School Library Journal, 2004
A simple retelling of the classic Russian folktale. This version features Grandie, his wife Grannie, their granddaughter Annie, Ruffie the dog, Meowsie the cat, and Squeakie the mouse. The short sentences, one per page, make it a suitable selection for the youngest listeners. The illustrations are humorous and have lots of appeal. The artwork blends an old-fashioned, folk-art quality with modern details (the grandfather wears sneakers) and amusing touches (Squeakie has a shock of red hair, black glasses, and carries a book). The text is presented on strips of white in a collagelike fashion over the double-page paintings. Each picture vibrates with movement, whether it is from an extreme close-up of Grandie or from the exuberance the characters show for getting the turnip out of the ground. With its fresh look and accessible language, this tale will be popular for storytime and one-on-one sharing.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
 

Booklist - May, 2004
The familiar folktale about a turnip and teamwork gets a humorous treatment from an author and an illustrator from Russia, the place where the tale originated. The story doesn't deviate much from other versions. Grandie plants a turnip that grows to be huge. To pull it out of the ground, he needs the help of Grannie and granddaughter Annie, the dog, the cat, and finally the little mouse, who makes the difference. The text could have used some embellishment, but the delightful artwork adds dimension to the story. The family members-human and otherwise-are the focus here. They have a hint of cartoon in them, but the art is more sophisticated than the usual comics-style drawings. Rich colors and a slightly textured background add appeal. For larger collections or those needing a new rendition of an old favorite. -Ilene Cooper.
 

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - May, 2004
Grandie lives with his wife, Grannie, and their granddaughter, Annie. One day Grandie plants a turnip seed in his backyard garden, and folktale-experienced au­diences will guess what happens then. Zunshine's retelling of this well-known Russian folktale about the recalcitrant vegetable is fairly standard; the accumula­tion of events leading to the giant turnip's finally being pulled out of the ground follows the usual progression of the old man pulling the turnip, the old woman pulling the old man, the young girl pulling the old woman, etc. The most notable difference here is the cutely predictable but still preschool-funny names given to the animal characters: Ruffie the dog, Meowsie the cat, and Squeakie the mouse. What makes this variant really worth a second look, however. are Antonenkov's story time-friendly illustrations: the pictures are large and the action is easy to follow, especially for small listening groups. The paintings (watercolor over black line drawing) are infused with a glaze-like intensity that adds a richness of tone to the images. The elongated human figures and amusingly ludicrous animal observ­ers are drafted in exaggerated but confident lines that add subtlety to the slapstick activities. Readers-aloud willing to make the animals' names reflect their animal voices will soon have listeners ruffing. meowing, and squeaking along. JMD.
 

Columbus Dispatch- June, 2004
In her first book for children, Columbus author Tatiana Zunshine tells a simple story about patience, teamwork and persistence – traits that have helped her succeed.

A Little Story About a Big Turnip, released earlier this year, and her Pumpkin House Press represent the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. In 1987, Zunshine immigrated with her then-husband to the United States from the Soviet Union after a long struggle with authorities. He had spent three years in a labor camp after being accused of anti-Soviet propaganda. She had launched an international campaign to free him. When they were permitted to leave, they had three days’ notice. They were forced to abandon their belongings, except what fit in two suitcases; they had very little money. We came to this country to start fresh, to start a new life,” Zunshine said. “I wanted to do something creative, something that I always wanted to do and didn’t have a chance in Russia: publish children’s books.”

In June 2002, Pumpkin House Press was born with a mission of offer multicultural books for the young. Her specialty is to translate well-known Russian stories. “The whole idea is to take the best of Russian literature and introduce it to American children,” said Zunshine, who has a 14-year-old son.

A Little Story About a Big Turnip updates a traditional folktale. “It’s something that everybody in Russia knows,” she explained. The plot: A grandfather plants a turnip that grows enormous. To pull the vegetable from the earth, he solicits the help of his extended family – including the dog, cat, and mouse.

Her version is unique, Zunshine said, because of the illustrations by Russian artist Evgeny Antonenkov. She described the style as “a not-so-traditional combination of a serious story and funny pictures. This has never been illustrated like that.”

This month, Borders is promoting the book in stores nationwide as part of the “New Picture Books” display. The release “is doing very well, and I know that a lot of the stores are using it in their story times this month,” said Rae Witfield of the Borders Group. “It’s a classic redone in a fun way; that is always popular. The illustrations are charming and eye-catching.”

Zunshine hopes to appeal to families of all backgrounds. “If a child is laughing,” she said, “you can tell there is no boundary between cultures.”