From Publishers Weekly
This atmospheric folktale by the author and illustrator of The Magic Dreidels will interest anyone who has ever admired Ukrainian decorated Easter eggs, or pysanky, as they are identified here. The story is uncomplicated: when winter arrives early and with severe storms, Katrusya inspires the whole village to rescue the hundreds upon hundreds of tiny birds trapped in the snow. Later, when spring comes, the birds show their gratitude by leaving the world's first pysanky. There's a priest drawing lessons from the birds' behavior and there are references to Easter, but Kimmel reserves the full force of his storytelling for folkloric rather than religious elements. He smoothly integrates cultural details, using foreign terms and letting the context serve as translationAthe Ukrainian setting is preserved, but readers can experience it comfortably and confidently. Krenina is at her best with her judicious use of folk motifs. These show up as frames for her often loosely defined compositions and, appropriately, on the characters' clothing (Katrusya's woven scarf and the embroidery on the women's black vests are especially beautiful). She exercises restraint, allowing only so many patterned objects per painting, and as a result, the final spread, showing more than a dozen pysanka, becomes climactic in its intricacies and embellishments. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-This folktale describes the origin of pysanky, the process of decorating Easter eggs with intricate, colorful patterns. Katrusya and her grandfather are walking in freshly fallen snow when they discover a flock of tiny golden birds that has been overcome by the sudden cold. They rescue as many as possible from the drifts and stuff them inside their coats, then hurry back to the village for assistance. Soon everyone rushes out to help, and the priest opens the church to shelter the animals and preaches to his congregation that with every chirp the birds worship God with perfect faith. Shortly before spring arrives, the feathered creatures clamor to be released, saddening the villagers, who have grown to love them. Easter comes, and Katrusya and the other children find gorgeous, brilliantly colored eggs in the grass. When the people wonder at their source, the priest points to the golden birds, now perched above, and explains that these eggs are their Easter gifts. As each one is different and precious, he says, so is every living creature in God's eyes. Filled with warmth, the story is illustrated with charming folk-art paintings that are suffused with feelings of cheer and good will. The villagers have expressive round faces and wear colorful embroidered clothing. Crisp snowscapes polka-dotted with flakes give way to green spring meadows. The final double-page spread shows a panoply of elegant pysanky eggs.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
