GENRE: *Diverse, Character Driven, SEL
WORDS: 542
Query:
Dear PB Party-er,
Thank you for taking the time to read MASHA MATRYOSHKA, a 542-word picture book. In MASHA MATRYOSHKA, Masha, a recent Russian immigrant wants to fit in, so she changes her name, the way she dresses and what she eats, hiding parts of herself away like a matryoshka, a Russian nesting doll. When her secrets become too heavy to carry, Masha needs to find a way to free the parts of herself that she keeps hidden.
MASHA MATRYOSHKA is similar to Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan and Sophie Blackall (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2010), and Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin (Neal Porter Books, 2021) in that it explores the immigrant experience of wanting to fit in. It also shares SEL themes of shame and self-acceptance like I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith (Neal Porter Books, 2020) and Laxmi’s Mooch by Shelly Anand and Nabi H. Ali (Kokila, 2021).
I was born in Russia and immigrated to America in 1980 during the cold war when many Americans considered Russia the evil empire. I found it difficult to admit to being Russian. History seems to be repeating itself today. In Russia, voices are silenced that are different. When I moved to America, I silenced my own voice to fit in, I hope MASHA MATRYOSHKA will help other children dare to celebrate all the pieces of themselves.
My debut picture book YOGAGIRL will be published in 2024 with Clear Fork Publishing. I am a mom of three and created https://www.facebook.com/MothersYoudLikeToFriend as an antidote to the struggles of motherhood and made more than 12 million mom friends laugh. I’ve been featured on the Today Show and my writing has been published in Shondaland, The Huffington Post, sheknows.com, allparenting.com, and mommyish.com. I am a graduate of The Children’s Book Academy and a member of SCBWI and 12×12.
I have additional picture book manuscripts available upon request.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Excerpt:
When we move to America I can’t bring much,
but I pack my favorite matryoshka doll.
She looks like one girl on the outside,
but hidden inside are many different girls.
Standing in a new classroom makes me want to pick my nails.
“Hi, I’m Masha.”
“Marsha?”
“Masha.”
Someone snickers.
The teacher calls on “Marsha.”
I figure I should answer.
To fit in, I hide “Masha” away deep inside myself.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
When I moved from Russia to America as a child during the Cold War, I was teased for being Russian. When my family moved I changed my name from Masha to Marsha to fit in. I was embarrassed about my heritage and culture and it wasn’t until after COLLEGE, when I finally reclaimed my name and admitted to my friends that I was born in Russia. It was hard lying all those years and carrying those secrets around felt like a burden. I was inspired to tell this story so that kids and parents can begin conversations about identity.
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