By Judi Moreillon, Tucson, AZ
Michael Sampson participated in the 15th Annual Tucson Festival of Books in March 2024. He was a panelist for the “Every Word Counts: Authoring a Picturebook” session. After the panel, Michael introduced me to his wife Olena Kharchenko and their daughter, Michelle. We talked about their co-authored bilingual (English/Ukrainian) book The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom.
In March 2022, Michael, Olena, and the book’s illustrator, Polina Doroshenko, seized the moment and began co-creating The Story of Ukraine. People around the world were focused on Ukraine after the full Russian invasion, which occurred on February 24, 2022. The authors had a timely story to tell about Olena and Polina’s beloved homeland. By August, they released their book so that children and families around the world could learn about Olena and Polina’s fascinating nation.
The book includes information about the geography of Ukraine, its people, their history, national symbols, and cultural aspects such as food, dance, music, and notable people. Presented in the header of several pages, the centerpiece of the book, are the words of the Ukrainian national anthem, which had been forbidden by the Soviet government in 1922. The illustrations reinforce the meaning of the national anthem and show the pride Ukrainians feel in having the opportunity to sing their anthem under the current government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Inspiration
Michael, Olena and Polina were inspired to co-create this book so that children in the U.S. and around the world would learn more about Ukraine. Olena grew up in Dnipro, Ukraine, and Polina in Kyiv. At the time they conceived of the book, Michael was a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine, working outside the war zone in Warsaw. Hearing Ukraine’s national anthem at peace rallies was the inspiration that launched the story.
Creative Process
Co-creating The Story of Ukraine was the first time Michael and Olena collaborated on a book project. Olena took the lead in creating the book with Michael as editor and encourager. She shared this: “We placed the Ukrainian national anthem in the center of the book. We led up to the anthem in the first few pages sharing the rich, colorful, and brave history of the Ukrainian people. After the telling of the anthem, we share more about the geography, national symbols, food, and notable Ukrainians through history. The guiding principle was to combat Russian propaganda with the truth of this century’s old nation and our love of freedom.”
Polina Doroshenko created the illustrations from Spain where she continues to live as a refugee from the war. She said, “Our culture is deep and multifaceted, so for me it is about multiplying and layering. For the book The Story of Ukraine, I wanted to create illustrations that would be understandable to a child and would provide more metaphorical ‘keys’ for older viewers. Therefore, next to bright, simplified forms, we can see realistic contour drawings, and next to those historical fragments… fictional characters.”
Impact on Children
The authors and illustrator hope that young readers will understand the importance of freedom and democracy for today’s Ukrainian people. When children hear and learn about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the on-going battle to keep the country free and independent from Russia, they will understand that their fight for democracy is a struggle waged by real people who are seeking peace. They will realize Ukrainian children and families share many of the same values as the children and families in the U.S. and around the world who are reading this book.
Curriculum Connections
Similar to all national anthems, the Ukrainian anthem instills pride in the hearts of its people. Educators can guide students as they compare the U.S. national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” with Ukraine’s anthem. They can also compare anthems from other countries and use Google translate if translations are not available on the internet.
The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom is included in a Knowledge Quest blog post: “Understanding Ukraine’s Plight through Children’s Literature”.Other books annotated in the article are war-themed books, historical fiction, books celebrating Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian folk literature. All of the titles in Christie Kaaland’s article can help youth develop a greater understanding and empathy for Ukrainian people.
At the time of this post, the current invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022, is an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. Engaging with information about Ukraine at this time in history will likely raise young people’s awareness of the war. In response to children’s questions about how they can help Ukrainian children who are displaced or have been made refugees due to the war, educators can guide them to organizations like the Ukraine Children’s Action Project. Involving children in taking action to improve the lives of other children could be a highly impactful outcome of reading The Story of Ukraine and engaging in this inquiry into Ukrainian culture and current events.
About the Co-Authors and Illustrator
Michael Sampson taught kindergarten through fourth grade before meeting fellow literacy expert Bill Martin, Jr. at a conference in Tucson, Arizona, in 1978. They established a lifelong friendship and collaborated on many best-selling and award-winning books for children, including Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?, Armadillo Antics, Ten Little Squirrels, Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep!, Rainbow Bear and All Kinds of Kids. Sampson often speaks at schools, book festivals, and literacy conferences. Dr. Sampson is a Fulbright Scholar and a professor of literacy at St. John’s University in New York City.
Olena Kharchenko is from Dnipro, Ukraine. This is her first collaboration with Michael Sampson. She is a graduate of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. She lives in the United States with her husband and daughter. Since 2014, she has been actively volunteering in different projects to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression. Olena hopes that this book will help people around the world learn more about her motherland.
Polina Doroshenko is a Ukrainian artist. She graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv and currently teaches there in the Department of Graphic Arts. Polina’s illustrations were awarded the White Rawens Award, and were among the finalists of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2022. Polina has a 4-year-old daughter who is an inspiration in her art.
To learn more about Michael, Olena, and Polina’s book The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom as well as other books by Michael Sampson, visit his website.
Reference
Kaaland, C. (2024, March 26). Understanding Ukraine’s plight through children’s literature. Knowledge Quest Blog. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/understanding-ukraines-plight-through-childrens-literature
Authors’ Corner is a periodic profile feature in which authors discuss their writing process and the importance of school visits. Worlds of Words frequently hosts these authors for events in the collection. To find out when we are hosting an author, check out our events page. Journey through Worlds of Words during our open reading hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Themes: Judi Moreillon, Michael Sampson, Olena Kharchenko, Polina Doroshenko, Story of Ukraine
- Descriptors: Authors' Corner