This is a lovely tale of a woman called Varenka and how she cares for those around her. When fighting arrives near to her home in the forest, people encourage Varenka to flee with them but she chooses to stay to comfort passing travellers and animals. Over a few days, different people and animals seek refuge with Varenka and each night, she prays for God to provide a wall around her home to protect them.

This is such a lovely story, with a great message about caring for each other and how one person's bravery can have such an impact on so many. I especially liked the illustrations and how it all joined up in the end.

I love this book with it cultural feel and the images to match with it!! This to me, is a very unique children's book and I am buying it to add to my daughter's shelves! I highly recommend this book for you and your little one.

First published in 1971, Varenka has recently been reissued by North South Books, a Swiss publisher of beautiful, high-quality children’s literature. It’s a timely decision, as Bernadette Watts’s traditionally structured narrative, set in a Russian forest, concerns the impact of war. The text is accompanied by simple, childlike illustrations, apparently rendered in crayon, pencil crayon and/or pastel. They are quite unlike the art that typically appears in Watts’s stories, though she reliably attends to details, here creating the feeling of an authentic Eastern-European tale. (A samovar is included in one picture. Khokhloma folk art colours—red, black, and gold— are used, and designs of berries, leaves and flowers appear on the cupboards in images of the main character’s little house. The characters themselves look like figures from Orthodox icons.) I think it’s safe to say that this book is something of a departure for Watts, who is known for her retellings of traditional tales and fables. Varenka has the characteristic structure and repetition of a folktale, but this story appears to be wholly original.

The plot is simple. Varenka is a widow who lives in a cottage deep in a Russian forest. She subsists by foraging and growing her own food. A war is being fought in the west. She first learns of it from refugees who urge her to flee with them. Varenka, however, feels it is her role in life to take in travellers, lost children, and birds and animals in winter. Who will do this if she leaves?

The sound of the guns and cannons moves ever closer. The head-scarfed widow prays nightly in her icon corner, begging God to build a wall around her cottage so that the soldiers won’t detect her. Soon the kindly Varenka is taking in one refugee after another: Peter, the goatherd, who’s been able to rescue only a single goat (the soldiers have burned his home and taken all his other animals); Stepan, an artist, whose sole possessions are a painting and a white flower; and Bodula Mietkova, a hungry, orphaned little girl, who carries a dove. As the number of inhabitants in the cottage increases, Varenka continues with her nightly devotions. Peter, Stepan, and Bodula join in, begging for God’s protection. Finally, one night, a quietness descends upon the forest, and the friends are given the safety they’ve prayed for. <spoiler>Heavy snow falls, blanketing the forest and Varenka’s little cottage. The four hear the muffled sound of soldiers passing by, entirely unaware of the cottage and the frightened humans within.</spoiler>

Real wars don’t work like this, of course. But the idea of a humble woman taking in distressed people, offering them food, warmth, and kindness is a hopeful one. The story ends with spring: the goat bears a kid; the white flower produces seeds; the dove is released to spread the message that peace has come; the artist paints the story of what happened in the little cottage, and Varenka holds up her arms in joy.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up

Russian story of a widow named Varenka, that choose to stay and help people, even when she's afraid too. This is a beautiful story where one prays, and God answers, in His own term. But He does make everything beautiful in His time, according to this story.

Motherly Varenka is used to tending to the needs of others, never more so than when a war brings refugees fleeing the fighting to her doorstep. As the sounds of the fighting draw ever nearer, she and her new "family" pray that God will build a wall around her small house, and make it invisible to the soldiers.

He does sometimes work in mysterious ways . . .

This is a rather bittersweet read, though the ending is heartwarming.

I understand this is a reprint of a classic tale, and I loved the folk-art look of the illustrations, and the old-world feel of the book. An unusual story that should appeal to adults as well as children.

Such a quick and cute read. I loved the illustrations and the message within the book. A good book for both adults and children to enjoy.

The retelling of an old Russian folktale that highlights fellowship and faith.

Varenka was a widow who lived a life of peace and solitude in a clearing inside a forest. When war breaks out, the villagers approach her to escape with them but she refuses, stating that she will stay back to help those in need. As a woman of her word, she does help out three villagers who come to her, all the time keeping her faith in God and asking him to build a protective wall around her house to safeguard her. The three villagers – an old shepherd, a young artist, and a little girl – stay with Varenka until it’s safe once again. And yes, they were protected by a wall when the soldiers ventured too near, though it didn’t exactly come to pass as Varenka had assumed.

This book was first published in Swiss under the same title in 1971. This is the English translation, due to be published in September 2022.

While this is a picture book, there is a lot of text per page, making it better suited to beginner readers who are venturing into independent reading. It will also work well as a bedtime read and for faith-related gifting such as during Christmas. At the same time, there is mention of war, so it might be scary for younger kids.

The official target age range is 4-8 years. While the language is simple for this age group, I would go a little higher and recommend it to children aged 6+.

The crayon illustrations have an old-school vibe to them, as is evident on the cover. They add a very authentic feel to this tale but they may not be enjoyed by every little reader as there aren’t any usual cherubic faces or bright colours to jazz up the pages. The art is quite subdued, just as the story is.

Overall, this is a sweet story with a classic feel to it, focussing on the importance of helping others and trusting in God.

4 stars.

My thanks to North South Books Inc. and NetGalley for the DRC of “Varenka”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

While the art is an acquired taste here, perhaps, the story is a compelling one – an older woman taking in waifs and strays forced to flee the war that is getting closer and closer. Every night she prays that God build a protective wall to keep her and her new friends safe from the soldiers and the military action – but every night she is ignored. The climax is pleasantly surprising, and the telling brief enough to make sure this classic tale is accessible to all – although it does have quite a religious aspect. The whole would make a nice positive message for Christmas gifting.

Miigweetch NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a charming picture book about an old woman named Varenka who lives alone in the depths of a forest in Russia. We aren’t given an exact year but it can be surmised that this took place long ago in a less technologically advanced time. The art is simple and complements the subject matter.

When a war breaks out nearby, people begin to flee and urge Varenka to go with them, but she remains in her forest home where she takes in a motley crew of strays. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy folk stories and tales with happy endings.

Sweet doesn't usually go with books set during a war, but it fits this story by Bernadette Watts, originally published in 1945. Although the story, set in the Russian winter, may well have been inspired by World War II, it has a timeless, fairy tale quality about it. I especially loved the old woman's faith, how she stayed to comfort travelers fleeing invading soldiers, and how God protected all of those in her house in an unexpected way. I'm happy to be recommending this to new generations of readers.

I enjoyed this children's book about war in Russia, refugees, and the act of prayer. I'm not personally religious, but it was nice to see how praying helped Varenka, and those passing through her home, remain safe from soldiers. The art isn't a style that's personally 'my thing' but it fits the story extremely well.

What a delightful book, my youngest grandchild and I read it as soon as it arrived and immediately she wanted me to read it again ! She is now sitting studying the beautiful illustrations.

I LOVED this book! The illustrations were gorgeous and fun to look at and the story itself was sweet and hopeful. I loved the themes of friendship and community and faith and I especially loved the way God answered their prayers for safety. Definitely recommend to families of young children!

For full disclosure, I am originally from Russia and moved to the UK as a child and the US as an adult. As I tried reading Varenka through a British lens, I found that my Russian cultural background filled in many gaps I would otherwise have had. What is an icon, why does Varenka gather mushrooms, what does her name mean, and why does the child call her “grandmother”? These things are so obvious to Russians but I think a bit peculiar to a juvenile anglophone audience and could do with a bit of explanation.

The story tells of a Russian war closing in on Varenka’s home, but her home is ultimately protected by a surprising natural phenomenon, along with all the refugees she has harbored within. This is an interesting - or just unfortunate? - time for the book to come out. It strikes me as more absurdist than hopeful, with the Chagal-esque expressionless faces. I don’t know if I’d share it with my child as is; I think I’d first tell them about Russian fables and how they’re often much scarier than books for English kids, then we can go from there. As an adult, though, I enjoyed it.

I received an electronic ARC from NorthSouth Books via NetGalley, and am so grateful for that - for this was an extremely good read.

Varenka by Bernadette Walls is a lovely children’s book about friendship, kindness, and belief can see us through difficult times. The rustic, folksy artwork fits with the setting and timeline of the story. Sweet little book.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.**

This is a retelling of a Russian folk tale, in which a widow fears for her life, because the soldiers of an unnamed war are coming to her, and she has no where to run to and no where to hide.

As the story progresses, she meets other refugees, and offers them shelter, all the while praying for a way to hide, a wall, to protect her.

In the end it is a snow that hides her house, and saves her and those she took in.

It is the story of faith, of course, as well as a story of helping others.

Sweet book.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

This folktale, which was first published in 1971, is about Varenka, who does not want to leave her home, in spite of a war going on around her. She welcomes in others that are fleeing from the war, and pretty soon, they have a whole family. This is a nice book about making a family and the horrors of war, which feels pretty topical right now with the war in Ukraine.

This picture book tells a story of Russia at war and the villagers, including the main character, Varenka, being worried about the soldiers coming and hurting them. They prey that they will be able to build a strong wall that will protect them from the soldiers. Over night a snow storm hits and though the soldiers pass by the house, they do not see it because of the snow. It might be a bit scary for some children, especially now with the war in Russia and Ukraine, but it seems to be a traditional tale or folk story so maybe it is something that is often shared with children in Russia. Either way, it is a nice story, there are detailed illustrations which appear to be made of pastel, and the culture and traditions of Russia have a presence within the story. I would recommend this book for children in the age 5-9 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

NetGalley ARC
Read-Aloud: NO (best for one-on-one for length)
Tags: war, faith, friendship, kindness

Originally published in 1971, this Russian tale of war, faith, and friendship would be great for individual read-aloud or small group settings. Varenka says early on in the book: "Who will care for the children who wander and get lost in the forest, and who will shelter the animals and feed the birds when winter comes." She stays behind as war encroaches and cares for travelers, children, and animals. Her nightly prayer that God will build a wall around her house to protect them all is finally answered when a large snowfall covers her house and war passes them by.