Oom Razoom

Oom Razoom: Or Go I Know Not Where, Bring Back I Know Not What : A Russian Tale retold by Diane Wolstein, Illus. by Dennis McDermott, 1991.


This tale has the same basic structure as I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where: A Russian Tale adapted by Eric Kimmel and described here. In this version, our hero is the king’s archer, Alexis, who spares a blue pigeon while hunting one morning for his ruler’s breakfast. He discovers that she is really a beautiful woman, Olga, whom he immediately weds. Unfortunately, she soon turns the king’s head, and to steal her for his own, he consults with Baba Yaga and sends Alexis to I Know Not Where to bring back I Know Not What. However, Olga gives Alexis a magic ball to follow and a special handkerchief. Then, with the assistance of a mystical frog and the invisible servant Oom Razoom Alexis returns to gain wealth, reclaim Olga and become king himself.

McDermott brings us a magical spread of illustrations. Olga is certainly a fair flower of a wife, with her ropes of black braids and cloak of blue and white feathers. Baba Yaga is a heavy lidded, bushy eyebrowed crone with warts galore. Oom Razoom recalls a genie with his turban, pointy ears and curling beard, visible only to who he wishes. The pictures appear in triptychs and, some have shaped edges, providing their own frames.

The Tzar's Bird by Ann Tompert

The Tzar’s Bird by Ann Tompert. Illus. by Robert Rayevsky, 1990.


Uninvited to Tzar Yaroslav’s coronation banquet, Baba Yaga shows up like a bad fairy at a princess’ christening. She brings him the gift of a Firebird, but he must make sure that it is happy and cared for at all times or Yaroslav will be sent to the Outmost Edge of the World. At first he thinks of every little detail to please it, feeding it honey cakes, playing it music and even moving in with it in its park, but eventually he begins to neglect it. Baba Yaga comes to carry the bird away, but Yaroslav will go to any length to avoid the Outmost Edge of the World. Thus, his struggle to find the Firebird begins. Can he do what he must to escape his great fear?

Rayevsky’s paintings provide fine support for Tompert’s original tale. This Baba Yaga has tusks and a huge nose, giving her a resemblance to a wild boar dressed in stately clothes. Yaroslav’s imagining of the Outmost Edge of the World is filled with red eyed, gargoyle-like creatures, in contrast to what he actually finds, which is a fruit and flower filled place. His attempts to avoid it bring him face to face with fierce looking wild creatures and through punishing deserts and mountains. Rayevsky puts the reader right there.

Russian/Ukrainian Tales from Patricia Polacco

 Babushka Baba Yaga 1993.

We have now read about Baba Yaga, who is usually depicted as a fearsome hag who lives in a traveling house balanced on chicken feet. However, in Patricia Polacco’s 1993 story, we get to see a softer side of the infamous witch. The last of her kind, this Baba Yaga longs for a child to love. Inspired by the sight of a gathering of babushkas (grannies) and some untended clothes on a line, our Baba Yaga decides to disguise herself as a loving but lonely crone. She hopes to find a family to help and a surrogate grandchild. She is successful, but is troubled by town gossip of the dangerous Baba Yaga. Finally, the moment comes when she can prove her good heart to all. This is a tender tale with a message to judge others for what they are and not how they seem.

Even in her natural state, this Baba Yaga looks wild but cute rather than frightening. Polacco draws her with very pointed, tufted ears, lots of wild grey hair and talon-like nails, with a fairy swinging playfully from her finger. Baba is aided in her disguise by cheerful looking forest animals, such as a fox, a rabbit, a frog, and a bear. All the babushkas and villagers wear layers of bright colored, patterned clothing, and Polacco’s details of the families’ homes and gatherings give a feeling of warmth and community that fits perfectly with the story’s message.

 Luba and the Wren (Picture Puffins) 1999.


In Luba and the Wren (Picture Puffins) from 1999, Polacco tells a story that I’d first heard as The Fisherman and His Wife. I don’t know if she has recorded a Ukrainian variant, or if she decided to convert the tale to give it a new setting and flavor. Luba is the happy child of poor farmers. One day, when she is searching for mushrooms in the woods, she finds and releases a wren trapped in a net. When the little bird offers her a wish in return, Luba can think of nothing that she lacks. But, when she shares the story with her parents, they encourage her to go back to the wren and ask for a better home and property. This pleases them, but only for a while. Poor Luba is soon the unwillingly go between for her parents’ increasingly greedy and outrageous demands.

The story is bookended by papers with cheerful orange, teal and pink floral motifs that also provide lovely frames for some of the text. Luba looks appropriately innocent and rosy in her multipatterned headscarves and dresses. The small brown wren goes from friendly and freckled in the palm of Luba’s hand to red eyed and frightening with wings and tail feathers raised in outrage, on a branch far above her head. Originally, the family’s little dacha looks somewhat ramshackle, but also bright and welcoming. Luba is surrounded by affectionate farm animals. As her surroundings grow grander, her parents become more remote and the animals are generally pictured farther away and more impersonal. When all is set to right, Luba is shown snuggling with her parents while the once again friendly wren looks on.

Visit the author at http://www.patriciapolacco.com/

More Baba Yaga

You can find more books about Baba Yaga in my first post: Tales of Baba Yaga.

 Baba Yaga retold by Katya Arnold, 1993.


Baba Yaga & the Little Girl retold by Katya Arnold, 1994.

Arnold’s Baba Yaga is a different story about the Russian witch than I have read to date. She based her tale on a story called “Tereshichka” collected by Aleksandr Afanas’ev in the mid 1800s. The child hero is Tishka, a little boy miraculously created from a piece of wood. He is warned by his mother to watch out for Baba Yaga, but the hag tricks him and takes him home to her hut to be eaten. He in turn tricks the witch’s daughter, with gruesome results, and with the assistance of an ugly gosling, returns to his parents safely. I enjoy the rhyming dialogue, such as: “Tishka, Tishka, bread and meat. Come ashore, it’s time to eat!” I would like to own this picture book.

Baba Yaga & the Little Girl follows the more familiar story of the cruel stepmother, her sister Baba Yaga, and the innocent girl whose kindness to the witch’s servants helps her escape.

Both books are brightly illustrated in the style of a type of 17th century Russian folk art. This is lubok pictures, hand-colored wood cuts. Arnold says, “The crude, simple shapes and bold coloring of lubok pictures perfectly match the mood and period of the Baba Yaga stories.” Therefore, Arnold created appropriate illustrations using black line drawings and gouache paintings. She’s made some fantastic pictures, like the hut on clawed chicken feet in the bending forest, surrounded by huge red mushrooms, Tishka resisting being pushed into the flames of the witch’s oven and Baba Yaga herself flying through the woods in her mortar, her green skin and hair making her seem a part of it. I agree with Arnold, these illustrations are perfect for the stories.


Matreshka by Becky Hickox Ayres, Illus. by Alexi Natchev, 1992.


This original tale is another story of a child, her protective doll and Baba Yaga, but Ayres has made the poppet a Russian Nesting Doll. The girl, Kata is given the doll, Matreshka, because she shares her food with a hungry old woman in the woods. Then, lost in the snow, she finds the witch’s hut. Baba Yaga is, as usual, up to no good, and she locks Kata in a room, hoping to turn her into a goose to eat for Sunday dinner. Kata can’t budge the door, but fortunately, Matreshka is small enough to climb out the window and open the lock. Each step of escape requires a smaller and smaller doll to help, but luckily, Matreshka is six dolls in one, and they know the perfect spell to turn a terrible witch into a frog.

It is notable that Ayres has added a benevolent crone to balance the evil Baba Yaga, and reduced the shock of her eating a child by turning the girl into an animal first. The witch is threatening enough, even so.

Natchev has used watercolor paintings to vividly illustrate the story. The cover of Matreshka shows little blond Kata peering around the solid looking chicken leg supports of the house and up at the wart-nosed Baba Yaga, who is looking out of her window with a dismayed expression. Natchev has made the most of animals in every scene, and children will find rabbits, deer, bats, crows and more appearing throughout. The cannibalism is further toned down here, as the skulls that surround the witch’s place are obviously from sheep, not people.

Vasilissa the Beautiful: A Russian Folktale adapted by Elizabeth Winthrop, Illus. by Alexander Koshkin, 1991.

This is a somewhat lengthier telling of the Baba Yaga tale, in the same vein as Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave and Baba Yaga and the Wise Doll . Here we have a beautiful maiden of marriageable age, endangered by her step family and rescued by a wise little doll. The lovely and blessed Vasilissa not only is kicked out by the witch, but due to her talent with spinning and sewing, goes on to marry the Tsar himself.

Koshkin’s art is especially outstanding. He has set the story in the seventeenth century and the art just glows. His Baba Yaga is a black haired mighty woman with pointed ears, a hooked nose and alarmingly long canine teeth. He also has dressed her in a cap with horns called a kitchka, which adds to her demonic appearance. The pictures that show Baba Yaga’s servants Day, Sun and Night are especially wondrous, with glorious riders bringing about their daily changes. My favorite is Night, galloping across the pages, trailing deep blue skies behind him, with gleaming eyed skulls and Queen Anne’s Lace in the foreground.

Vasalisa and Her Magic Doll adapted and Illus. by Rita Grauer, 1994.

This tale focuses on the love between family members. Two sisters, Svetlana and Vasalisa, live with their widowed mother on the edge of the Russian forest. When their mama dies, she leaves their home to Svetlana and a Magic Doll to Vasalisa. All goes well at first, but, Vasalisa is beloved by the villagers, and her elder sister is jealous. Angrily, Svetlana sends her to Baba Yaga’s home for light. Vasalisa’s doll helps her to find her way there and return safely home to her remorseful sister, the bonds of their love now renewed.

Illustrated in color-pencil.

The Magic Nesting Doll

The Magic Nesting Doll by Jacqueline K. Ogburn. Illus. by Laurel Long, 2000.


Here is another original tale involving a Russian nesting doll. Katya’s grandmother dies, bequeathing her a little matryoshka to use when she has great need. Out in the world, Katya learns that the Tsarevitch has been turned into a man of living ice, and that spring has transformed into winter without thaw, night is without moon, and dark has no dawn. Determined to help break the enchantment, Katya speaks to the Grand Vizier, little knowing that he is behind the evil magic that holds the handsome Tsarevitch captive. The Grand Vizier has Katya thrown into the dungeon for her presumption, and so she turns to her matryoshka for help. Each doll is an animal who knows just what to do to break a portion of the spell. As the Tsarevitch strengthens, so the Grand Vizier weakens, and finally Katya figures out what to do to save her prince and defeat his wicked uncle the Grand Vizier.

Long’s superb illustrations are inspired by Russian folk art and stories, and they often remind one of lacquer box art and medieval tapestries. The title page is reminiscent of a traditional fairy tale box, showing Katya posed with her matryoshka. She is surrounded by her animal helpers the bear, wolf and Firebird against a black background wreathed by a floral border. Other fantastic spreads show Katya interacting with her enchanted animals. In a picture packed with contrasting textures and simple jewel colors, Katya rides her shaggy brown bear, her flowered scarf blowing out behind her. Next, she sits astride her howling wolf, flying over a carpet of flowers. At last, she converses with the Firebird on the edge of a cliff, under a brilliant full moon. Each would fit together beautifully in a series of wall tapestries. Long’s characters’ faces glow as if lit from within. Highly recommended.

Vasily and the Dragon by Simon Stern

Vasily & the Dragon by Simon Stern, 1982.


It’s true that young Vasily the Unlucky has an enemy in Marko the Rich. Before he is born, the Lord God proclaims that he will grow up to possess all of Marko’s money. Marko is a greedy man and this is unwelcome news, so he contrives to kill Vasily. He heartlessly attempts murder three times and is unsuccessful, managing only to unintentionally marry Vasily to his compassionate daughter. Then he hits upon a plan to send his son in law to question the Heathen Dragon. Will he be rid of Vasily once and for all? This tale was adapted from Marko the Rich, collected by D.N. Sadodnikov.

Stern’s art is a treat because the pictures have so many interesting surprise details. Marko’s home contains a life-size (taxidermied?) bear that holds gloves and canes. A stylized, grumpy looking pug dog attends Vasily’s wedding. A table in the dragon’s cave stands on one human foot as two hands support its top decorated by a skull with flowers growing out of its eye sockets. Stern does well with contrasts of light and shadow, and smooth and jagged textures. He shows the wicked Marko asleep in his darkened chamber, his face illuminated by the full moon outside his window. Vasily meets some beggars in a dark forest tunnel choked with twisted roots and foliage dripping branches, made more drear against the bright yellow sky beyond. I hope to add this book to my collection.

Salt by Harve Zemach

Salt: a Russian Tale adapted by Harve Zemach. Illus. by Margot Zemach, 1965.


As we have seen more than once in our Russian folktales, youngest brothers and fools often make out well when they head out into the world. This is the case for Ivan, who is both of these things. Out of pity, his rich merchant father provides him with a ship and a cargo of beams and boards, but Ivan soon discovers a mountain of salt and takes that with him to sell instead. He pleases a king in a far away land with savory new dishes and gains silver, gold, and the princess’ love. Although his jealous older brothers try to destroy his good fortune and steal his rewards, cheerful, musical Ivan wins in the end.

Again, I have to preface a description of the book’s art with a mention that it was published in 1965, and cannot compare to today’s standards of picture book art. This is primarily because there is very little color used. The pages are off white and the art is colored only in shades of brown, blue and gray. The pictures still have appeal though, with Zemach’s comfortable round villagers, lazy, smiling Ivan and a giant drying his mittens on his broad and upturned mustache providing charm.

Masha and the Firebird

Masha and the Firebird by Margaret Bateson-Hill and Anne Wilson, 1999.

This is an original story by Bateson-Hill using Russian folklore characters that have frequently appeared in my picture book study. Young Masha lives with her parents and tends the hens, decorating some of their eggs with a paint box her mother has bought her. One day, while playing in the forest, a Firebird entreats her to protect its eggs from Baba Yaga. The Firebird is the guardian of the eggs of the Four Elements, and Masha paints each egg to disguise it. Once three of the eggs are hidden, Baba Yaga is unable to find them. But, the egg of Fire, unguarded, is stolen. Using the Firebird’s feather and with the help of a wolf, a fish, an eagle, and the Firebird herself, Masha is able to confront and triumph over Baba Yaga. The story includes a poem written in Russian using the Cyrillic alphabet and with an English translation. Egg decorating suggestions follow the story.

There is much to love about the tale’s bright art, but the decorated eggs and the glorious Firebird are definitely the show pieces. The burnt orange Earth egg features a wolf, mice, mushrooms and flowers. The Water egg is awash with shells and fishes. The egg of Air shows two sky views, one sparkling with stars and a crescent moon and the reverse has a blue sky, brilliant sun and an eagle flying across it. Both the Fire egg and the Firebird seemingly blaze with crimson, yellow and orange flames. Baba Yaga is fearsome, easily six times the size of Masha, with long, rectangular iron teeth.

All together, this new twist on traditional motifs is a splendid addition to picture books of Russian folklore .

The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse retold by Margaret Hodges. Illus. by Chris Conover, 1980.


Youngest brother Ivan is thought to be a fool, but when someone is trampling down his father’s wheat, he is the sibling who discovers the intruder. He finds a pretty white mare who gives him three colts in return for her freedom: two beauties and a funny little humpbacked colt with long ears. This odd horse becomes his trusted companion and helps him when he becomes the Tsar’s Master of the Stable, finds a Firebird’s feather, and gets himself into dilemma after dilemma. Some of the plot elements that follow are nearly the same as in Demi’s Firebird. Children will enjoy the lovable horse, Ivan’s lifelong friend, who claps his ears for joy and frisks about.

The book’s jacket says that Conover has reinterpreted traditional Russian motifs for The Little Humpbacked Horse. She uses mostly muted colors and her art has a sweet touch. Her picture of the golden maned mare and her two black foals, contrasts nicely with the fuzzy, wobbly looking humped horse.

The Little Humpbacked Horse: A Russian Taleadapted by Elizabeth Winthrop. Illus. by Alexander Koshkin, 1997.


This story begins the same way as Hodges’ with Ivan finding the thief and befriending the tiny camel-humped horse. This animal protects Ivan when the Tsar is told by jealous men from the stables that Ivan is an evil sorcerer, and Ivan is sent to find the Sow with Golden Bristles and Silver Tusks and her babies. Once successful, he must also capture the Magnificent Mare with Seven Manes and her seven stallions and finally, bring a beautiful Tsarevna from across three times nine lands to be the Tsar’s bride. Fortunately, the horse and the Tsarevna are resourceful.

Koshkin has illustrated the story with watercolor, tempera and gouache paintings. His pictures have a completely different feel than Conover’s. The little horse is sleek and somewhat wild eyed, with golden hooves. Some of Koshkin’s outstanding illustrations include Ivan and his horse rounding up the golden pigs, the little horse comforting Ivan by sitting in his lap and licking his face, and the Tsarevna arriving at Ivan’s tent in her gilded swan boat.

That Apple is Mine!

That Apple is Mine!  Retold by Katya Arnold, 2000.


"I saw it first! It's mine!

I had it last! It's mine!

Oh, can't you see it's made for me?

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine!

Mine...Mine...Mine......................!!!"

from  Mine! by Trout Fishing in America


In the autumn, one last apple hangs on a tree. Rabbit spies it, but Crow picks it and Hedgehog catches it. Who does this tasty fruit belong to? It’s up to Bear to mediate and teach the others to share. Arnold has based this tale on a story of Vladimir Suteev’s. According to Arnold’s note, Suteev was a kind of Russian Walt Disney who made films and picture books in the twentieth century.

Arnold created her art for the book with black line drawings over hand-painted collages. This results in backgrounds of sky blue, apple green and butter yellow and characters spot lit in broad strokes of contrasting colors. There is a playful retro feel here. The animals indeed look like cousins to beasties in early Disney films. Rabbit sports sneakers, with stars, Crow favors a bead necklace and Bear wears a flowered dress and kerchief. Careful observers will notice one more little creature vying for the apple, before the reveal on the final page.

Wicked History: Russian Rulers

Wicked History Series: Russia

I have been curious about Scholastic’s Wicked History series, and my Russia project gave me the perfect opportunity to dive into some of the books. I find them interesting and yes, I am learning history as I read. I was surprised to look them up on Scholastic’s site and see them recommended for a range from 6-12th grades. Each biography is short at around 130 pages, and reads quickly. There are illustrations throughout, as well as a photo or drawing section, mid book. Some pictures are reused during the course of the book. A map of the land at the time of the subject is offered for reference. Each book usually has a “Wicked Web” that shows the subject’s family, allies and enemies, a “Timeline of Terror” and when needed, a summary of why the person might be considered evil. They also include a glossary, suggestions for further reading and an Author’s Note. The books’ covers are attention grabbing, with a caricature of the subject and across them is graffitied a derogatory accusation such as “wicked,” “despot,” etc.

 Ivan the Terrible: Tsar of Death by Sean Price.


To today’s readers, Tsar Ivan IV certainly seems to have been a crazy and evil man. Price tells us that Ivan was admired for building the Russian empire and redefining what it meant to be a Russian ruler, but he also killed thousands of people and did horrible deeds. We are introduced to Ivan during his planned massacre of his own city of Novgorod. He apparently enjoyed torturing and murdering both animals and people. Ivan had an awful childhood, becoming orphaned at age seven and being a puppet ruler, torn between noble families vying for power. When Ivan took the throne as an adult, he married a woman that he loved, who helped to control his cruel side. After she died, he went on to reduce Russian peasants to serfs and eventually murder his own son and heir. This title is full of details of his many other gory crimes. Interestingly, Ivan considered himself deeply religious and he did repent and ask for forgiveness before he died.

  Catherine the Great: Empress of Russia (Wicked History) by Zu Vincent.


Catherine’s tale starts as she is seizing the throne from her childish, apparently unintelligent husband, Tsar Peter III. Then, Vincent flashes back to when Catherine was a young woman called Sophie, who lived in Germany and had an ambitious mother, who raised her daughter to marry into royalty. She describes the lonely years that Catherine spent living with Empress Elizabeth, who didn’t trust her, and Peter, who didn’t love her. She came into power with the support of much of Russia, and had great plans for her country. She accomplished some important things, such as expanding the Russian Empire and improving her country’s educational system. Catherine also was scandalous because she took plenty of lovers, bearing three children by different men while she was with Peter, and failing to remarry after his death. She was bright, powerful and free-willed, making a perfect subject for a Wicked History biography.

 Grigory Rasputin: Holy Man or Mad Monk? by Enid A. Goldberg.


Goldberg begins Rasputin’s story in the midst of his murder, to hook the reader’s interest before backtracking to his peasant’s childhood and them telling the rest of his tale in chronological order. She shows us Rasputin the “saint” who could supposedly heal sick animals and people, who had visions of God and also his “sinner” side, who drank, seduced women and was power hungry. Readers also learn about Rasputin’s relationship with Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra and their family and how he had so much influence over the royal couple and Russia in turn. Goldberg uses sensational chapter headings such as “Death! When Grigory was eight he was scarred for life” “Miserable Worms: Rasputin’s enemies gain strength,” and “Drunken Nights: Rasputin begins to spin out of control,” which are in keeping with the series flashy, high interest approach.

 Joseph Stalin by Sean McCollum.


Readers will be interested to know that although Stalin was a teenage thug and gang leader, he was also intelligent, did well in school and went to seminary with intention to become a priest. But soon he became intrigued with Marxism and the idea of revolution. He was kicked out of seminary and joined the Russian Social-Democratic workers party. He became a gangster for Lenin and in spite of repeatedly being banished to Siberia, he went on to participate in the Russian Revolution. Stalin helped to force communism on the Russian people and beat his rivals, taking control of the country. Although he industrialized Russia, he terrorized the Russian people, forcing them onto collective farms, sending them to labor colonies and murdering them outright. He also starved millions of Ukrainians by taking the grain that they produced and selling it to other countries. Stalin’s wickedness speaks for itself.