The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

Publication Date: May 3rd 2018

ISBN-13:  978-1474940665

Age: 8+

Welcome to my first review on my new blog and I have a fantastic book lined up for you!

This book caught my eye when I took my son to the library Lego club and went off for a peruse. Never judge a book by its cover but in this case, it really drew me in as Melissa Castrillon’s design just screamed ‘PICK ME UP, I’M MAGICAL’ and it wasn’t wrong!

The story tells of Baby Yaga, a character from traditional Slavic folklore, who guides the dead through their return to the stars. Baba has a granddaughter, Marinka, who is on course to become the next Yaga but who wants so much more than the lonely Yaga life can offer her. She wants to walk amongst the living and change her destiny, fighting against what is expected of her.

What I love about Marinka is that she is so flawed but essentially, knows this and wants to be better. She is rebellious, knowing how to hide from the house and Baba and defy them and often makes selfish choices to fulfil what she is trying to achieve. However, Anderson takes us into Marinka’s thoughts and shows us it isn’t easy for Marinka and she struggles with the conflict of what she wants and what she needs. She is a good person, intelligent and caring and one of my favourite protagonists to date.

If you research Baba Yaga, it is really difficult to find a definitive answer to who she is and what she represents, which adds to the mystery. Anderson paints her as a stern but incredibly caring and joyous woman and while creative with her portrayal, I recognised so many traits from the traditional ideas, particularly the grotesque appearance and the fact that Baba attempts to live a life away from civilisation in a house with chicken legs. The house is a character in it’s own right and, without spoiling too much, a lot of fun and full of magic.

(Image not from book)

The narrative bursts with traditional references and food stuffs that will leave you desperate to know what Kvass and Borsch taste like and the beautiful illustrations by Elisa Paganelli throughout the book just capture the essence of Marinka's lonliness and the wonderful adventures of being a Yaga.  The tale twists and turns and you never know where you are going to end up next, whilst the imagery is breath-taking and conjures up some truly beautiful scenes in your mind, a stark contrast to the barren, desolate descriptions of the locations in which the house settles.

The House with Chicken Legs is such a unique tale and I don't think I could find any fault with it, other than it ended (Come on Sophie, sort it out! 😉). It draws no comparisons in my mind, but I did often find myself thinking of the Disney movie Coco, probably for no other reason than the subject of death and such fantastic traditions surrounding it. The idea of a life celebration and returning to the stars is so serene and heart warming, I really hope it is true.

Overall, I cannot wait to share this book with the children I meet while on my training and hopefully in my future career! I will definitely be buying my own copy and hope to see it so well used, I need to buy more! I can't wait to see what Sophie Anderson has in store for us next.