Vasilissa the Beautiful: A Russian Folktale [Library Binding]

Elizabeth Winthrop (Author), Alexander Koshkin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1991

A retelling of the old Russian fairy tale in which beautiful Vasilissa uses the help of her doll to escape from the clutches of the witch Baba Yaga.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sumptuous, pattern-filled paintings add an exotic air to this neatly told Russian Cinderella story. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-- Two talented individuals--one American and one Soviet--have teamed up to tell the most beloved of Russian folktales, a cross between Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. When her stepsisters order Vasilissa to the fearsome Baba Yaga's house for fire, she is given a series of impossible tasks. Managing them all with the help of a doll given to her by her long-dead mother, Vasilissa is subsequently freed of her stepfamily and marries a Tsar. The text is long, but Winthrop's excellent retelling is perfectly suited to the culture that produced it, and for storytelling. The language is restrained but richly conveys the wonder of the events. Particularly effective are the descriptions of Baba Yaga's house and her three servants. Equally fine are Koshkin's dramatic illustrations; executed in what appears to be gouache or tempera, they possess a grainy matte texture that complements the story's somber tone. Decorative patterns fill the regional costumes worn by the characters. A distinct sense of place is evident, from the glowing skulls that light Vasilissa's path to the court of the Tsar. And Baba Yaga is gruesomely resplendent. The only glaring fault is the lack of integration between the text and paintings, which are erratically sandwiched between solid pages of print. --Denise Anton Wright, Library Book Selection Service, Inc., Bloomington, IL Grades 3-6
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 36 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060216638
• ISBN-13: 978-0060216634
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,303,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ELIZABETH WINTHROP is the author of over fifty works of fiction for all ages.

Her most recent historical novel, COUNTING ON GRACE has been chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council among others. The novel has also been nominated for state book awards in Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri,Indiana, Hawaii and Arizona.

Elizabeth has published more than fifty books for readers of all ages. THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC, nominated for twenty-three state book awards is currently under option to Walden Media.

Her popular picture books include DUMPY LA RUE, SHOES,DOG SHOW, SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE and most recently, THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STOCKING and THE BIGGEST PARADE. Two of her recent books for older children are THE RED-HOT RATTOONS, a comic fantasy novel and DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, Letters from a Milltown Girl, a work of historical fiction set in western Massachusetts.

Elizabeth is also the author of two novels for adults, IN MY MOTHER'S HOUSE and ISLAND JUSTICE. She is currently at work on a memoir.

The daughter of the journalist, Stewart Alsop,she divides her time between New York City and the Berkshires.