Baboushka and the Three Kings

by Ruth Robbins, illustrated by Nicholas

  Sidjakov

Read November 4th, 2008

I had heard of this tale before we read this story.  Baboushka is a hardworking old woman living a meager lifestyle.  Suddenly three kings show up at her door.  They are searching for a newborn baby to bring gifts to Him, but they have lost their way.  Baboushka offers them the comfort of her warm hearth and meager food offerings, but the kings ar urgent.  They need to find this baby now.  They invite Baboushka to join them, but she declines, thinking the journey would be better in the morning.

The kings leave without her, but Baboushka cannot stop thinking about this baby and has an overwhemling urge to go and bring whatever meager gifts she can find to Him.  She packs a small bag and sets off wandering from house to house, from town to town, searching for the new baby.  She never finds Him, but every year on the day of his birth she is said to wander the towns and houses and leave small gifts for the children.

This book won the Caldecott Medal in 1961.  It has very unique artwork.  I can't really even describe it.  It's like line drawings with allover colorwash.  Very simple colors, in fact I think only primary colors are used.