Gamayun Tales I: An Anthology of Modern Russian Folk Tales (Gamayun Tales #1)

Epic battles, unknowing bargains, and capricious spirits feature in Utkin’s modern take on Russian folklore. Narrated in three sections by Gamayun, “a magical human-faced bird from Slavic mythology,” the telescoping story revolves around the King of the Birds, an unwitting merchant, and a water spirit. After the merchant saves the King of the Birds, he runs afoul of the spirit, a precipitating action that cascades consequences onto his own child and the spirit’s shape-shifting daughter. Straightforward dialogue fits the stories’ retellings (“for 30 years, they lived in harmony and shared every crumb”), but the real star is Utkin’s breathtaking visuals, in which chalky textures and vibrant tones of mustard, ruby, and cerulean create striking moments: avian and terrestrial beasts do battle, a furry house spirit tends to his work, an enchanted son wanders mindlessly. Useful front matter identifies included characters. Ages 10–14. [em](Mar.) [/em]