The Story Of Babushka

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Pub Date 29 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 25 Aug 2020

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Description

A beautifully illustrated book, with a magnificent story that children will love: Hardback printed on Forest Stewardship Council Certified environmentally friendly paper.

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. But there is a hurdle to overcome before all of the bodies can reunite and return to the forest.

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 symbolize Russian folk culture, as well as the complex and beautiful layers of women. This is the story of one very special doll, with five bodies that form the Babushka: There was the outermost body, Antonia. She was pure beauty and everyone who saw her raved about her good looks. Beneath that body of beauty hid the second body, Loretta, who was richly adorned. She wore gold ornaments, and her 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 the talents. Whatever Paula did, she was sure to succeed. She knew how to work and always did so with joy and determination.

Under the shell of 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 innermost and smallest of all, was Mary, the embodiment of love. Mary had a compassionate heart and was very helpful. She had the special ability to dry tears and mend broken hearts.

Reading this book, your child will learn about:

- The value of friendship and love.

- That financial wealth alone cannot make someone happy.

- Not to judge outer appearance.

- To recognize their value and much more


A beautifully illustrated book, with a magnificent story that children will love: Hardback printed on Forest Stewardship Council Certified environmentally friendly paper.

Babushka wants to find...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781527260290
PRICE $6.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 62 members


Featured Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I like the story. It was fantasy but the lessons are so realistic. It is a good book for children to learn different lessons in life. I like the illustration though the copy I had was a bit difficult to read. I had to adjust the font size to be able to read a paragraph completely but it's worth it. I saw some grammatical errors which can be corrected through a little proofreading. It's something I can recommend to friends that can be read to children.

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I have been drawn to nesting dolls since I was a kid. Embarrassingly I never thought to look up their origins. There are a lot of valuable lessons for children in this story. The artwork was fantastic, and was my favorite part of this book.

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This story gently introduces young readers to the inevitable existential crisis that most people experience at some point in their life. One wonders about the meaning of life and how one can fulfill such a purpose. The Babushka is made up of five women with a particular characteristic: beauty, wealth, talent, wisdom, and love. They each go their own way to what they think will fulfill their own separate purpose of life. The Babushka learns additional truths regarding a work-life balance, self-value, and the power of the collective on this journey, which is a positive learning experience for readers. The illustrations contribute to the story like a wind guiding someone to a destination. One of the illustrations depicts one of the women lurking in the shadows that added an element of humor. The language is appropriate and not challenging for its target audience. Ultimately, the creative use of the Babushka in this story is employed well in this story that promotes life lessons that promote inner growth for middle grade readers.

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The Story of Babushka was such a quick, charming read. The artwork was what drew me in, but the story is what made me stay. It's really easy to follow and not a story that I've seen before, so it was super enjoyable! The story is honestly quite heartwarming and full of good life lessons, and I think this would make a great read for students and kids, either to read with someone or by themselves. I even really enjoyed it myself, so I'd also recommend this to anyone who is looking for a charming, gorgeously illustrated, and heartwarming story.

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Reading this book was accompanied with the feeling of playing with a set of Babushka dolls. There was a true sense of taking the dolls apart, studying them, assigning them unique qualities and then bringing them back together again.
As a set of 5 dolls, within the story, they are all unique and have different qualities to offer the world and the last doll allows them all to go and find their way in life- leaving her behind with the heart. All choosing different directions, it is not until they are all gone that the last doll finds her own purpose in life and goes on her own journey of discovery.
As the set of dolls is meant to be together, so too are the dolls in the story. Having learned new lessons on life and discovering that not all is as it seems, they come together to feel complete once more.

Completely heart warming with a soul steeped in tradition, there is much to share and enjoy with this beautifully illustrated story.

Likely to engage and enchant readers, young and old.

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This is a story of Babushka. a set of five nesting dolls, who want to find out the meaning of life. Each of the separate five bodies head out of the forest to search for their destinies. Each body has a goal/life dream they want to achieve. For example, find true love, help others in need, etc. During each of their journeys they are full of hope. Many obstacles occur while they are trying to find their purpose and they end up back together to truly understand their meaning. Such a heartwarming story that has a lot of great lessons for children to learn from and enjoy!

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I received this ebook in exchange for an honest and fair review. What a delightful story. Very well written and illustrated. I loved the tales and the lessons each taught. Would be great for elementary read aloud.

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This book has a lot of complex themes that will interest young readers. It talks about how people can be multi-faceted and there is more than just one aspect to any person. Kids will probably be familiar with Russian nesting dolls (I have had some in my classroom and they are always very popular), so it will be easy for them to connect with the story. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. They are colorful, playful, and inviting. If I still taught in a classroom with younger students, I would share this book in a reading circle.
I would highly recommend buying this as a physical book as some aspects of the ebook did not download well. Thank you for the advanced copy.

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Wow, this book is fantastic. Babushka is made up of 5 different bodies but all of them are different facets of the entire Babushka. It combines a really cute story with thought provoking ideas and themes as well as some life lessons about beauty, wealth, and knowledge, I think every child should read this and most adults too. I would highly recommend this book.

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I really liked this simple story and the illustrations were beautiful too. It was lovely and had a good message behind it. It had a lovely happy ending too.

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This is such a lovely book! Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was always fascinated by the Babushka dolls. This is perfect for children to find purpose in their life. It has valuable lessons. Complex themes simplified in a lovely story.

I love the illustrations. It will be easy for little ones to connect with the characters and the story. It is so full of hope. Teaches no problem is too big. Every problem can be overcome. Teaches how everyone is unique and have different qualities. Steeped in tradition. An engaging read.

Very well written and heartwarming. I definitely recommend it and will be getting a copy for myself.

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What is the meaning of life?

That is a hard question to answer, but this illustrated story provides a great possible answer, one that fills one up with understanding of both our internal and external strengths.

Guided by Babushka's experience, the reader can understand how easy or difficult life tends to be when we star looking for meaning and fulfilment. The story shows us how things like love, wealth, creativity, wisdom and love make up our true selves and all that surrounds us.

Together with beautifully illustrations, this simple tale, pinpoint a deep critic of the world and how easy it is to lose one self, but also bringing the light of hope as to achieve a better future.

A beautifully crafted story that will be a delight to share with your yourself and your ove ones.

The ARC of this book was received free in exchange for an honest review.

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A beautifully illustrated moral story that will provoke a lot of discussion and conversation amongst older picture book readers.
This is a fabulous story for sharing and discussing as a family or for UKS2 PSHCE lessons.

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A interesting story about beauty, wealth, wisdom, work ethic, and love, and how balance is the key to happiness. I was able to hold my 5 year old interest through the whole story. I found the story charming and and a nice family read. I would recommend this to elementary readers, I feel like it would be a little long for a read aloud it would be fun for 2nd and 3rd graders too.

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This is a beautiful children's story following Babushka - a matryoshka who embarks on a journey to find the true meaning of life. The writing was engaging and appropriate for a younger audience and I think this would be appreciated by both small children who are not quite reading independently and more confident readers.

The book teaches children to know their worth and not to place too much value on materialistic wealth or external beauty.

My favourite thing about the book is the absolutely gorgeous illustrations. I'd love to see this book in its hardback format.

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It is a fairly tale about traditional Russian doll Babushka.
It is a single doll with five souls. They have different purposes and qualities.
Once upon a time her five traits start to separate and start to live independently.
How their lives change and how they reconcile with the world is described in a captivating story.
Artwork is wonderful.
A very good read for children that teaches moral lessons about all good traits that we should possess.
I will recommend it to all kids and teens.
Thanks netgalley and the publisher for review copy.

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In this version of the story, Babushka is a doll made up of five layers. The first one is full of beauty, one is richly adorned with ornaments and the third is full of talent and succeeds through a solid work ethic. Next is the body of wisdom with brilliant ideas and solutions and finally, the smallest and central layer is made up of love and compassion.

The dolls all find opportunities to put their particular skills/gifts to good use and travel away in different directions. Mary travels to see each one, but they aren’t happy; the dolls support each other and find happiness.

The story is written in a simple style and the dolls are presented as full of positive qualities. I did wonder about some of the less happy situations, where others seem to take advantage of the dolls. It would have to be carefully explained that not everyone is like this.

The illustrations are beautiful.

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Having travelled to the fabulous country of Russia I was immediately drawn to this book. On my travels in Russia I visited a lady just outside of a town called Kungur who made the most fantastic gingerbread and incredible Babushka dolls. It was from this lady that I learnt all about the meaning of the Babushka and it’s legend and folklore in Russian culture.

The Story of Babushka tells the journeys of five dolls who each set out to find their own purpose in life. Each doll has its own special quality; Antonia is beautiful, Loretta epitomises riches and wealth, Paula is full of talent and success, Viola is the brains; intelligent and wise, and Mary is loving.

Babushka was content with her life in the forest but would often wonder about life - its meaning and her purpose. Babushka had some of the answers,

“The brook’s purpose was to flow, and the birds’ purpose was to sing.”

Babushka wants to find the meaning of her life and so she sends her five bodies off to find their true purpose in life. Guided by Mary, her inner voice, the Babushka gradually lets each doll go and as they venture from their forest home in search of answers, each doll has a clear life goal.

But life is never simple and as each doll embarks on a voyage of self-discovery they are exposed to some harsh life-lessons. Feeling at a loss, the innermost doll, Mary, heads off in search of her own purpose guided by the wind. And slowly she is guided back to her four other parts and the Babushka doll becomes whole once again.

The Story of Babushka is an endearing and important fable for all ages. At times, the language has a poetic quality and I was swept away into what felt like a fairy-tale wonderland. I love the message in this book - you are not defined by one particular characteristic, there are many parts that make your whole. There are valuable lessons on friendship and love, appearances, wealth and happiness (money can’t buy happiness), valuing yourself and helping others. It is all of these bodies that form the whole Babushka and whilst they may each have their own purpose they are at their strongest and happiest when they are together.

The illustrations of the dolls are beautiful - the intricate designs, the attention to detail, the size. They are exactly what I think of when I picture Babushka dolls in my head and think back to all the wonderful ones I saw in Russia. Each doll is unique with its own beauty - inner and outer.

A book that is worthy of being read by and shared with all ages. The messages and lessons in this book will be appreciated by readers of 9+ whilst younger children will delight in the beautiful artwork and will enjoy the story without delving deeper into the more complex issues and morals. A read that will generate plenty of discussion by readers both young and old.

With huge thanks to Catherine Flores and Netgalley for the ARC.

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The Story of Babushka is a quick, enchanting read. I never truly appreciated the history behind Russian nesting dolls and the symbolism they represent. Each doll represents the complex and beautiful layers of women: beauty, wealth, talent, wisdom and love. In the story, each of these is shown as a different doll and together they form the complete Babushka.

The book is beautifully illustrated and has a fantastic moral message as we follow Babushka's journey to discover the meaning of life. She finds that although each of her layers is individually fantastic, they don't work successfully if they aren't together. The unique qualities we possess work in harmony together and we need to take care of ourselves internally and externally.

A beautiful, heartwarming book with an equally beautiful message.

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An enjoyable journey story with beautiful illustrations. Now I'm interested in Russian Nesting Dolls.

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A clever and progressive story about a set of five Russian Dolls within one particular Babushka. Each doll has a name and a specific characteristic.
From beauty, through riches, wisdom, industrious effort to pure love and empathy for others.
One day Babushka sitting by a river contemplates the purpose and meaning of life.
Over the next couple of days opportunities arise where each individual doll is presented with a project or enterprise to match their talent to excel and prosper. The other days Babushka allows each to peel off and pursue their dreams. Until just the last doll remains; the quality she possesses is love.
In a strange twist of fate, seemingly led by the breeze she drifts along to fulfil her own destiny.
Over time she meets her sisters and learns some truths about life which is genuine wisdom.
I warmed to this tale. It is an intelligent piece of storytelling which takes the composition of a doll within a doll within a doll. (X5 in this account). The author weaves an enchanting tale of simple life within the forest compared to the growing settlements which seem to have lost the true purpose of life.
It is a story of putting other’s needs before your own. It then consolidates the negative aspects these decisions through up and in the spirit of love and reconciliation restores the status quo.
I think the illustrations greatly enhance the narrative and together produce a potential classic similar to many fairy tale classics.
I believe young children will love to listen to this story and learn its lessons; over time, they will ultimately delight to read it for themselves.

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Here is my review ahead of the blog tour at the beginning of August. I will post it to my blog then.

The Story of Babushka is a delightful tale of being true to yourself and finding your place in the world. The Matryoshka (Russian Nesting Doll) is a charming symbol of Russian folk culture and represents the beautiful layers of women. In this story, we meet the lovely Babushka made up of five unique dolls. Each doll is special. Together, they make up a wonderfully strong woman of worth.

• Antonia is the external beauty of Babushka. She travels the world with grace and loveliness.
• Loretta is richly adorned and symbolises wealth. She is generous with what she has and tries to look after those around her.
• Paula has many talents. She is creative and hard-working. She gives each task her all.
• Viola is wise. She uses her intelligence to solve problems and help others.
• Mary is the heart of the Babushka. She is full of love, caring and kindness.

Babushka wonders about the meaning of life and the five dolls decide to go off and search for their own true purpose. Eventually, only loving Mary is left. She feels incomplete and very alone. She knows she must go out into the world to find her other parts in order to feel whole again. Along the way, Mary meets with many challenges and faces the harsh side of the world. She learns that she must follow the wind and trust its guidance. In the end, it becomes clear that the dolls are so much better together and love will always unite them. Babushka learns an important lesson about being true to herself and what she knows to be right, appreciating who she is, and not being blinded by the deception of others. She learns that it is the combination of all of her positive qualities that make her wonderful.

Ana Beatriz Marques’ illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and bring this story to life. The gentle animals of the forest create a community for Babushka and draw the reader in. There is so much to look at and the friendly faces make this powerful story even more appealing.

The Story of Babushka is appropriate for a wide range of ages. The chapters are short and accessible, with manageable vocabulary and appealing illustrations to break up the text. However, the key messages of the story are strong. There is so much scope for discussion and exploration of the layers we have within ourselves. I asked my own children what layers they would have if they were Russian Nesting Dolls. After a lovely discussion, traits such as enthusiasm, positivity, kindness, wisdom, an adventurous spirit and love came out on top. Creativity, fitness and resilience are also really important to them. They added these characteristics to some lovely Babushka colouring sheets (my son decided to make his own and they ended up turning into snowmen).

Like the Matryoshka, The Story of Babushka is absolutely beautiful and has many layers of meaning and detail. Children are sure to be drawn to it and want to read it again and again.

Thank you to Catherine Flores for this gorgeous book! I’m looking forward to sharing it with the children of Farsley Farfield Primary School.

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This book was so lovely! Gorgeous illustrations, an unusual yet familiar kind of story, and with much deeper morals than you'd expect from a children's book including themes of unity between your many interests that make up your personality, the horrors of capitalism, and how scratching below the surface level reveals how deceiving things may be. I highly recommend this book, especially if you can put on a music box version of an instrumental song for full atmosphere.

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Having a number of Babushka nesting dolls in my life, on various surfaces in my living areas, I know of their charm and appeal. Visitors walk through the door, see them and reach for them, regardless of their age. Hands are busy while we talk and visit. Seeing this book come available, I was eager to read The Story of Babushka by Catherine Flores and Ana Beatriz Marques.

The art on each page so engages me, partly because my youth was filled with art styled in a similar simple, old-fashioned way. I see echoes of Lois Lenski's work, and Virginia Lee Burton's, updated with colors and smooth lines, swoops and details not seen in those days. I love the illustrations, the differences in the dollies, and the variety of environments that are part of their adventures.

I originally wanted this book for my grandma reads session group (3 yrs to 13yrs). But this story feels more ambitious than the art that accompanies it. . .there are grownup metaphors, worries and concerns that seem suited for an older group. It almost seems like a grownup fairy tale, to comfort. . .me, a grown woman. There are so many roles a woman plays in life, and the Babushka's story speaks to some of the main ones.

4 stars from me, for a beautiful new book!

A sincere thank you to Catherine Flores, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #TheStoryOfBabushka #NetGalley

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This would be a good book for a PSHE lesson about the different aspects of a character. The author takes the idea of a matryoshka doll with 5 different layers, and assigns a different trait to each one - smartness, talent, wealth, beauty and love. Each body goes off to seek their fortune in a modern day fable type story, but they each end up trapped in a town where people are too busy or greedy, or are trapped in jobs they cannot leave. It was an interesting blend of traditional fable and contemporary story which might appeal to children between 6 and 11. I found a few more American sounding words a little grating, like "smart" for clever, which jolted me out of the timeless fable type story.

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This was gorgeous! Babushka sets out to learn the meaning of life, and thinks the best way to do this is by sending her four outer shells into the world to be their best selves - beauty, riches, brains, hard work. Amazing illustrations and a great message :)

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An incredibly enchanting and well-composed book for children that had me hooked from the first page until the very last. Highly recommended.

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The Story of Babushka is one that should be in every child's library! While the illustrations are lovely, it is the written content that makes this tale so great. The story begins with an introduction to Babushka and her five bodies within. Each body has a different quality or asset which contributes to Babushka's character overall.

Like many of us have done, Babushka ponders over what the meaning of life is. This one question and her subsequent choices are where the story lies.

Throughout Babushka's journey she will learn a few valuable life lessons that will ring true for everyone. Sometimes we could all use a reminder that we need to remain true to ourselves and not spread ourselves too thin.

I would recommend this book for children of any age. However, with the vocabulary being what it is I believe children ages 6/7 and up would have a greater level of reading comprehension.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Story of Babushka was more than intriguing to me, I have seen the little Russian nesting dolls many times over the years and think they are precious. The illustrations in this book should win an award they are so beautiful. The story seemed a bit complex for children, but I think that older ages ( around 10-13) could comprehend the messages. The story tackles many issues, with the overall intention of showing children that one main characteristic cannot be all that defines them. It got a bit political at times, but I think it did it tastefully. I would definitely recommend this to others.

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The Story Of Babushka is a charming story by Catherine Flores about Russian nesting dolls. The illustrations are beautiful and so is the story, which teaches kids the value of friendship and to look at everything that is inside.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the advance copy.

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I have to say that this was a simply gorgeous book all around!

It was well written and had a lovely flow to it, the story was well planned out and well developed and the images are superb - it is a stunning book to read and it is honestly a highlight of my reading year for this kind of book!!

Everything about this book worked for me and I cannot recommend it highly enough - no hesitation at all in giving this one 5 stars - very highly recommended!!

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I originally got this to see if it would be suitable for my four year old. While I think it’s a bit above his comprehension, I thought it was very good and enjoyed the morals!! The illustrations are also quite lovely and I was impressed with each little Babushkas.

Many children’s books these days don’t have lessons for the children to learn or are so much a lesson that it might as well be a school book. Then there are others that are simply strange and illustrations that would be scary to small kids!! So I have to read the books prior to letting my children looking at them. This one is super sweet, has a subtle message, and really the pictures are quite charming.

I cannot wait until my eldest is about 6 so I can read this one to him!! I think he’ll get as much enjoyment out of this as I have!! Super glad I picked this one out even though I have to wait to share it with my kids. I recommend this for ages 5 or 6 and up, depending on maturity and ability for them to sit still.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and ACL Creative Studio for a copy of this book for my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Story of Babushka is a hybrid chapter book & picture book. I don't want to call it one or the other because it is definitely longer than your standard picture book yet the colorful illustrations are too beautiful to call it a simple chapter book.

The Story of Babushka is like a fairy tale. It tells the story of Babushka, who is a Russian nesting doll made up of 5 layers, each representing a different attribute of womanhood:
-Antonia represents outer beauty
-Loretta represents wealth
-Paula represents talent
-Viola represents wisdom
-Mary represents heart & inner voice

Babushka lives in the forest and occasionally ponders the meaning of life. One by one the different layers of Babushka are lured away out of the forest to pursue their own fates. Mary, left alone, feels sad and lonely. She follows her heart in search of the missing parts of Babushka.

This book is targeted for older elementary kids but some may do better off reading this with a parent. Some of the book is very contemplative and philosophical with lots of morals and lessons such as "there are more important things in life than money", not to judge people by their appearance, value of friendship etc. This book was a bit above my 6 year old's interest level but my 10 year old was better with it. This also makes a nice, little read for an adult.

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Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this copy of The Story of Babushka by Catherine Flores. It publishes July 29, 2020.
This beautifully illustrated book follow a babushka doll as the 5 parts of her search for the meaning of life, and their purpose in life.
As they go along, they find that not everything is what it seems and some big lessons along the way.
I think this would be a valuable book for any middle-elementary school-aged child.
I am much older than that, but enjoyed this cautionary tale!

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I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The story of Babushka is a beautiful story that all children should read or have it read to them at some point in their life.

Babushka contains a number of different bodies within her thus making her Babushka. Each body represents a different thing - beauty, love, knowledge, workmanship. Each body goes off into the world to make their own way but each body becomes unhappy and undervalued and underappreciated and used.

Babushka finds all the bodies and comes together as whole again and learns a great lesson in life - not to be blinded by beauty, wealth or ideas from others, to appreciate and love herself and not see materialistic items or money as a happy life.

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“ We can never be truly happy without the love that unites us together as one"

Babushka dolls are a source of fascination for children - I have two sets at home that my children and visitors to our house continue to play with and one of my earliest, most vivid memories of school, is exploring a set of Russian dolls that lived in my infant classroom.

The Story of Babushka is that of a very special Russian Matroyshka, or nesting doll and her five bodies, in search of the meaning of life.. Each of Babushka's bodies represents a different unique quality or characteristic that when fit together, make the Babushka doll ‘whole.’

Antonia is the outermost body of Babushka and represents her beautiful physical appearance.
Loretta is the body of riches and represents Babushka’s wealth.
Paula represents all Babushka's talents
Viola represents Babushka’s wisdom.
Mary, Babushka’s innermost body is the embodiment of love. She represents Babushka’s heart and inner voice.

Babushka's five bodies leave the safety and security of their forest home and go their separate ways, each in search of individual fulfillment and purpose in life. However, this comes with many challenges to overcome and there are lessons to be learned. Mary, the final doll left to embark on her journey realises they have made a big mistake. She recognises that the dolls can never be truly happy without each other, signifying that the individual traits that make up a person’s character are no good in isolation and must work together in harmony. Ultimately, it falls to Mary to mend Babushka’s broken heart by reuniting the dolls and make her complete again. As with all good Fables, Babushka reflects on the important lessons she has learnt.

Catherine Flores' Story of Babushka could be used as a perfect teaching text in the Personal, Social, Citizenship and Economic Education Curriculum for older primary school pupils. It teaches key messages, such as ‘money is not everything,’ ‘know your value’ and ‘appearances can be deceiving' which cleverly correspond to one of Babushka's bodies and in turn, the sections of the book. There are also some deeper, more complex ideas that are explored in the story, such as deception, work-life balance and exploitation which would need careful explanation from an adult. This is the beauty of this book; there are many layers of meaning that can be enjoyed and appreciated as appropriate to the reader’s level of understanding.

Ana Beatriz Marques' illustrations are simply beautiful and of a highly original style. Charming woodland creatures and delightful fireside scenes ensure that this book feels like authentic folklore, whilst industrial images give it a modern twist.

The Story of Babushka is a lovely reminder to both adults and children of the wonderful layers of unique qualities that are nested within all of us making us complete.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is about a matryoshka set searching for the meaning of life. If you're familiar with these Russian stacking dolls, then you'd know there are usually five. So goes the same in the story, and each represents an attribute, such as beauty, wealth, talents, wisdom, and heart. The message is pretty straightforward but I won't spoil it and instead would highly recommend you immerse yourself into the story, because it's a fun, uplifting adventure and the art is adorable 🥺 If you have kids to read it to, then the better! I honestly think this is a fantastic book for any age because it reminds us of what truly matters - and that's... Well, secret! Hahaha have fun reading!

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This is an exquisite book,, with beautiful illustrations and messages, It is based on the traditional Russian nesting dolls but has a modern day lessons. The doll in the story has five bodies, each with their own unique talents and appearance. Each doll overcomes a challenge or experience an event before they join back together. The dolls are trying to find the meaning of life and this book certainly enables the reader to question life goals, aspirations and attitudes. Thank you Catherine Flores for this delicate, beautiful story.

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Thank you for a copy, Netgalley!

This was…remarkable for a children’s book, in the best way, a true product of our times and full of valuable lessons. If you’d told me a kid’s book about nesting dolls would build a convincing platform for arguments against materialism, vanity, and worker exploitation, also finding time to advocate individualism, free thinking and unionization, I would never have believed you. And yet, here it is.

First, the visuals of this book. The art is gorgeous, the cover drew me in immediately with rich, contrasting color. In subsequent pages the full-page artwork and smaller in-text doodles are a nice contrast to the blocks of text, very vibrant and drawn in such a cute style – very much like sister dolls, in fact.

Now, for the substance. First, I knew nothing of the folklore of the matroshka doll, and it was charming to hear how, at least in this lore, each doll is their own unique identity, versus the wooden ones I played with as a kid where they were all matching, uniform dolls other than size. There’s a cute lesson in that the whole doll needs each of its parts to be an entire being – every part of you is important to your overall existence, and that was so heartwarming.

I was genuinely startled at the heavy ideas presented when each layer of the doll realizes the perils of the world on their own, but startled in a good way. The pretty one finds how little there is to a pretty face or façade when a situation arises where more action or conviction is needed. The rich doll finds that her money can help others, at the literal expense of leaving her friendless when it runs out. The skilled worker doll finds she is worked to the bone, her productivity all she is worth; and ends up starting a union for workers’ rights. This is phenomenal stuff, and yet perfect for a child to be learning in 2020.

I would certainly encourage any parent I know to read something like this to their child. It presents important moral and societal lessons wrapped up in the novelty of the nesting doll, an introduction to foreign culture for lots of children, especially important as everyone develops as global citizens. I thought this was just great.

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I read and tweeted my review on my twitter channel. I gave it 5 stars. It was a very clever story with great themes about value.

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This book was amazing! Full disclosure: I have always had a fascination with matryoshka dolls.

Babushka and her bodies are searching for the meaning of life, and they separate to chase their own dreams. Spoiler alert: they are more fulfilled when they are all together living harmoniously.

The graphics in this book were perfect, and accompanied the text perfectly. The text was definitely more of a story, with long paragraphs and engaging themes for adult and child alike.

I highly recommend this book for a heartwarming story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

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The Story of Babushka is so cleverly illustrated in such a charming manner. The story's lessons of being true to yourself and all of your attributes will resonate with children (around ages 8 and up), though reading with an adult may be helpful to help explain some concepts presented in the book.

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The Story of Babushka by Catherine Flores is a profound and thought-provoking story where a symbolic character (Babushka, made up of 5 Russian nesting dolls) searches for the meaning of life. Each nesting doll represents a different part of Babushka’s personality and initially she goes with the flow and let’s them embrace each seemingly perfect opportunity for them until she is left with just Mary, her heart and inner voice. The story flows beautifully and would work well within a PSHE curriculum or for a mindfulness activity. Mary lives peacefully in the forest for a short while until she feels the trees and Earth are trying to tell her something. Following the wind, she leaves the forest in search of the calling. What she discovers is unexpected. One by one, each nesting doll and part of her personality is retrieved along with a valuable life lesson. It’s impossible not to read this book in one sitting and whilst I would recommend this book to children aged 9+, I think it would be most valuably explored in upper secondary school. This book will stay with me for a long time; I will be recommending it for years to come as it’s messages are of huge importance in our modern world.

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I really enjoyed this tale which was beautifully illustrated. I felt the pictures really brought the words to life. I think children in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2 would enjoy the story and there are lots of links with other areas of the curriculum.

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#TheStoryOfBabushka #NetGalley
The Story of Babushka by Catherine Flores is a folktale that speaks to the heart of peoples across the world. It is a search for life's meaning and the desire we all have to live a life of value. There are a number of Russian tales telling of Babushka as a witch or as a grandmotherly figure. In this story , my favorite of all the tales, she is a Russian nesting doll. True to all nesting dolls upon opening and removing one layer you find another doll/person which is a little different than the one before it and the others after it. . In this story, our Babushka is made up of 5 layers or personalities. The outermost layer is Antonia. She is a sight of pure beauty and admired by everyone for her good looks. Next is Loretta, who is striking for the gold ornaments, glitter and jewels which cover her. The third layer is the person known as Paula. She is a dedicated and joyful worker known for her talents. Viola, the fourth doll, is famous for her wisdom, brilliant ideas and ability to find solutions. At the request of someone she has met and the the encouragement of Mary, the littlest of the dolls, who is filled with love, they each go out into the world in search of meaning for themselves and for others. What they all discover through their travels and with the help of Mary, the heart of them all, is a story you will want to read for yourself.

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Thank you for giving me a chance to read this book beforehand.

This one interesting read. I thought it will be the original story of Russian's Babushka, but this one is invented by the author. And a good one, nevertheless.

Can be seen from many different angles, but for me, this is a story of unity. How much you can achieve as being one, having your own talent, wisdom, beauty and richness. Also the burden of society we sometimes overlooked. A worthwhile read.

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A beautiful story and a fantastic message about the world we live in. The illustrations are a joy and really add to the overall effect. The main review is a blog post on my book blog, Margaret's Reading Shelf.

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Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I will be reading this with my older elementary students and appreciate a picture book that is deep enough for older students, who move to chapter books so quickly.

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What a pleasure to find! I have only found one other Russian Nesting Doll story, and that was maybe 20 years ago. considering their popularity ( I have a set of them with hockey players!), I am surprised no one has written stories to go along with themed dolls!. I even recently found a comic with one nesting doll shaking up the rest with her cell phone! So endless possibilities. Ms. Flores has come up with an original idea with each doll representing a part of the largest dolls personality, separated over the course of the story, they must find their way to reunite and become one once more. I think every age could enjoy this tale. Loved the illustrations and can't wait to see a hard copy of the book! It would make a fine addition to a nesting doll collection!

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I truly enjoyed it! I think it did very well in incorporating Russian elements to the story, as well as delivering an inspirational message.

I would totally revisit this author's work in the near future!

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Thank you to Netgalley & Catherine Flores, for my copy of Babushka, for a honest review. Wow such a wonderful, charming book The Babbushka, or Russian Nesting Doll, is a traditional toy. This story is based on the Babushka, wants to know about the world. So she sends her bodies out into the forest and the world to find the meaning of life. In this book the Babushka has five bodies and they all go out to different areas to report back. Not surprisingly, each one seems a bit lost and doesn’t seem to find to many answers at first. Each one of their stories is uniquely their own and each one comes back with different answers. It’s interesting to see how they all try to get back to each other to complete their Babushka. This is a beautifully illustrated book and is a children’s book, but has a message for all ages. I really enjoyed reading this with my son. This short book packed a lot of life’s lessons, without being overwhelming. I am glad I was able to read this and share it with my son. It was a four star read for my son and I. I have featured this on my Instagram page and shared my review on Barnes and Noble.

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I've always loved Russian Nesting Dolls and I think this is a great little story about one who shows us there's more to everyone's story. I really enjoyed reading it and the illustrations are bright and colorful.

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