Leonid Yakhnin

Leonid Yakhnin. Igogo, or a Journey with a Talking Horse

Leonid Yakhnin. The Singing Tree

About the author:
‘This story by Leonid Yakhnin is for not-so-young children, as well as their mothers and fathers. It’s not the most cheerful of stories, yet at the same time it is not too sad – perhaps it is a reflection of how life should be. […] After all, the most important thing in life is to be needed, whoever or whatever you are. The characters in Yakhnin’s story are united in their search for the mysterious Singing Tree. This tree looks like any other, yet a violin made of its wood will sing all by itself. Among other places, their search brings them to a city which has never known a single evil inhabitant and whose people have decided to elect their own villain once every three years. What else did our friends see on their travels? Did they find what they were looking for? Read The Singing Tree and find out!
The illustrations by Andrei Martynov are worthy of separate praise: mass-produced Disney-style cliché has finally been replaced by splendid, truly artistic illustrations.’
Olga Dunayevskaya, Moscow News.