The Magic Nesting Doll [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Jacqueline K. Ogburn (Author), Laurel Long (Illustrator)

Book Description

Katya's grandmother took a little matryoshka, a nesting doll, out of a small box. "If your need is great, open the doll and help will come. But you may only do so three times. After that the magic will be gone."

A wicked spell has changed a handsome young prince to a pale glassy figure made of "living ice," and his kingdom to a frozen landscape of night without moon, darkness without dawn. Katya knows that it's up to her to rescue the prince and undo the evil spell that has banished the sun. Armed with only the magic nesting doll and her own valiant heart, she is determined to succeed. But will the combined effort of her courage and the mysterious nesting doll be strong enough to prevail?

Laurel Long's radiant paintings and Jacqueline K. Ogburn's enchanting original tale were inspired by Russian folk art and stories. This talented duo has created a modern classic that honors its folklore heritage while depicting a world in which a girl can be anything, including a hero.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Opulent oil paintings, as lushly colored and intricately detailed as a Russian lacquer box, set the stage for this original folktale. As Katya's grandmother lies dying, she bequeaths Katya a magic matryoshka, or Russian nesting doll, and tells her that she may open it three times in an hour of need. The girl sets out to make her way in the world and soon arrives in a city under a wicked spell: "It is always winter without thaw, night without moon, and dark without dawn," an innkeeper explains. Worse, the handsome young Tsarevitch has been turned into living ice. With the help of her nesting doll, which releases first a bear, then a wolf and finally a firebird, Katya is able to break the enchantment, give the conniving Grand Vizier a taste of his own frosty medicine, and find true love. Ogburn's (The Jukebox Man) assured storytelling memorably joins together classic fairy-tale elements with Slavic imagery; her tale reads like one already tested by time. Long (The Mightiest Heart) weaves a kind of visual magic in a series of darkly lavish scenes. Her paintings simultaneously recall ornate tapestries, Russian icon art and the romantic elegance of Trina Schart Hyman. All ages. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-An outstanding literary fairy tale that effectively captures the drama and splendor of traditional Russian folklore. Katya is given a magical nesting doll by her dying grandmother but is told that she can only use its magic three times. After entering a land of eternal winter, the young woman discovers a prince who has been turned into "living ice" through an enchantment. Aided in turn by a bear, wolf, and firebird that appear from inside the doll, Katya is able to restore the prince to his former self and destroy the villainous Grand Vizier. Needless to say, she and the prince live happily ever after. While the writing is filled with description and poetic images, it is the stunning full-page artwork that steals the show. Created using oil paints on paper primed with gesso, the illustrations are alive with detail and reminiscent of the miniaturist style used in Russian decorative items such as lacquered boxes, pins, and some nesting dolls. The palette reinforces the plot with black, blue, and purple gradually giving way to red, gold, and white. The page layout and design are also outstanding. This accessible, gorgeous title will undoubtedly pique children's interest in Russian folklore and nesting dolls. Becky Hickox Ayres's Matreshka (Doubleday, 1992; o.p.) and Corinne Demas Bliss's The Littlest Matryoshka (Hyperion, 1999) also feature the dolls in magical or anthropomorphic roles.
Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 1, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0803724144
• ASIN: B001Q3M63O
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,821,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Writer Jacqueline K. Ogburn recently received her 15-minutes of fame when Daniel Pinkwater read the text of her most recent book, The Bake Shop Ghost, on the Weekend Edition - Saturday program on National Public Radio. "Delicious" said Daniel Pinkwater. "It's a yummy book."

Because of the broadcast, Ms. Ogburn was contacted by composer Jonathan Schwabe about turning the story into a musical. The two collaborated on the project and the play premiered at the Maud Powell Music Festival in June 2007.

The book was also made into an independent short film by Lorette Bayle and is being shown at film festivals, both nationally and internationally. The Bake Shop Ghost film stars Kathryn Joosten as the ghost of Cora Lee Merriweather and Mary Anne Jeanne Baptiste as Ann Washington. It premiered at the Seattle Film Festival in May 2009.

A North Carolina native, Ms. Ogburn received a bachelor's degrees in English and Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. For ten years, she worked in New York book publishing, primarily as a children's book editor. She is the author of eight picture books. Her previous book, The Magic Nesting Doll, received a starred review from "Publishers' Weekly" and has been translated into Greek and Korean.

In addition to her writing, Ms. Ogburn worked as a speech writer and public affairs specialist for the NC Department of Cultural Resources and was president of a small non-profit press. She has also taught writing at several venues, including the Friday Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. She currently works for the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University in the Communications Office.

The Bake Shop Ghost combines her passion for stories and dessert. Her family's favorite recipe for birthday cake is the one included in the book. Ms. Ogburn, her husband and two daughters live in North Carolina, in an 85-year-old bungalow with too many books and a deaf cat.

Her website is at www.wincbooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Russian Role Reversal Tale of Sleeping Beauty, December 31, 2000

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Magic Nesting Doll (Hardcover)

In Sleeping Beauty, the young woman is enchanted and lies in a death-like sleep until awakened by love's first kiss. In The Magic Nesting Doll, it is the Russian prince, the Tsarevitch, instead who has been charmed into an icy block by his uncle, the Grand Vizier. A peasant girl, Katya, hears of his fate and moves Heaven and Earth to save him. If you love the story of Sleeping Beauty, you will, if you are like me, love this book as well.

Katya has been reared by her grandmother at the edge of the forest. Before she dies, Katya's grandmother gives her a nesting doll, a matryoshka, and tells Katya the doll has magic powers. "If your need is great, open the doll and help will come." Katya can only do this three times, however. "After that, the magic will be gone." She is told though, "Keep the doll and remember me."

Soon after her grandmother dies, Katya finds that the world is gripped by an icy hand. The sun, moon, and stars are all gone. An innkeeper tells her about the frozen Prince, and she makes her way to his side. The Grand Vizier does his best to deflect Katya, but with the help of her doll, Katyia is unstoppable.

I appreciate stories like this one because they take familiar fairy tales of human loss and love, and allow females to play the heroine's role. In too many of our classic stories, the males are the "good guys" and some woman is portrayed as the source of evil. In real life, people of both sexes probably have equal potential for good and questionable behavior. A story like this one makes that point without being too obvious about it.

The book also rings deep within me like the allegories of tales about spring, and the reawakening of the Earth. In legends and myths, women are often portrayed in the role of bringing life back again . . . so Katya's role as Earth Mother seems appropriate.

The book also uses references to animals that are important in Russian folk lore such as bears, wolves, and fire birds. This makes a connection to Russian thmes in a way so that when you see Russian ballets, this story will come to mind. And this story will remind you of the ballets, if you know them already.

The nesting doll is an interesting metaphor for the idea of coming closer to your real self, as well. That psychological reference will be understood implicitly by many, even if they cannot articulate it.

This book is wonderfully improved by the illustrations. They are primarily done in a style reminiscent of Art Deco, but with an oriental patterning and detail that make them richer. You will be reminded of stained glass. With vivid colors and strong contrasts, the conflicts in the story are enhanced and strengthened. This is one of the most appropriately illustrated childrens' book that I have ever seen. Well done, Ms. Laurel Long!

But, to me, the greatest part of this book is that for all of its magical references, it relies on the character and intuition of Katya for its power. This is a wonderful statement about the personal power that we all have hidden within us, like the normally covered nesting dolls.

After you have finished enjoying this story with your child or grandchild, I suggest that you talk together about where else personal initiative can make a difference in someone else's life. Then encourage your child or grandchild to take that initiative, and learn her or his power directly.

May you all live happily ever after!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, stunning art!, January 13, 2002

By 

UlrikeDG "Ulrike" (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Nesting Doll (Hardcover)

My mother got this book and another one also illustrated by Laurel Long (The Mightiest Heart by Lynn Cullen) for my son and daughter for Christmas. The very first thing I noticed was the beautiful, BEAUTIFUL artwork. It's definitely a picture book worth having for the *pictures*! :-)

The story itself is also excellent. It is good bedtime story length. The plot is a wonderful Sleeping Beauty fairy tale with a female heroine. Katya swears to break the evil spell that the Grand Vizier has cast on the Tsarevitch, and she succeeds with the help of the magic nesting dolls (matryoshka) her dying grandmother left her.

My children and I have really enjoyed this book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great story, wonderful illustrations, January 2, 2001

By 

cnyadan (Bavaria, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Nesting Doll (Hardcover)

This book is fairly long for a picture book, and so it may be hard for younger kids (or just kids with short attention spans) to sit through, even though the story is good. The illustrations, though, are breathtaking, and i am sure that there are a lot of younger kids who could make up their own intricate stories just based on the pictures. It's nice to see, as well, a fairy tale type book where there is a heroine who is saving the prince (or tsarovitch, in this case), though i guess it would have been nice to see Katya battling a dragon or something rather than just making wishes. Oh, well. It's a delightful book nonetheless. :)