These tales were taken primarily by the writer from the collection of the great Russian folklorist A. N. Afanasiev; they were adapted so that children could easily read and understand them. This edition includes nine Russian folk tales retold by Platonov. All of them are full of wonders, beauty, mischief, and profound folk wisdom passed down from generation to generation. The tales in this edition are illustrated by the Soviet artist Igor Leonidovich Ushakov (1926–1989). The bright, dynamic illustrations fully reflect the charm and uniqueness of the fairy tale plots.
Andrei Platonovich Platonov (1899–1951) was a Soviet writer, poet, journalist, playwright, and engineer. He was born near Voronezh into a large family of a railway worker and a housewife. His real surname was Klimentov; Platonov is a creative pseudonym derived from his patronymic. In his childhood, the future writer attended a church parish school, and then graduated from a four-grade male school. The necessity to feed his younger brothers and sisters forced him to start working early. Alongside earning a living, the young man composed poems and stories, which he sent to magazines. In 1918, the writer entered Voronezh University, from which he soon transferred to a railway technical school. He was unable to complete his studies due to the Civil War: Platonov served as a front-line correspondent, assistant to a locomotive driver, and was even a shooter. He only managed to finish the technical school after the end of hostilities. Platonov wrote extensively, and soon his name became widely known among the literary figures of the first half of the 20th century. In 1920, he joined the Union of Proletarian Writers; around that time, his first book was published, followed by a series of other publications. The public reacted positively to Platonov's work, and he continued to write both prose and poetry. However, literature was not the only field of activity for the writer: he actively engaged in the electrification and hydropower of agriculture, managed construction projects, and developed various technical projects. Platonov went through the Great Patriotic War as a military journalist. He participated in battles multiple times, was nominated for an award, and later reflected his impressions of what he saw in his war stories. The war severely undermined his health. While suffering from serious illness, Platonov continued to write plays, film scripts, and stories. He paid special attention to adapting ancient folk tales for the youngest readers. In 1947, his "Bashkir Folk Tales" were published, and just three years later, the last book published during the author's lifetime—a collection of Russian tales titled "The Magic Ring"—was released.
