by Jana Dillon
illustrated by Deborah N. Lattimore
When Sasha's only doll is shredded by the mice for a nest, Boxer, her loving grandfather, makes her a thumbling doll of wood. She paints it to look like a little mother, a matrioshka. Soon they find they must protect the doll from thieving mice, a rat, a playful cat, and even the Tsar's calvary. The story begins: Boxer the boxmaker and Sasha, his granddaughter, lived and worked in their boxmaking shop on a busy street in old Moscow. Boxer built the boxes. Sasha painted them.
Publishers Weekly: Dillon crafts an imaginative and touching story about the origin of matrioshkas, Russian nesting dolls. What may be most striking, however, are the insight and nuance Dillon brings to the relationship between Boxer and Sasha. Teaching interplay reveals their joy in each other's company . . A most satisfying tale." Kirkus: "A delightful tale destined to delight readers and collectors . . ." Las Vegas Senior Press: "Children . . . are sure to make this book a must-read bedtime tale."