The writing has a slightly mannered, fairy tale quality. It reads aloud well and is filled with love for the natural and sweetly supernatural miracles which take place. Vivid, extremely decorative paintings enhance and amplify the text. The intricate, colorful patterns of the Ukrainian-style Easter eggs are echoed in areas such as dresses, snowflakes, rugs, and city spires, giving joyous and vigorous life to the illustrations. As a contrast, the faces of Babushka and her friends are done in realistic, gently-caricatured black and white. Patricia Pearl, First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, Va. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Babushka always wins first prize for her beautifully painted eggs at the Easter Festival in Moskva (Moscow). But this year she takes in a wounded wild goose (Rechenka); and when Rechenka regains her strength, she flaps about and breaks a winter's work. Magically, she lays a dozen perfectly decorated replacements and then flies away--leaving a final egg to hatch and provide Babushka with companionship. The array of beautiful egg designs is the best feature of this slight story; in addition, Polacco employs a variety of artistic styles in uneasy juxtaposition--decorative fabrics and peasant designs, Babushka's face in expressive grisaille, cartoon-like reindeer. Seasonally useful, but not a strong offering. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
