Babushka Baba Yaga

Written By: Patricia Polacco

She was the last of her kind. A creature of legends. A being of the forest. And stories…were told of her – stories of the terrible, horrible Baba Yaga.

Description from the jacket flap by Philomel Books.

In this version of the Russian folktale, Baba Yaga reminds us that things are not always what they seem, and there is much more to a person than meets the eye. I love this story and especially enjoy Victor, the young boy who gives Baba Yaga the family she has always wanted.

Discussion/Project Ideas:

1. Baba Yaga takes Victor to the edge of the forest and tells him the legends of her forest home. Choose one of the creatures in the picture that accompanies this part of the story and write a legend of your own. Or, you could choose a book that tells a forest legend (look them up in your card catalogue) and read it to your class.

2. Pretend for a moment that the wolves never surrounded Victor and that one day, he chose to go into the forest to find his babushka. Write that scene with alone or with a friend.  Or, draw a picture of what you think he will find – example, her home.

3. Make a diorama of your favorite scene.

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