A really cute story about a family emigrating to the USA from the Soviet Union, told from the perspective of a dog, It was so great to learn more about that story and their culture, although I missed a glossary of all the words at the end, as it is a children's book maybe it'll be better to have a picture glossary with all the foreign words / foods. Overall,

Sweet, short book about a family's escape from Russia/Siberia, told from the perspective of the family dog. I'm interested to see the finished version as some aspects of an illustrated book can be difficult to judge accurately from an e-galley.

This story is based on the true story of the Backer family who moved tho the US in 1978. This story is told from the viewpoint of their dog Gina. Moving to a new country is hard for everyone. Gina is sad until she finally makes a friend that shows her what is good about living in New York. Very detailed illustrations add to the story. Would be a good book when discussing immigration or moving somewhere new. There is some filler such as lists of food and names of relatives, but overall it is a cute read. I would recommend this book for ages 7 and up.

Unlike the husky that shows up every once in a while, Gina doggie doesn’t look like a snow dog, but living in Siberia gives you no other choice. Somehow she loves it, and doesn’t want to go when the family moves.
There’s a whole page of things she saw on the trip, some of them funny.
Dogs aren’t allowed on the train, but rather than put her in the basket, mom dresses her up as an ugly baby. Not smart. (The bio says this actually happened, so I can nitpick.) And dogs are allowed on the plane. Huh.
Knowing this is a period piece does not make seeing the hammer and sickle on the flags any less strange.
Gina does not like heat sources, considering she thinks radiators and vents are monsters. But for everyone except me, pizza makes everything better. And just like that Gina isn’t homesick anymore.
Incredibly simplistic artwork, considering it’s such a big story.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

I really liked this cute children's book. The story is great & the drawing/artwork is wonderful! It might be geared towards children, but adults will really enjoy this too......I think especially the artwork.....has subtle things that adults will enjoy, very colorful & detailed. I also like the picture at the end of the book, showing the real people & dog that this story was based on. Very nicely done!
I received this e-ARC from NetGalley & the publisher Animal Media Group, LLC....simply in return for my own unbiased honest review.

Thanks to Animal Media Group for an e-galley of this picture book. What a sweet book about a dog whose family moves from Siberia, Russia to New York City! I loved reading about adapting to changes through the eyes of an animal and also the adventure that is moving continents!

A great picture book that will widen kids’ view of the world around them. Because of my knowledge of Russian, I didn’t struggle with the few interspersed Russian words, but I suspect other people might. But those are only on one page of the fifty two or so in this book. Also very unique illustrations! Loved this!

Gina is a wire-haired terrier. At the end of the Cold War, Gina's family decides to head for the United States, taking her with them. Initially, Gina is not a fan of her new surroundings, and she misses her friends back home. One day, though, Gina spots a boxer, Victor, from her perch on the fire escape of her new home, and soon she warms up to him enough to tell him about where she's from and her friends back home. Talking about her past allows Gina the comfort of revisiting home, while at the same time she is getting to know Victor and getting used to her new circumstances - until, finally, she starts to feel at home in her new place.

The art in this children's book is a real knockout - it reminds me of several New Yorker cartoonists, particularly Roz Chast.

Gina From Siberia is a short and funny tale about Gina who gets to experience what it means to uproot your family and try your luck in a completely different country. Now, this may sound like something you have heard about in the news, read about in books or seen in movies - but have you ever gotten the story through the perspective of a dog?

That's right, Gina is a dog and she lives a happy and comfortable life in Siberia where she loves the food, the snow and her friends. When her family decides to move, she is determined to be unhappy. However, when she sees what her family is capable of and willing to risk just so they can bring her with them, she might have to re-evaluate her decision.

This story is based on real events and although the tone of the graphic novel is very light, you're left with a strong impression of what the family has to go through. Gina describe all the things she sees on her travels - different animals, food, people and how Mother and Father cried. The drawing style is really nice too, it's detailed and quirky and fits the story well.

Thank you NetGalley and Animal Media Group for this early copy of Gina From Siberia!

First let me thank Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. I just loved this book. The story line is very heart touching and the illustrations are creatively brilliant. The story follows a little dog named Gina that lives in Siberia with her family and doggie friends. One day, Gina finds out that her family is going to be moving. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I have to say that I just loved this book especially the About The Author at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book to everyone of all ages especially ones who love amazing illustrations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of this dog's long, long journey from Siberia to the United States. It is quite heartfelt. Gina From Siberia is a perfect family read.

It is absolutely sweet reading and it just gets better when we learn it is based on a real story with the picture of Gina, the dog, and her family on their car.

The book is about moving to a whole different country from a perspective of a terrier. Gina just loves where she lives in (Siberia) and doesn't like the new place (USA) until she makes a friend there. Then she begins to get used to there with her new friend Victor.

A true story told in a dog perspected. It is fun and at the same time you would sympathize the emotions that the family encounters as they leave their home and travel to a new country. And it’s beautiful that they would learn to appreciate things even if it is different from their customs. A fast and easy read with illustrations that would make the reading experience more exciting. Definitely worth the read.

A bit of a missed opportunity this. In dedicating the story of a family moving from Asian Russia to the USA in the 1970s to parents who strive to get their children to a better place, you don't get any of the reasons why the US might have been better. How did the real-life subjects even get permission to leave, and to travel by train through continental Europe, in the first place? Here all the young reader will get as an impression of the USSR is that the shops had queues, and the big grey factories had red Soviet flags, the end. Oh, and superior snow to that in New York. I didn't find the dog's twee narration particularly effective, and the story is, as I say, only half-told. Pleasant illustrations, mind.

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

A really short review for a really short book that's based on the author's own experience! It tells the story of a migration, but from the perspective of a wire-haired terrier. Gina is the unlikely name of the Russian dog who has to leave all of her friends behind and move to the USA, 5,681 miles away from her old home. Or maybe 5,682. They travel by bus, train, car, and plane. Gina isn't happy. She doesn't want to participate her new environment at all, but slowly, she decides it's not so bad.

This was a cute story for kids that may help them cope if they're moving themselves - even if it's just to the next town, or across the city. The text was nice reading and the illustrations are fun and colorful. I recommend it.

Gina From Siberia by Jane Bernstein and Charlotte Glynn

An adorable children’s picture book documenting the traumatic move from Siberia to New York City for Gina — who happens to be a beloved pet. Gina is so upset by the move that she “decides to stay unhappy forever.” Of course, that isn’t what happens …

Based on the experiences of the Backer family in 1978, it boasts charming pictures and funny travel stories, such as the time Gina was wrapped up like “the ugliest Russian baby ever” in order to sneak onto the train. Once they have arrived at their new home — a place that is as different from their old home as it is possible to be — Gina learns how to make new friends after making us laugh at her “Martian landing on Earth” style impressions of the NYC landscape.

Moving to a different country from the viewpoint of the dog. She isn't happy about the move until she makes a friend. The family that this is based on...dressed the dog as a baby. I enjoyed this. There is some filler with the dog describing the people she saw through travels. It could have been better but works for what it needs to do...move the story along.



Recommend? Yes, it'd be a great historical read, conversation with immigration or moving somewhere new.

Due out in the Fall, Gina From Siberia is an adorable book of delightful cartoon illustrations of the tale of Gina. She is an intelligent Wire Haired Terrier and she knows how to communicate well with others.

What's incredible about Gina From Siberia is that this would be an excellent tool for teaching children the importance of accepting the inevitabilities of life, such as long distance travel and learning to thrive in a new environment.

What a cute little book for children, whose theme is about being in a new place and how strange it all is. Gina the dog, moves with her family to America from Siberia, and experiences changes living in New York City. Gina is based on a true story, when the family moved from Siberia to NYC in 1978 and are now citizens of the United States. Its a sweet little story of change and moving to a new land. I loved the illustrations that support the text.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a charming little story about a dog named Gina who moves with her human family from Siberia to New York. It's a simple little story about the normal fears of moving to a very new place, but the story is accompanied by vibrant illustrations that are a feast for the eyes. The book is based on a real family who actually did dress their dog as a baby to keep her safe in the move.

I requested this book to read to my six year old granddaughter, who will be going through a move of her own soon - although nothing like a move from Siberia. Once I have a chance to read it to her I'll update my review with her opinions.

Later...
I finally got to read it to my granddaughter and her face just LIT UP when the book was done. "I really liked this book, I REALLY REALLY liked it!!!" she said. She loved Gina and could relate to her fears and liked that she made friends in her new home. She loved the pictures. And she was able to tell her mom all about how Gina moved from Siberia, all the way to "ummm... where is it... the place with the Statue of Liberty... NEW YORK!!!" and repeated over and over that it was "5,682 or 5,681 miles" (This is a big point in the book). She also thought New York must be a great place to live since it has so many different things to smell, and all that great street food!
Honestly she loved the book so much, and was talking about it so much after, that I have to up my rating to 5 stars. The book is meant for children, not for me, and Holly definitely loves it.

Gina from Siberia is a charming story from a dog's point of view. Gina learns her human family is moving away from Siberia where she has familiar routines and good friends and has no desire whatsoever to leave. Gina loves her family and they love her, though, so they are prepared to undergo this big change together. When at one point during the journey they are told dogs aren't allowed on the train, they creatively work out a disguise so Gina can remain with them.

The story is well written, with engaging descriptions of subways, traffic jams, new foods, and even distance ("America was 5.681 miles away. Or maybe 5.682"). With the framework of leaving a beloved place to relocate to another home, it is timely and would be well suited to help children process their own moves or to understand friends who have arrived from a far-off place and might be feeling unsettled. While this book doesn't give background as to why they are needing to move beyond a better life, it could easily translate to a variety of situations, from understanding more about the experiences and feelings of someone moving across the state or those who have arrived as refugees.

A special mention must be made about the illustrator -- the details draw you in and perfectly complement the story.

It is made all the more delightful when you learn at the close that this is a true story of a family that relocated to the United States and did indeed disguise their miniature terrier as a baby so they wouldn't have to leave her behind.