Dutch-Ukrainian writer Liza Vida and illustrator Olesia Sekeresh have published a children’s book in Dutch about Ukrainian history, cuisine, music and traditions with Blauw Gras publishing house. This was reported by Chytomo, citing the publisher’s website.
The book, “Mooi boek over Oekraïne” (“A Lovely Book About Ukraine”), is 320 pages long and aimed at readers aged 10 and over. The cover was designed by Dutch designer Roald Tribbels.
“In times of a raging war, this book shows how beautiful Ukraine is. It is a book of soft power. The kind of power we desperately need,” Vida wrote on LinkedIn.
According to the author, the book introduces readers to Ukraine’s history, cuisine, culture, music, dances, mythical creatures, traditions and hospitality. Among the characters is Tymko the Third, a marmot who predicts the weather.
The publisher describes the book as an adventure story that combines a narrative with informative facts. It takes the reader from the past to the present, from culture to technology. For Vida, it is her first children’s book.
The publishers explained why they decided to release it: “Ukraine seems to make the news only as a ravaged country, even though it has a turbulent history and an equally turbulent present. With this book, we want to show how Ukraine shines.”
Liza Vida is a Dutch writer of Ukrainian heritage, born in 1989 in Rotterdam. Her debut novel “Oleksandra” (2021) tells the story of a grandmother whom the Nazis deported from the Luhansk region to Germany for forced labour. The novel won the “Bronze Owl” award for best debut, was shortlisted for the Libris Prize, and has been published in seven languages.
In 2024, Vida published the novel “Dance Revolution” and created a stage production of the same name. She is also the author of the VR installation “Rozsypne”, which was nominated for an award at the IDFA 2019 festival. That same year, the writer was among the guests at the Book Arsenal. She is currently preparing the book “Behind the Façade” about Russian propaganda together with historian Franka Hummels.
Olesia Sekeresh is a Ukrainian illustrator. Her illustrations for Vasyl Karpiuk’s book “A Curious Carpathian Story” (“Brustury”, 2024) were longlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2024. In 2025, the book was included in the “White Ravens” catalogue of the International Youth Library in Munich.