Three Cheers for Catherine the Great!

The young narrator wonders how "nothing can be something" when her Russian grandmother asks for a birthday party with no presents. What gift will each of the residents of the apartment building bring? What preparations will Grandma make for the party? And what will Sara give to her Grandma? What present could come from deep within and be worthy of a no-present birthday? The happy sounds of Grandma's gypsy music provide background for this recording, punctuated by specific sounds of Grandma's neighbors and of the party: cries, ah's, operatic verses, barking. Ekaterina Gordeeva's gentle Russian accent underscores Grandma's heritage and, along with Russian phrases, adds authenticity. The opening scene's "alphabet moon," a "c" or an "s" depending on the language, reappears aurally and visually in a satisfying conclusion. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

August 25, 2003
"Three cheers indeed!," said PW in a starred review of this tale of Grandma Catherine's party, to which all the tenants of Sara's apartment building have been invited, with one caveat: that there be no presents. Sarah decides to study Grandma so she can think up the perfect "no present." Ages 4-8.