I saw this book featured on Instagram last week and I knew that I needed to buy a copy. It was first published in 2017 in Ukraine, but has since been re-published in the last few weeks, with a new, incredibly moving foreword by the author (see below), which she wrote hiding in a corridor with her mum – a WW2 survivor – and her dog, due to another Russian airborne missile strike.
Maya and Her Friends tells the story of 17 children in one class, highlighting their differences and their similarities, and in particular their family diversity. It teaches readers about the importance of respect, understanding, kindness and the true meaning of family, made all the more poignant against the backdrop of the current atrocities taking place in Ukraine.
All publishing profits from this beautifully-written and empathetic book will be donated to charities helping to protect the Ukrainian children, and so if you are financially able to purchase a copy, you will be literally helping to save lives. ????