Buy Book "It’s a Quiet Night, My Astronaut" in Ukrainian

This is a Quiet Night, My Astronaut – a short story in the form of a children’s diary. The main character is a seven-year-old girl named Iya, who writes notes during the first ten days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The story contains details of Iya’s everyday life during the war, her worries, dreams, and convictions. Iya’s notes encompass a variety of emotions: from fear to confusion, from joy to despair. Young readers will learn how Iya’s life changes and who helps her to hold on during this difficult time when history repeats and changes forever. The book also features an imaginary astronaut who helps Iya to hold on. Iya’s diary starts on February 24 and continues until March 5, illustrating the first 10 days of the war.”

“I hesitated whether to write this book. After all, I live in the USA, and my relatives, father and mother, aunt and uncle, cousins, and friends all live in Ukraine. But I realized that we share these heavy feelings together. We, people, feel with our hearts when it is hard for someone close to us. I started writing my diary as if I were a seven-year-old girl because that is how I felt in my heart. My grandfather Yevhen Pichko’s diary, who wrote a poetic memoir-diary about the defense of Ukraine and World War II, served as an example for me,” said Oksana Lushchevska, the author of the book, a contemporary Ukrainian children’s writer.

“War is a complex topic for children’s literature. But for our children, it is not history, but a reality that they need to learn to endure. And books can help with this. What should books about war be like? In my opinion, they should be honest, very simple in narration, with many illustrations, strong characters, and hope. I hope that the girl Iya and the astronaut from Oksana Lushchevska’s book will become a support for many Ukrainian children,” said Svitlana Paveletska, co-founder of the publishing house #knigolav.