The Story of Babushka Blog Tour + Review

Babushka wants to find out the meaning of life so she sends her bodies out of the forest and into the world to search for answers. 

WHAT IS A BABUSHKA?

The babushka doll, also known as a matryoshka or Russian nesting doll, is a traditional Russian toy first made over 100 years ago. The doll has come to symbolise Russian folk culture, as well as the complex and beautiful layers of women. There are some babushka dolls with as many as fifty dolls nested inside. This is the story of one very special babushka doll and her five bodies. There was the outermost body, Antonia. She was pure beauty. Everyone who saw her admired her good looks. Beneath that body of beauty hid Loretta, who was richly adorned. She wore gold ornaments, and her green robe was decorated with many different gems that glittered like the ocean on a sunny day Hidden within the rich body was Paula, the body that held all Babushka’s talents. Whatever Paula did, she was sure to succeed. She knew how to work and always did so with joy and determination. Within the talented body was Viola, the body of wisdom. Viola knew a lot about the world and learned very quickly. She was always full of brilliant ideas and had clever solutions for every problem. The last body, the smallest of all, was Mary, the embodiment of love. Mary had a warm and compassionate heart and was very helpful. She could dry tears and mend broken hearts. Together, these bodies formed the complete Babushka.

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This picture book is beautifully illustrated and tells an educational tale of how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. 

Each nesting doll wants to find their true purpose outside of the forest, and the story tells the tale of what happened on their journey outside of their home. Each of the dolls (Beauty, Riches, Wisdom, Talents, and Love) all are illustrated beautifully, and they live in harmony with one another. Even when some of the dolls left the “nest,” the remaining dolls lived in harmony with one another. The scenes illustrated in and outside of the story come to life on the page, as they contain so much detail. 

This book would definitely be engaging for children as it is long for a picture book at around 100 pages, and contains a lot of story in those pages. Younger children might like to focus more on the pictures, but the tale is still something I could imagine myself loving as a young child. There are definitely plenty of lessons in this book for children to learn as they enjoy the story. 

I can’t wait to read another book by this author, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a picture book for early elementary school readers. 

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 books.

Since quitting her full-time job at a branding communication agency in Zurich, Catherine has gone on to become a successful freelance designer and a children’s author. She lives on the small island of Madeira with her family, spending her time growing vegetables in her garden and working for clients around the world.

For the interactive website for “The Story Of Babushka” visit http://www.thestoryofbabushka.com

You can also visit her website at http://www.catherineflores.ch or her design agency at http://www.aclcreativestudio.com