Baba Yaga is the stuff of nightmares for Slavic children all over the world. Reputed for eating children and wrecking havoc on those who encounter her, Baba Yaga also has her maternal side and cares deeply about the wildlife that lives in her forest. More than anything, though, Baba Yaga is a trickster who enjoys creating challenges that require clever and entertaining thinking.
Masha's mother died when Masha was very young, and her father became very distant, unable to cope with the loss of his wife. She was raised by her grandmother, who told her fantastical stories of Baba Yaga and her personal interactions with the old crone. Masha fully believes that Baba Yaga lurks around their neighborhood. Her grandmother also passed away, leaving Masha alone with her absent father.
Now her father has plans to remarry, and Masha will get a little sister, Dani, who is a holy terror and who shares Masha's anger at this new relationship. Having read an advertisement in the newspaper seeking a new assistant for Baba Yaga, and convinced she would be better off abandoning this family that doesn't really care for her, Masha takes off and heads into the forest, looking for the crone.
Finding Baba Yaga and her house on chicken feet, Masha must complete a practical exam where she is challenged to complete activities that require quick thinking. Thankfully, Masha remembers all of the stories her grandmother told her, and she's able to use them to assist her in meeting these challenges. But when Dani arrives, having been captured by Baba Yaga and on the menu for the next meal, Masha will need to devise a clever way to thwart the crone's designs.
Beautifully illustrated and quick paced, Baba Yaga's Assistant presents a new take on an old tale and brings Baba Yaga's environment to life. Fans of graphic novels will appreciate both the plot and the quality of the drawings.
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