You have to answer this question for yourself: "How do you want to live this life—interestingly and with adventure, or by sleeping soundly through the nights?"
Fourth-grader Chernichka chooses the former and invites you to spend the summer with her. And she has had quite an extraordinary vacation!
Chernichka's entire family, all five wonderful people, are waiting to move into their new home, but the housewarming is unexpectedly delayed, and they have to leave their previous home too, so for the next few months, the family will have to nomadize between other people's apartments. But no one intends to be sad about it—on the contrary, everyone wants to make this vacation the brightest and most unforgettable one yet!
First, we’ll head to one summer house, then we’ll dash off to Riga, then we’ll return to another summer house; we’ll travel by car, live in comfortable conditions, not quarrel, be friends, laugh, and definitely not pine away without a roof over our heads.
If the word "dacha" makes you think of garden beds, no hot water, and an outhouse, let me tell you right away that in this book, the author leaves those stereotypes by the wayside. Here, the dacha means hammocks, ping-pong, bikes, wildflowers, watermelon in the fresh air, freshly mown grass, toasted marshmallows over a campfire, and even a summer-house settlement library with a magnificent collection of antique books! By the way, the popular current trope of "children left in the wilderness without internet and discovering that life is buzzing all around" isn't pushed here. The children are just fine with the internet and everything else. They are such happy children. And happy adults. Several adults even fall in love here and become couples.
And besides the dacha, there’s Riga! Oh, that's just amazing: the sea, a cool apartment, and most importantly—participating in the launch of a bakery with the most delicious and aromatic pies. But for the opening of the bakery to happen, the characters, and us along with them, will have to take part in a quest: find seasonings and kitchen utensils, test recipes from a cookbook, set out mosaic tables on the terrace, and track down a pest.
And there are pets at every turn: a cat, dogs, a talking parrot, a lizard, the family's favorite cactus, violets in pots... All the hallmarks of a happy childhood are right here!
"Chernichka" is a very bright, carefree, sunny book, full of light, air, and aromas. The author writes freely and wittily, the plot is original and well-developed, the characters are vivid, and the stylish illustrations are just stunning! They are as light and sparkling as the text itself.
The edition itself is magnificent: excellent printing, white paper, large font (which is typical for all books from "Five Quarters" publishing house).
We recommend "Chernichka" by Natalya Vishnyakova for primary school-aged children. It can be for independent reading or for reading together.
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