Finding Baba Yaga

August 15, 2018
Blending Russian folklore with a contemporary American teen's narration of her departure from an abusive family situation, Yolen's (Monster Academy, 2018, etc.) entry into the Baba Yaga canon packs an emotional punch.When Natasha first runs away from home, she's not sure where to go. Intent on escaping the father who scrubbed her mouth out with soap for speaking a "bathroom word," she walks farther and farther into the woods and eventually finds herself at a little hut with chicken feet. The house's owner, Baba Yaga, delights in "the ones who stick out their tongues, / laugh at death threats, use foul language, never beg"--all while completing a massive list of chores, of course--and Natasha soon begins to thrive in this existence. The arrival of pretty, blonde Vasilisa triggers uncomfortable, unquantifiable feelings, especially once she leaves Natasha--and Baba Yaga--behind for a prince. Natasha remembers her father saying, "words have power." The longer Natasha lives in the hut, the more she learns from Baba Yaga; Gradually, she comes to see her as family and learns she'll "be the Baba ever after." Baba Yaga enables Natasha to discover her true self. The elegant, black, cut-paper-style chapter ornaments emphasize the novel's fairy-tale roots and offer a whimsical counterpoint to Natasha's modern voice.Yolen's wordplay is sharp, engaging, and evocative; even folklore-illiterate readers will be enchanted by this slim volume. (Verse novel. 12-18)

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September 1, 2018
Grades 7-10 Master fantasy storyteller and fairy-tale expert Yolen (The Emerald Circus, 2017) adds to the growing collection of stories featuring Baba Yaga from the last few years. This short novella told in verse is a quick read that will appeal to YA poetry fans, but it is digestible for middle-grade readers as well. Yolen both acknowledges that this is a story often retold and reveals her new, unique perspective on it: This is a tale / both old and new, / borrowed, narrowed, / broadened, deepened. / You think you know this story. / You do not. Ethereal and at times surreal, Natasha's narration drives this story. She weaves her tale of escaping her abusive father and complicit mother, running into the nearby forest. There she encounters a fairy tale come to life: Baba Yaga, her house that walks on chicken feet, and her flying mortar. Yolen's version paints a picture of the importance of a female space, with redemptive and empowering themes, all surrounded by pops of wordplay and wit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)