As we’ve mentioned, our upcoming Kidlit book’s heroine is Vera, Michael’s surrogate grandma from Ukraine.

In our upcoming book, Vera likes to say, “In my country,” when she’s giving Bash and his friends lessons about Ukraine. She’s also a force for good, trying to help the town’s citizens get along better.

In real life, we often learn about Ukrainian culture by attending events with Vera’s family.

Last weekend, we went to a Ukrainian festival where local Ukrainians danced, sang and raised money for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey.

In the pictures we’re sharing today, you’ll see a lot of Ukrainian creativity. The flowers in the women’s hair  are Ukrainian made. So are the beautiful necklaces and embroidered shirts and skirts.

Featured in these photos is Tatiana, Vera’s daughter, and a leader in the Ukrainian community in Portland.

You can read a about Tatiana in this story by Lisa, published just after Russia invaded Ukraine: Portland Ukrainians’ Plea: Do Something

As we mentioned in an earlier blog, What Kids Will Learn about Ukraine from Our Upcoming Kids’ Book, we provide details about Vera’s life that show what she endured growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine. We learn about her strength and resilience–and why she’s a great leader as assistant mayor in the book.

We’re excited to say we now have a book cover, and we’re reading the book one more time before releasing it. We’re excited about the playful illustrations created by our artist, Heather Nichols. The illustration below depicts Vera, wearing a Ukrainian apron, chastising Mr. Anderson for smashing one of Bash’s favorite pieces of art at his school–a statue of a boy reading.

If you’re interested in obtaining a review copy of the book, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com

And don’t forget to watch Michael dedicate our last book to Vera:

Again, be sure to email us if you’d like a review copy of our upcoming book! We’ll be releasing the cover and title soon.