How Mama Brought the Spring by Fran Manushkin

This book is topical on two counts at the moment.

• The first is obvious-- after a few lingering grunts, winter seems to be on the way out at last.

• The second is that this book, originally published as Grandmama Brings the Spring to Minsk, is set in Belarus, where they breed Olympic shot-putters nearly as good as Valerie Vili and we have the chance to see them on television.

There isn't a lot of junior level material available about Belarus.

The story here is told by a Belarussian migrant mother to her Chicago-born daughter, and Holly Berry's illustrations capture the atmosphere of the Minsk kitchen where Grandmama is making her magic recipe, the one that always causes the snow to melt and the spring to arrive. Present day Chicago is just as snowbound, and the mother and daughter decide that the magic recipe is needed here too. The recipe, for cheese blintzes, is included in the book. It is simple and easy to follow (haven't you been wondering what caused spring to finally come?)

This is an attractive little book that gives an insight into a country that I, at any rate, know very little about.

Reviewed by Cecily

Published by Dutton Children's Books

See a list of picture books about children from other cultures that we have available at National Library