The Great Big Enormous Turnip

The Great Big Enormous Turnip by tolstoy, aleksey. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780434966806.

PreSchool-Grade 2-There is no shortage of versions of this popular Russian folktale, including Jan Pecks recent variant, The Giant Carrot (Dial, 1998). However, this retelling is more complex, so it wont work with very young audiences. The cumulative action centers on an old man and old woman and all of the animals who try to help them uproot a gigantic turnip. In the end, it is a tiny mouse that swings the balance, and all enjoy a hearty turnip supper. Sharkeys illustrations call to mind Brian Karass work, offering a lot of quirky visual details shown in earthy browns, greens, and yellows on scratchy solid backgrounds. The round old man has spectacles precariously perched on his nose, the old woman sports elfish shoes and striped stockings, the rounded rectangle of a cow chomps on delicate flowers, and the potbellied pigs trod on tiny hooves. The pictures are big enough for a small storytime and kids will find plenty to look at in one-to-one sharing.