PETER AND THE BLUE WITCH BABY: A Russian Folktale
by Robert D. San Souci
Illustrated by Alexi Natchev
Bantam Doubleday / Random House, 2000
[AGES 4-8] hardcover
Reading Level: 2.9
ISBN: 0-385-32269-0
Price: $15.95/$23.95 Can.
GLB ISBN: 0-385-90002-3
GLB Price: $17.99/$27.99 Can.
Trim Size: 8 3/8 x 10 7/8
Pages 32 Spine Size: 10/32 Carton Count: 24
Format: Hc Picture Book Imprint: Doubleday
Publishing History: Original
Category: Folktales/Russia/witches
Author's Home: San Francisco
Setting: Russia
Territory: World
British & Translation: RHCB
Performance (Text): Barbara Kouts
All Other Rights: RHCB
EAN: 9-780385 322690 51595
GLB EAN: 9 780385 900027 51799

An evil witch wants to destroy kindhearted Tsar Peter in this magical Russian folktale.

Long, long ago, liked a handsome young tsar named Peter. When he decided to marry, he rejected the beautiful Molnya because of her cold, hungry eyes. But Molnya was really a witch, and she put a curse on Peter: "When you find your hoped-for-birde, your ruin will be at hand."

When Peter goes off to marry the Little Sister of the Sun, Molnya disguises herself as a baby and gets taken into the tsar's castle. The "baby" soon grows to a monstrous size, destroying everything in sight, and Peter must hurry home to save his kingdom. With the help of three friendly giants and a little mouse, Peter escapes the giant witch-baby and lives to marry the Little Sister of the Sun and rule wisely and well.

Robert D. San Souci's popular retellings of folktales include the Caldecott Honor-winning THE TALKING EGGS and, for Doubleday, THE HOBYAHS.