The story "Masha Is a Girl from Russia" is about a new student named Masha, who joins Miss Petkin's classroom. Her classmates are full of questions. With gentle encouragement, Masha stands up and begins to share the wonders of her homeland. Through lyrical, rhyming verse, Masha whisks the class on a magical journey across the vast and diverse landscapes of Russia-from the freezing beauty of Yakutsk to the sunny shores of Sochi. Along the way, she introduces them to Russian ballet, folklore, the poetry of Pushkin, and the dreamy paintings of Marc Chagall. She also reminds the class that while she may come from far away, the things that connect us are often stronger than the things that set us apart.