When young Masha gets lost in the woods, a friendly bear welcomes her into his home... only to insist she stay forever to keep his house tidy. Masha, however, has other plans. This illustrated chapter book retelling of an Russian folktale is available individually and as part of the Stories from around the World: 4 Tales of Persistence & Grit set. AGES: 6 to 10 AUTHOR: Lari Don was born in Chile, brought up in Scotland and now lives in Edinburgh, UK, with her family. Lari is a storyteller and award-winning children's author. She won the Canongate Prize in 2001 for her short stories. Her fiction is inspired by her love of myths, legends, and fables. Melanie Williamson paints her illustrations in a cosy studio in Manchester, UK and loves all things bright and quirky. She doesn't have a pet tiger, but her cat looks just like a snow leopard... and it can swim! SELLING POINTS: . Clever protagonist Masha's triumph over her big bad bear captor offers girl and boy readers a strong and relatable female role model. . Complex, exciting plots and immersive, full-colour artwork empower children who are just beginning to enjoy chapter books to grasp more advanced vocabulary and sentence structure. . Bright illustrations and the characters' silly speech bubbles are a delight throughout.