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A Perfect Pork Stew
A cranky and hungry Baba Yaga is outwitted by Ivan the Fool, who is anything but, in an original picture book by the illustrator of Too Quiet for These Old Bones.
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Paul Brett Johnson
28 books6 followersPaul Brett was a painter and children’s book writer/illustrator who grew up in the small town of Mousie, Kentucky, in Knott County. He was asked once in an interview to locate Mousie. He said: “Mousie is over there around Onion Blade, Dismal, Possum Trot, Sassafras, and Right and Left Beaver. But, if you haven’t been to Knott County, you may not be able to locate those places, either.”
That response was quintessential Paul Brett Johnson, a man of deep humor, good will, and immense artistic talent who honored his mountain upbringing in his work. Because he showed talent as a young child, his parents secured art lessons for him, and he made drawing and painting his life’s work.
After nearly a decade of trying to break through in the children’s book market, he finally saw success in 1993 with the release of The Cow Who Wouldn’t Come Down, a School Library Journal Best Book, an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, and one of the New York Public Library's "One Hundred Books for Reading and Sharing." He eventually produced two companion books of these funny, outrageous tales of a farm woman and her adventurous animals, The Goose Who Went Off in a Huff, and The Pig Who Ran a Red Light. His art was whimsical, colorful, and full of motion that delighted children and adults alike. He was most fond of giving animals a sly (and hilarious) sense of humor and keen intelligence—traits that often matched his own. Eventually he wrote and illustrated over 20 books for children and served as illustrator for several other children’s book writers including George Ella Lyon, James Still, and Margaret Hodges.
That response was quintessential Paul Brett Johnson, a man of deep humor, good will, and immense artistic talent who honored his mountain upbringing in his work. Because he showed talent as a young child, his parents secured art lessons for him, and he made drawing and painting his life’s work.
After nearly a decade of trying to break through in the children’s book market, he finally saw success in 1993 with the release of The Cow Who Wouldn’t Come Down, a School Library Journal Best Book, an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, and one of the New York Public Library's "One Hundred Books for Reading and Sharing." He eventually produced two companion books of these funny, outrageous tales of a farm woman and her adventurous animals, The Goose Who Went Off in a Huff, and The Pig Who Ran a Red Light. His art was whimsical, colorful, and full of motion that delighted children and adults alike. He was most fond of giving animals a sly (and hilarious) sense of humor and keen intelligence—traits that often matched his own. Eventually he wrote and illustrated over 20 books for children and served as illustrator for several other children’s book writers including George Ella Lyon, James Still, and Margaret Hodges.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 15, 2021
A fun retelling of a Russian story of Baba Yaga and Ivan the Fool . . . nice!
February 27, 2016
This fairy tale was recommended from our history curricula (Story of the World) after we talked about Russia. It's a fairy tale I've never heard before, which is always nice after the 5000 variations on Cinderella. The illustration style isn't really my favorite, but at the same time it works for the story and is playful.
July 24, 2010
A great book to have students make predictions about. A kind of "circle story" kind of ends the way it begins - good model for writing a circle story. Surprises you in the end. However, the writing at the beginning was very simple. It improved throughout the book.
July 7, 2012
This is a humorous and entertaining tale about Baba Yaga and Ivan the fool. The story is an original one, but incorporates elements of classic Russian fairy tales. Overall, we thought this was a fun story to read aloud and we enjoyed reading it together.
October 11, 2014
A clever, humorous take on traditional Russian folk tales.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews