A free copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This picture book tells the story of terrier, Gina, who is snuck out of Siberia by her Russian family as they emigrate to New York. Along the way she has many adventures including being disguised as a baby to avoid detection on her travels.
I really liked this story. Gina is a lovely character and writing this book from the point of view of a dog is a lovely way for children to understand what being displaced or moving to a different country is like, especially as Gina does not initially adapt very well to life in New York, missing the familiar smells and friends she had in Siberia. This is a very well told story and I really liked the illustrations too. The only issue I found was in formatting the picture book elements to a kindle version as the illustrations and the text didn't always match up correctly.
A lovely story about moving away to an unfamiliar place. I can really see this book working well in explaining what moving country is like to young children. 4.5 stars.

This is a captivating story, particularly for dog lovers!! Gina's adventures will spark the imagination of readers everywhere.

I had the chance to read a preview copy of the book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This was a cute story. It was told from the perspective of Gina the dog of the family's emigration.
I loved the illustrations.

Cute story, but the writing is dry. There are too many lists of names and words, which young readers will skip right over, rather than focusing on more descriptive/ figurative language. It was okay, but not the best immigration story. The idea and premise are great, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

4 - A delightfully bittersweet book that captures the lonesome feeling of leaving home.

As a Russian immigrant to the United States, I resonated with this book deeply. Gina's experience was so similar to my own that I felt tears well up at certain points of the story (the bit about being tired of being lonely hit me the hardest). The illustrations are beautiful and are tinged with a Soviet cartoon nostalgia. I was concerned at first that the book would be a criticism of Russia or a highlight of how the U.S. is better, but instead it highlights how much Gina loved her her home, and how difficult it was to leave. In fact, it makes the point that neither country is better - just different.

I also appreciated how the "parents" were described as constantly making sacrifices for Gina and their children. There are two sections where Gina is describing all of the unique people she saw, the food she got to try, and the things she got to experience. In these sections, mama and papa are seen wiping their tears. I immigrated as a child, so this depiction gave me goosebumps. My parents sacrificed to so much. Every time I have a new experience, I remember that my enjoyment of it rests on my parents' sacrifice.

Another section I appreciated was when Gina sent a letter to her friend, Gaidar. On my first night in California, I was so broken with loneliness that I stayed up all night writing letters to my friends. Gina marked her letter with a pawprint; I marked mine with my tears. I wanted nothing more than to be home, where the snow would soon be falling, a blanket of white descending onto tall pine trees and birches. Gina's letter to Gaidar paralleled my own experience perfectly and broke my heart.

Finally, I appreciated all the tiny details in the illustrations. I loved how their apartment was completely empty at first, but little by little it began to fill up with books and the mother was seen drinking tea. This is so emblematic of Russian culture (we love our books and tea) and it made me smile.

The only reason I did not give it five stars is because I did feel that the book perpetuated some cultural stereotypes - for example, that it snows in Siberia year round (it doesn't). Also, Gina seems to be unfamiliar with radiators, implying that Russians don't have them (we do).

Overall, I think this is a beautiful book and would highly recommend it to anyone.

This book is based on a true story. Gina is a small terrier who lives with her family in Siberia. The family decides to move to the United States. Gina is concerned that she’ll get left behind. But her family has no intention of leaving her behind. As a matter of fact, when they found out that dogs weren’t allowed on the train, they dressed her up like a baby in disguise and smuggled her on the train. Once in New York, it’s a bit of a struggle for Gina to adjust. But once Gina meets other friendly dogs, she begins to see she can be happy in America too. Besides, she is with the people who love her.

I love the illustrations in this book. They are very detailed and realistic. It’s interesting to note the differences between the pictures of the family while they were still in Siberia (eating dinner as a family and being outside in the snow) and then in New York (fire escapes and rooms with radiators).

The story line is interesting and unique. Kids will enjoy the part where they smuggled Gina on the train and where she met a friendly dog in New York who scrounged for pizza so Gina could experience the tasty foods from the streets of New York. I love that they included a picture and a paragraph about the real family that immigrated at the end of the book.

I received an ARC copy from net galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a cute story of immigration from a dog's-eye-view. Gina the dog and her family make a long and scary journey from Siberia to New York in 1978, and Gina learns to make new friends and find things to like about her new home, even though she misses her old life too.

The illustrations are lovely, and kids will be able to relate to Gina's feelings as they face the uncertainties of a new school, new group of friends, or move to a new country.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Gina From Siberia by Jane Bernstein and Charlotte Glynn is the beautifully illustrated story of a dog who embarks on a move with her family from Siberia to New York. This is a pertinent tale that explores the immigrant experience through the eyes of Gina, who does not have a voice in such life-altering decisions, reflecting a child's experience of moving to a new country, where all is new and unfamiliar, while still longing for all that is left behind. This is a truly touching story that is brought to life through glorious illustrations. I was interested to learn that this story was inspired by true events. I am confident that this is a book that will be enjoyed by all ages, and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Animal Media Group for this ARC.

This is an absolutely delightful picture book telling the true story of a little wire terrier named Gina who immigrated with her family to America from Russia in the 1970's. It does a wonderful job of showing what a child (or dog, in this case) might miss about home and how it feels to be new in a new land. There are funny details, like the true fact that the family wrapped the dog up like a baby to smuggle her on the train (no dogs were allowed and they wouldn't leave her).

I love the writing in this story, like the line about the apartment they lived in back home with "a laundry pile deep as a snow drift" and how the little dog "decided to stay unhappy forever" at the thought of leaving her beloved home and friends.

As a child who moved every year of my own childhood, I related quite well to Gina. The book does a wonderful job of showing how hard it is to leave but also how you come to make new friends and find new things to love in your new home. The illustrations are also just wonderful, and show a whimsical depiction of New York City in 1978. This is one of my favorite new picture books that I've read in a long time.

My rating system:

1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

I really enjoyed this story it was a lovely book and even more special to find out that it was based on a true story!

I thought that the images were lovely and the author had a really nice writing style that gave the story a lovely flow. The book is about a dog named Gina who moves with her human family from Siberia to New York, it is a really nice story about the normal fears everyone has of moving to a very new place and the unknown, which can be very daunting. It would be perfect for a young child going through the same thing.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed the story – highly recommended and a genuinely heart-warming story!

This is a heartwarming story of Gina a wire hair terrier from Siberia. This is based on a true story of a family who came to the US from Siberia. Gina loved her family in Siberia and they loved her. She enjoyed her home and place to sleep. One day the family says they are moving to the US. Gina will go with them but she is scared of leaving her home in Siberia. Gina and the family have adventures coming from Siberia to the US New York City. Gina has a hard time fitting in because New York is so busy. It goes on from there but I found it to be a wonderful story of a dog and her family and the love for her so much to get her to the US. I recommend this book to any animal lover and children 4+.

Based on true events, this is an interesting story, accompanied by lovely illustrations. At times though it felt that the author tried to pack too much into the story. Personally, I would have appreciated a stronger focus on the actual journey. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that the book will be appreciated not only by dog lovers but also young readers who are having mixed feelings about moving to a new place, settling down and making new friends.

Gina from Siberia endures a journey from her beloved snowy homeland to overwhelming New York City where her family hopes to build a better life.

In the winter of 1978, the family of a miniature wire-haired fox terrier set out hoping to make a better life for themselves. Gina From Siberia is based on the true story of the Backer family’s emigration from Russia. With their two children and a dog in tow, Mila and Joseph Backer traveled over land and sea by car, minivan, and bus, by train and by plane.

Travels hit a snag at an Austrian train station where a sign proclaiming “HUNDE VERBOTEN!” hung next to the ticket window. The ticket seller made it clear that Gina was one such prohibited dog and unwelcome on the train to Rome. The family wouldn’t leave Gina, so Mila devised a plan. She wrapped Gina in baby Danny’s items and boarded the train. The train conductors walked the aisles punching tickets, and after a cursory glance at the bundle, muttered that Gina was an ugly Russian baby and moved on. New York greets Gina, the titular terrier, with an onslaught of foreign sensory stimuli: sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and rumbling streets under her paws.

Anna Desnitskaya’s illustrations are visually stunning and deserving of strong praise in their own right. The book’s fifty-six pages, lengthy for the category, showcase Denitskaya’s attention to detail. The charm of her artwork is visible in her incredible attention to detail: shadowing, splendid background scenery, signage with location-accurate language, intricately patterned fabrics and textiles, period clothing, adverts for 1978-ish films, Coca-Cola banners above a bodega, a Wilson sports duffel on the basketball court. The simple comic style interactions that help tell the story between illustrations are endearing. Gina’s body language and the human expressions portray such character and emotion. The double spreads are beautiful, and for some reason, I was quite taken with matryoshka dolls.

The Backer family began their Cold War era journey as Russians, but ended it as residents of the United States and seven years later, became proud American citizens. A photograph of the Gina, Joseph, and Paul, some additional information, and a note that for that train ride, Gina truly was dressed as a baby to avoid being separated follow the story. While this fifty-six page picture book is notably longer than the typical thirty-two, Jane Bernstein and Charlotte Glynn succeeded in authoring a book I hoped wouldn’t end. (I’d have followed their journey for another 5,681 or 5,682 miles.) I found myself enamored with Gina, fervently wishing for her happiness and admired the dog-like loyalty demonstrated by the Backers in getting Gina to New York.

This book is worthy of a sixth star and is most deserving of the slot it occupies on my bookshelf. Every once in a while, I find myself drawn to a painting, a book leaves its imprint, or I hear a song that strikes a chord with me. Gina From Siberia is one such piece of work.

Thanks to Animal Media Group and NetGalley for the provided e-ARC and the opportunity to read this book. My review is honest, unbiased, and voluntary. #NetGalley #GinaFromSiberia

[First impressions/initial ideas for potential in classroom lesson or unit planning: climate, emotions, geopolitics and the Cold War, cultural diversity, compare/contrast, adjectives, math, units of measurement, and geography.]

This is a darling book, especially designed for littles who are making and facing big changes in their lives. Having taught middle grades ESOL for many years, I can easily imagine reading this to my reticent students or to recent arrivals who felt lost. While I am no longer teaching that grade level, there is still much to learn from Gina's adventures, and the follow up at the end, the truth behind the fiction, that enriches the story enough that non-immigrant children can learn an equally-valuable lesson about life and choices that are sometimes beyond our control. Plus, the art ain't half bad either!

I want to thank #netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to review. #GinaFromSiberia is a true story about a little dog that has to travel far from home. She loves her home in Siberia with her family and all the snow. When they say they have to leave Gina is worried that she won't like the new place and has some insecurities about if her family will leave her behind. I do think that the story dragged on a bit in places (which is hard to do in a picture book) All in all, a cute story that I would recommend to my students, but not one that I would return to a second time.

This is a really sweet book about moving to a new country and starting over. The illustrations really capture the feel of the story. Just because something is new and different, doesn't mean it can't end up good.

Gina from Siberia
By Jane Bernstein, and Charlotte Glynn
Illustrations by Anna Desnitskaya

If a book is published by Animal Media, I know it will be moving and I will be captured by the story. So it is with “Gina from Siberia.” Gina, a miniature wire-haired fox terrier, lives a comfortable life with her family and friends in Siberia. When she learns they are moving to America, she is very sad, but she learns her family truly loves her when she is wrapped up like a child on the long trip. (Although the train conductor mutters that she is an “ugly Russian baby.”) When Gina arrives in NYC, she learns about new foods and new human and dog friends.

We learn that Gina’s story is based on a true event from 1978, when the Backer family left Russia and moved to NYC. (The late 1970s was a different time from today. Russia was the Soviet Union and it was forced by different international forces to allow certain of its citizens, including long persecuted Jews, to leave and move to other countries.)

Transportation also had different security requirements then, and Gina really could have passed as a child. How do I know this? My mother passed her miniature schnauzer off as an “ugly child” on an airplane trip from upstate NY to NYC during the same time period.

“Gina From Siberia” is a very charming, very moving story, with wonderful, poignant illustrations that should be available as wall art. It is a book that will enchant both children and adults.

(In return for an honest review, I was provided a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.)

I loved the art, and the specificity of place was excellent. All the idiosyncratic touches of a Russian household of a certain era were present, and it effortlessly expands the world. The story is delightful.

Simple introduction to life in Siberia from a dog's perspective. It would be a nice way to introduce the topic of culture/life differences to children. Would consider using if I taught kids in the US.

I was hoping this would be a bit longer but it was a delightful, quick read, following the true story of one family's journey to the US for a better life. The part that makes it so much fun is that its told from the perspective of the dog, Gina.
Accompanied by lovely little illustrations it makes for a sweet read that could help show children that change can be scary but it's also good to embrace and learn about new things, such as cultures.