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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This wordy fairy tale by the creators of Silver Threads is rooted in history; according to an introductory note, the setting is "during the Famine instigated by Stalin in 1930's Ukraine." But the volume suffers from the tall-tale quality of the narrative and the exaggerated characterizations. After one of "the Dictator's soldiers" appears on the farm where Marusia lives with her father, he announces, "Your wheat and your farm now belong to the People." He and his compatriots confiscate the crops of every farmer in the village. But Marusia hides one sack of grain that keeps them all alive during the hard winter, and plants seeds from which a magic stalk grows, attracting a large stork. The bird carries her on its back to a land of plenty so she can restock her village's supplies. In a predictable turn of events, another of the Dictator's soldiers makes a similar journey on the stork's back, but hordes so much grain that he and his sacks tumble off into the ocean. Unfortunately, the prose is often overblown when coupled with the oafish characters depicted (e.g., it is "the Dictator's wish that this land be filled with graves"). The villainsAand even the victimized UkrainiansAappear as caricatures in the artwork, which does little to vitalize this heavy-handed narrative. Ages 6-8. (Apr.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-Marusia and her father barely survive on what they grow on their little farm in Zhitya, so, when the Dictator's soldiers claim all of their crops, the family is destitute. Luckily, resourceful Marusia has hidden a bag of grain and feeds her father and friends a thin porridge throughout the winter. When they plant the last of the wheat, one magical stalk attracts a stork that takes the child across the ocean where fellow Ukrainians give her some grain. After she plants it, soldiers take this harvest, and an officer steals seeds from the magic stalk. In the end, his greed gets the best of him. Marusia is then able to come up with a plan to foil the Dictator and assure a peaceful life in Zhitya. As appealing and universal as the theme is, the book is flawed by gaps in its internal logic. When Marusia arrives in "a new world," the expatriates say, "Times are hard, but we are happy to share," but the illustrations show them surrounded by piles of grain. When the stork approaches the officer, the man remembers what happened to Marusia-but how would he know? Martchenko's pastoral illustrations are lovely, but the faces of the characters are cartoonlike and don't suit the mood of the story. Marusia sometimes looks like a distant cousin to Tintin, and this spunky heroine deserves better.-Jeanne Clancy Watkins, Chester County Library, Exton, PA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be in libraries, public and personal, worldwide!--a Ukrainian folk tale, historical picture book about a real occurrence,
By Yaroslava Benko "Mandrivnyk" (Arlington Heights, IL - USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Enough (Paperback)
"Enough" was published with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP), and the Ontario Arts Council. The project was funded in part by the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko.Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (member, Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers) has been a keynote speaker; a panelist; a Writer in Residence at St. John's Kilmarnock School, 2004-5; taught at the Maritime Writers' Workshop in July 2003; and, has been nominated for numerous awards, including: in 2006, BC Stellar Award nomination for Nobody's Child; in 2004, Alberta Rocky Mountain Book Award nomination for Hope's War; in 2002, Nominated for the W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize for her body of work and mentorship of other writers; in 2006, named Canadian Ukrainian Woman of Influence by the World Congress of Ukrainian Women's Organizations; and, in 2001, recipient of ResourceLinks "Best of the Best 2001" in picture book category for "Enough." In this Ukrainian folk tale, historical picture book ("Enough"), she does a formidable job, indeed, in presenting to young readers (ages 6-8) a Ukrainian folk tale that deals with a very horrific, very real occurrence in Ukraine's history! "Enough" is complemented throughout with artistic, vibrantly colored, large illustrations depicting Ukrainian scenes from the story by Michael Martchenko, an illustrator of more than 50 books for children. He was awarded the Ruth Schwartz Award for Children's Book Illustration for Thomas' Snowsuit. Albeit a Ukrainian folk tale, the subject matter, nonetheless, concerns a true chapter from Ukraine's history. "Enough" introduces the young child very gently and aptly to Ukrainian's Holodomor. E News Channels offers the following definition of Holodomor: "Ukrainian Genocide by Famine (Holodomor) 1932-33. The Holodomor was a genocide by famine, perpetrated by the Soviet regime in 1932-33 during Josef Stalin's brutal reign against the Ukrainian populace. It was orchestrated with the aim of bringing about forced collectivization of Ukraine's farms and Sovietization of the Ukrainian people. As part of its campaign against the Ukrainian people, the Communist Regime confiscated all the grain produced by Ukrainian farmers, withheld other foodstuffs, executed anyone trying to obtain food, and punished those who attempted to flee. The result: in the land called the Breadbasket of Europe, up to 10 million men, women, and children were starved to death. This horrendous act of genocide against the Ukrainian people is known as the Holodomor - murder by starvation. At the height of the man-made famine, Ukrainian villagers were dying at the rate of 25,000 per day, or 17 per minute. More than 20% of the population of Ukraine died as a result of the famine. At least three million of the victims were children." Another excellent reference source is a DVD by Ukrainian American Film Director Slavko Nowytski, "Harvest of Despair: The Unknown Holocaust." He's been awarded numerous international film prizes; moreover, any undertaking bearing his name is guaranteed to be a professional production. This DVD is sold by Amazon.com (USA), or may be obtained through interlibrary loan. Recommended in "Enough" are several sources to learn more about the Ukrainian Holodomor: The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert Conquest (available on Amazon.com [USA]), Oxford University Press, 1987, ISBN 0195051807; Harvest of Despair, a 55-minute black and white film, ISBN 1-57299-377-4; and, on the Internet: "Black Famine in Ukraine 1932-33: A Struggle for Existence" by Andrew Gregorovich. Not only is "Enough" an excellent Ukrainian folk tale with beautiful illustrations throughout, but it acquaints admirably young readers with the Ukrainian Holodomor of 1932-33. The author and the illustrator have both handled a difficult subject tastefully and with the gentleness and art deserving a young reader's attention--it's heartily recommended for adults, too! "Enough" is available through Amazon.com [USA], on Amazon.ca and through interlibrary loan. This is a must-read, must-have book! A definite five-stars plus is merited! P. S. Readers, you're invited to view 152 images (photos) of Ukraine taken by me and posted on Amazon.co.uk (the 2003 edition of Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine by Anna Reid). I actually took thousands of photos, but this sample will give you an idea of Ukraine and her people. Although there are more (179 total) photos on Amazon.com, the quality of the photos is bad-many of them show specs. My photos do not have specs. There is something wrong with Amazon.com's software. The photos on Amazon.co.uk are better quality (without specs).
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!,
By Sheri Lynne Harrison (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Enough (Hardcover)
I loved this picture book. The paintings are funny but sad at the same time, and so is the story.It reminds me of a Grim fairy tale. I didn't know about the Ukranian famine until I read this book.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enlightening, Childishly Simple, yet True,
By A Customer
This review is from: Enough (Hardcover)
Few children's books set out to reflect on the tragic. Marsha Skrypuch's "enough," located in 1930s Soviet Ukraine, reminds us of the genocidal fury that Stalin and his collaborators unleashed on a Ukrainian peasantry that refused to submit to communist tyranny, and of the heavy price they paid for their resistance (many millions deliberately starved to death). While charming in its evocation of how a young girl helps to save her one village from this man-made famine, the true story, beguilingly intertwined with this folk tale, is one with a far less happy outcome. For me as a parent, and for my daughter, this important book took on a dual quality - not simply a good read it is simultaneously a reminder of the horrors that befell Ukrainians and many other victims of communism in the 20th century. Those crimes against humanity must never be forgotten. This book is not only a must read, it is a must have book, not only for children but for adults, for all of our futures may well depend on just how accurately we remember who the villains were and what they did. Some of them are still alive and amongst us.
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