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Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola
Looking for a place to belong, a clever girl bargains her way into the service of a witch from the old tales—and discovers that courage takes many forms. Baba Yaga's Assistant is a charming, spooky-just-right graphic novel about wit, kindness, and finding your own magic.
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In Baba Yaga's Assistant, did you enjoy ...
... Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga bargains, and a clever girl navigating witchly trials?
The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
If Masha winning Baba Yaga’s tests with stories and wits hooked you—the chicken-legged hut, skull lanterns, and perilous bargains—then you’ll love how Mary uncovers the truth about her strange guardian, Madame Z, in The Door by the Staircase. Like Masha, Mary faces oven-hot dangers, uncanny house spirits, and tricky rules, outsmarting a hungry witch to carve out her own fate.
... a prickly witch taking on a sharp, determined apprentice?
The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol
You enjoyed Masha stepping into Baba Yaga’s hut and proving herself task by task. In The Apprentice Witch, Arianwyn is posted to a small town where she must earn her place as a real witch—decoding glyphs, confronting shadow-creatures, and learning under stern oversight much like Masha sparring with Baba Yaga’s expectations. The push–pull of guidance and testing will feel wonderfully familiar.
... a brave girl using wit to complete eerie, high-stakes tasks to save others?
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Masha’s cool-headed problem-solving in Baba Yaga’s house—taking on impossible chores and slippery bargains—mirrors Coraline Jones’s battle with the Other Mother in Coraline. Button eyes, a sarcastic cat, and a series of deadly games stand between Coraline and the children she rescues, much like Masha outwits a child-eating witch to protect the innocent.
... a young heroine forging her own path through dangerous magic and hard choices?
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
If you connected with Masha finding her courage and purpose through Baba Yaga’s trials, The Girl Who Drank the Moon offers another luminous coming-of-age. Luna, raised by the witch Xan with Glerk and tiny dragon Fyrian, must master surging magic and face the truth behind her town’s sacrifices—choosing compassion and bravery the way Masha does when she risks everything for a child.
... finding a new, chosen family after loss amid gentle, everyday magic?
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
Masha’s journey isn’t just trials; it’s about building a home after grief, shaped by the stories her grandmother left her. In The Tea Dragon Society, Greta befriends Hesekiel, Erik, and their tender tea dragons, nurturing bonds that become a real family. The quiet magic, craft, and care echo the heart beneath Masha’s time in Baba Yaga’s hut.
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