Books about culture … When looking at the theme of the book, many of us think that the book must be boring. Though not all books that have a cultural theme are boring books to read. There are even books that are fun to read. Especially for children.
Did you know that in Russia there are books about culture that are not boring for children when reading the book? If you don’t know it yet, let’s look at an unforgettable Russian culture book for children.
Children are sometimes not really like to read books because they think it is boring. Especially if there is no illustration at all in the book. So sometimes introducing something to children through books is difficult. Even though through a book, parents can introduce various things, including culture in their own country and in other countries.
To begin to attract the interest of children in reading, there have been many books that have illustrated stories in them. Books like this are usually adapted from folk tales or fictional new stories. Likewise, in Russia. In Russia there are Russian cultural books that can be read by children with joy and may be an unforgettable book for them.
Therefore, in this article I will discuss about 4 unforgettable Russian cultural books for children.
- The Magic Nesting Doll by Jacqueline Ogburn (2000)
The Magic Nesting Doll is a book written by Jacqueline Ogburn. This book was first published in 2000. The Magic Nesting Doll tells the story of Katya and the magical little matryoshka doll given by her grandmother. Matryoshka is a doll or typical item from Russia.
The Magic Nesting Doll is a story that combines the traditional and the modern side in one book. This book has illustrated stories that certainly can attract children to enjoy the story.
The storyline of The Magic Nesting Doll tells about Katya who got a set of matryoshka dolls from her grandmother before she died. Her grandmother advised if she only had to open the doll three times, because the magic would disappear when she opened after the third time. When opening the doll, Katya must be at a time when she needs the magic doll’s most help.
Katya the brave and have a strong determination to succeed against evil spells using magical matryoshka doll given by her grandmother. She can help remove evil spells on a handsome young prince when the prince was frozen. The story of The Magic Nesting Doll illustrates that even a little girl can be anything including being a hero.
- The Little Black Hen by Antony Pogorelsky (1829)
The Little Black Hen is a book written by Antony Pogorelsky. This book was first published in 1829. The Little Black Hen can also be regarded as a fairy tale. The Little Black Hen is a book written by Antony Pogorelsky for his 10-year-old niece.
The Little Black Hen has a storyline that at a glance is almost similar to a fairy tale in general. But this book is also considered to be one of the books that has a sad and touching story for children. The Little Black Hen tells about Alyosha who saved a black chicken.
After surviving, the chicken will grant Alyosha’s request. Alyosha asks to be able to do anything without needing to learn first. Because the request made him arrogant, lazy and greedy, he got revenge. Black chicken he saved was gone.
According to the reader, The Little Black Hen cannot only be enjoyed by children. Everyone can read this book as well. This book is interesting because the stories in The Little Black Hen illustrate the reality of Russia in the 18th century. With good story illustrations, of course it will attract children to read The Little Black Hen book. In addition, they can also get the moral lessons of things that experienced by the main character in the story of The Little Black Hen.
- The Humpbacked Horse by Pyotr Yershov (1834)
The Humpbacked Horse is a book written by Pyotr Yershov. The Humpbacked Horse book was first published in 1834. In the English translation, The Humpbacked Horse is also known as The Magic Horse or The Little Magic Horse.
The Humpbacked Horse tells about Ivan who was helped by a small horse. Ivan is a farmer’s son. He and his little horse had an adventure to obey the Tsar’s request which often made no sense.
The Humpbacked Horse got a sensor to not show the full story for more than 20 years. The story in The Humpbacked Horse is a form of satire from feudal life and bureaucracy in Russia that existed at that time.
The Humpbacked Horse was adapted into a film of the same name and was released in 1947. The Humpbacked Horse film was also remake in 1975 and released in the United States in 1977. The film released in U.S. was known as The Magic Pony.
- Timur and His Squad by Arkady Gaidar (1940)
Timur and His Squad are books written by Arkady Gaidar. This book was first published in 1940. The book ” Timur and His Squad” has become part of the curriculum in Soviet schools until the 1990s.
Timur and His Squad tell the story of a group of village children who secretly sneak up to do good deeds to protect their families. The village children do battle and have a great impact on young people in the Soviet. The movement carried out by a group of children became a big phenomenon throughout the country because it involved thousands of children.
Timur and His Squad led by the young Timur inspired movements throughout Russia and other socialist countries by the name of the Timur Movement.
I hope this article can really help you to find out the 4 unforgettable Russian culture books for children.