Bony-Legs (original 1983; édition 1983)

Dispatched by her mother to fetch a needle and thread, Sasha finds her way to the home of Bony-Legs, a terrible child-eating witch whose house in the forest rests on chicken feet. Here her actions in oiling the gate and feeding the dog and cat are repaid, as each aid her when she must escape the witch, intent on cooking her. Fleeing through the now silent gate, Sasha uses the mirror and comb given to her by the cat and dog to create obstacles for the witch - the mirror is transformed into a lake, the comb into a massive barrier - and thereby making it safely home...

Although author Joanna Cole does not include any author's note to that effect, Bony-Legs is a retelling of the classic Russian folktale of Baba Yaga and the Little Girl, which has many variants. The language is simple - this is as much an early reader as a picture-book - but nevertheless expressive, and Cole manages to spin an engrossing story, despite the limited lexicon necessitated by the early reader format. The artwork by Dirk Zimmer, who also illustrated Alvin Schwartz's In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories, is deliciously creepy, and captures the suspense of the story. I was torn in rating this, as I found it quite engaging, but was also genuinely irritated by the fact that Cole didn't include any mention of source material. This robs the child of the knowledge that he or she is reading a story from another culture, and prevents them from seeking other stories about the eponymous figure - the terrifying Baba Yaga. Hopefully adult caregivers will be more knowledgable, and fill in that information. ( )

A story similar to Hansel and Gretel, without the breadcrumb trail and the candy house! Bony legs wants to eat Sasha, the protagonist, but because Sasha was so kind to the animals and the gate, they help her escape.
This story could be used in a unit on fairy tales, to describe the plot. setting, characters, overall theme, etc. The story has a very obvious protagonist and antagonist, as well as theme of good versus evil. ( )

This folktale is enjoyable for students of all ages. It is very fun to read aloud and the children enjoy hearing different voices for the different characters. The illustrations provide a setting that is accurate to the origins of this folktale and support and enhance the text. ( )

This eerily illustrated book would be a good Halloween read-aloud, or as an addition to a study of classic creepy stories, or folk tales. It teaches a simple lesson of kindness and the golden rule.

This book is based off a Russian folktale named Baba Yaga. It reminded me of Hansel and Gretel. About a girl who goes through the forest to borrow a needle and a spool of thread for her mother. She reached Bony-legs house who is an mean which with bony legs. The witch's cat, dog, and gate help her escape and she is never to be heard from again. This book is an early reader chapter book and has a message about being kind and taking care of people, as well as belongings. ( )