From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-After Tsar Peter refuses to take the witch Molnya as his bride, she promises to seek revenge. When he sees a painting of a beautiful woman, he falls in love with her, discovers that she is the Little Sister of the Sun, and sets out to find her cloud castle. The kindhearted man helps three giants along the way by giving each of them a magical object. As he woos his beloved, he learns that the orphan he had taken in is actually Molnya disguised as a giant blue baby (complete with black iron teeth) and that she is destroying his kingdom. Only with the assistance of the three giants and the Sun himself is the witch conquered and Peter and his true love are married. There are no source notes, but this story has much in common with traditional Russian folklore: a witch who could pass for Baba Yaga, helpers who personify natural elements, three magical gifts, and a long search for a true love. San Souci's text is lengthy but well paced. Rendered in watercolors with touches of opaque white and color crayon, Natchev's sophisticated illustrations are a lively blend of fantasy and realism. The characters that could be threatening to young readers are depicted in a broad comic style. Color is effectively used to establish place: shades of brown and green when Peter is earthbound as opposed to blues when he's visiting the cloud castle. Because of the eye-catching artwork and humorous story line, this picture book is ideally suited to sharing aloud.
Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, IL Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ages 5-8. In this Russian folktale, a young Tsar Peter refuses the advances of an evil witch and goes instead to court the Little Sister of the Clouds. A baby with teeth as black as iron is delivered to his palace and is left with the servants as his journey begins. Peter brings a magic pebble, a seed, and a bead to present to his intended, but along the way he must relinquish them to three giants, who use them to replenish the earth. When Little Sister of the Clouds magically shows him what is happening back home, he sees the baby, grown huge and blue, destroying his palace. With the help of the giants, he overcomes the baby--the witch in disguise. San Souci's story has no source notes, but the telling is fresh and vivid. It is matched by exuberant ink-and-watercolor pictures that play up the hugeness of the giants, the goodness of Little Sister, and the grossness of the baby. Naturally, there's a happy ending for Peter, who resembles the king in the
Nutcracker, and Little Sister, who looks like a Russian doll.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
