“Goodbye Anna,” said Nikolai, and he kissed her forehead. “Keep your sisters safe inside you and may you find a happy home.”

So begins the journey of matryoshka sisters Nina, Nadia, Vanda, Varka, Olga, and Anna, from a village in Russia to a toy store in America. But once there, the littlest sister, Nina, is swept off the edge of the shelf. While her older sisters find their way into the hands of a caring new owner, Nina begins a perilous journey that takes her from the street in front of the toy store, down waterfalls, rivers and streams. How will Nina ever be reunited with her sisters? This tender, old-fashioned story is a testament to the power of sisterly love and a celebration of matryoshkas, the cherished Russian nesting dolls.

Corinne Demas Bliss is the author of several books for children, including Matthew’s Meadow. Ms. Bliss is a professor of English at Mount Holyoke College, and lives with her family in western Massachusetts.

Kathryn Brown has illustrated several children’s books, including Tough Boris by Mem Fox (an ALA Notable Book). Ms. Brown lives in Massachusetts.