Monday, May 16, 2022

The House With Chicken Legs - ESSENTIAL

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, 272 pgs. Scholastic Press, 2018. $17

Language: G (no swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (parental death off page)


BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL


AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH


12-year-old Marinka lives an unusual life. Her grandmother is a Yaga, which means they have an important duty to guide people to the afterlife. It also means they live in a house with chicken legs that moves them all over as they find the souls in need. While her grandmother is kind and the house is fun, playing many games like hide-and-seek and tag with Marinka, she longs for a human friend her own age. When her chance comes to finally make a friend, Marinka will take risks and break all the rules resulting in devastating consequences. 


An absolutely charming telling of the Baba Yaga legend. While it is placed in a contemporary setting, none of the folklore feel or magic of the original myth is lost. The reader will be taken on a journey through a story that brings both whimsy, with a personified house that plays and protects Marinka, and moments that explore grief and the process of moving forward from loss.  


Reviewer: AEB 

1 comment:

Test said...

I liked the E.D. Baker A Question of Magic, too, as another Baba Yaga tale.