Ten days, and counting – war through a child’s eyes
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it was the beginning of a long and difficult war for the people living in that country. Watching from her home in the US, Ukrainian author Oksana Lushchevska was compelled to put pen to paper. She discusses the resulting book, Silent Night, My Astronaut with Rob Green.
SILENT Night, My Astronaut is a book about hope and fear – set in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It tells the experience of Ia as she comes to terms with the bombs dropping around her home. Author Oksana Lushchevska introduces the book, saying: “This book is about young girl Ia, whose everyday routine is completely changed by the full- scale Russian invasion. The book narrates the first ten days of war through the childish voice.” Initially released in Ukraine in 2022, the book has now been translated by Oksana and was released across English speaking markets in the summer. Oksana explains that the Ukraine release was well- received by the children and young people who read it, but it soon became clear that the story and messages contained within it had more to offer. “It was recognised as one of the most significant Ukrainian releases of 2022 by Chytomo literary observers, and it also received the Book of the Year award in the Children’s literature category by the best design children’s book of 2022 by Arsenal Book Fair in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut,” says Oksana. “It was also included (2023) in the Goethe- Institut project ‘Suitcase with Books’ for the libraries and librarians who work with children in the war. I think it is a good move for the book. “As to the message, I believe it is huge: we are all interconnected in the world and the Russian war in Ukraine should touch everyone in every country and make everyone an empathetic activist or maybe even the ‘warrior’ against terror and corruption of Russia (and other dictatorships).”
Big themes for a book aimed at children – but the Autumn-Winter 2024
reality of war means that those themes have to be covered. Oksana says that children living in conflict zones will already understand the reality, while those who have never experienced war will be able to empathise through the pages of the book. “It really depends upon the region where children
live. Ukraine is huge. And let’s say that children who are living in the very active war zones might not even want to read this book: they live in their survival mode and they may prefer to read a book that would be some kind of silly story to make them forget about all the surroundings and put a smile of their faces. “If children live in a relatively distant zones, they want to see that they are not alone in their emotions and feelings. They sometimes search for the emotional ‘outlet’ and the book can offer that. The books like this one also show that children’s voices are presented and people everywhere might read about the hard experience and they might spread the word and support Ukraine.”
Oksana grew up in central Ukraine, and after receiving an MA in teaching she moved to the United States to pursue first an MA (at Penn State University) and then a PhD (from University of Georgia), both focused on children’s literature. She now teaches creative writing, but says she never dreamed of becoming a writer herself. “I’d never thought seriously of becoming a writer, I actually wanted to be a translator, who would travel the world on a cruise liner. I started to write poetry as a teenager, but at age 27 and living in the USA I opened for myself the pleasure of reading high quality children’s books. Because of the Soviet propaganda and post-Soviet poverty, we had a scarcity of good
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