Babushka's Doll

July 31, 1995
In this vibrantly illustrated cautionary tale, a selfish girl becomes ``quite nice after all'' after learning a valuable lesson from a doll that comes to life. Ages 4-8.

November 1, 1990
PreS-Gr 1- When Natasha wants something, she wants it now -not after her grandmother, Babushka, has finished her chores. Babushka gets tired of this attitude, and finally goes off to the market, leaving Natasha to play with a special doll that she keeps on a high shelf. The doll comes to life and subjects Natasha to the same sort of insistent whining that Natasha used on Babushka. The girl learns her lesson and turns out "to be quite nice after all." This pedantic story is made more acceptable by Polacco's beautiful illustrations. Her expressive, Old World figures, bright colors, and charming details of a house and farm in Russia will delight readers, even if predictability makes the story less enticing than the pictures. -JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CA

August 29, 1990
Little Natasha can't leave her Babushka--Russian grandmother--alone: while Babushka methodically attempts to finish her laundry and livestock-feeding, the impatient girl always has another, more urgent agenda. When Babushka goes out, she presents her granddaughter with her own doll from her childhood. Tasha discovers the meaning of peskiness when the doll comes to life and makes her jump through hoops, entertaining her every minute. By the time Babushka returns from her shopping expedition, Tasha is exhausted from her afternoon with a most demanding playmate. Polacco's ( Thunder Cake ; The Keeping Quilt ) pencil illustrations are vibrant with the addition of marker colors and paint, from the large-featured grandmother to the straggly-haired Tasha to the expressive collection of barnyard goats. Many overeager youngsters may well identify with this engaging, well - told tale. Ages 3-6.

January 1, 1990
While visiting her grandmother, Natasha demands that she drop her work whenever Natasha wants anything. When Babushka goes out, Natasha plays with a doll that springs to life. After running around to keep up with the doll's demands, an exhausted Natasha has learned her lesson. The folk-art quality and colorful patterns are perfectly suited to the lively story.

(Copyright 1990 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)