The Wise Doll

A version of a traditional Russian tale, this powerful picture book tells how Too-Nice is sent by her sisters, Horrid and Very-Horrid, to fetch them a toad from the house of the witch, Baba Yaga. Fortunately for Too-Nice she has a wise doll, given to her by her dead mother, to advise her how to complete the tasks the witch sets her. She not only escapes unscathed but the toad gobbles up her horrid sisters allowing her to stop being too nice and become 'Just About Right'.

Brown's dramatic, dark hued illustrations provide clues to the underlying meaning of this highly charged story. The Too Nice Child, the Horrid Child and Very Horrid Child seen in the witch's Many-Ways Mirror are, of course, the same child whose wise doll (internal good object) 'does the work' (of integration of the personality) as Too-Nice sleeps. Too-Nice can even begin to use Baba Yaga (the other symbolic mother in this story) creatively as she finally gazes unafraid into the witch's eyes which 'glowed like hot coals'. As with Where the Wild Things Are which famously addresses earlier developmental conflicts, children will also enjoy and understand this deeply satisfying and imaginative picture book.