Eastern Europe

Greek mythology has captured minds for centuries. In Greece itself, monuments and buildings pay tribute to the heroes and heroines of these legends. This book of poetry introduces many Greek myths and has a unique quality—the poems offer a fresh point of view on the well-known stories when read with a mirror.

Ukrainian Easter eggs are known for their intricate designs and the symbols artists use to decorate them. In Old Moscow, Babushka is famous for her beautiful eggs and is preparing some for the Easter festival. When she takes in an injured goose, Rechenka, the bird accidentally topples Babushka’s egg basket. Babushka is devastated until the goose gives her the surprise of a lifetime

Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers--like a proper artist.But as Vasya opened his paint box and began mixing the reds, the yellows, the blues, he heard a strange sound--the swirling colors trilled like an orchestra tuning up for a symphony! And as he grew older, he continued to hear brilliant colors singing and see vibrant sounds dancing. But was Vasya brave enough to put aside his proper still lifes and portraits and paint . . . music?In this exuberant celebration of creativity, Barb Rosenstock and Mary GrandPré tell the fascinating story of Vasily Kandinsky, one of the very first painters of abstract art. Throughout his life, Kandinsky experienced colors as sounds, and sounds as colors--and bold, groundbreaking works burst forth from his noisy paint box.

While going out to collect water from the frozen lake one day, one brother accidentally catches a fish, yet fearing his life, the fish asks the man to let him live in exchange for a wish and so the man agrees and sets him free.