Russia
205
Moric, Junna (text)
Antonenkov, Evgenij (illus.)
Dvigajte ušami : dlja detej od 5 do 500 let (Wiggle your ears : for children from 5 to 500)
Moskva : Rosmen, 2003. – 148 p.
ISBN 5-353-01079-5
Nonsense poetry
Junna Pinchusovna Moric (i.e. Junna Petrovna Moric, born in Kyiv in 1937) is
one of the most important contemporary Russian poets. In this book, she tells
short, mostly bizarre tales in verse, narrated from a child’s perspective
with a lot of details. Some stories are centred around children’s
experiences told from an unexpected point of view, some answer various »why«-questions,
others are puzzles or nonsense verses. In the final of four chapters,
acrostics explain different terms. The author perfectly manages to present
simple things in a way that renders them interesting – not only for
children. Just as in her poetry for adults, she starts from specific
everyday-life situations and uses them to point out a deeper reality behind
them. The amusing illustrations by Evgenij Antonenkov, painted in a mixture of
naturalistic and surrealistic styles, have an international flair without
denying their Russian origin. (7+)
206
Vijra, Jurij (text)
Sajfulina, Nastja / Aëšin, A. (illus.)
Belyj ëzik u belogo morja : zagadki Njuchli-syščika (The white hedgehog at the White Sea : the mysteries of
detective Snooper)
Moskva : Izdat. »Rudomino«, 2002. – 135 p.
no ISBN
Polar animals – Folk tale – Ghost – Detective
During a journey along the coast of the White Sea, Jurij Vijra has recorded 12
folk tales about the white hedgehog. All of these stories contain some
characteristic elements and narrative structures of traditional folk tales,
yet they are set in the present and involve contemporary objects and
situations. In the second part of this book, old Slavic myths are also
transported into a modern day Moscow setting. The quirky household ghost
Snooper does some detective work. At the end of each chapter, the readers are
asked to answer a question and – with some careful reading and a little bit
of reflection – they should easily be able to accomplish this task.
(8+)