Children’s books can be revelatory for young readers. Ukrainian author Oksana Lushchevska picks five to prove it.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Reading this book in the 1990s in Ukraine, when all childhood was still commanded by the strict discipline dogma, meant I could see the unusual and authentic nature of children.
How Many? by Halyna Krypa, illustrated by Olha Havrylova
Growing up in Post-Soviet times, I felt ashamed to ask questions. But when I read this, I thought: ‘This is the book I will always read aloud to children.’
The Turnip retold by Ivan Franko
This is a Ukrainian folk tale about the ripe turnip and how one family tries to pull it out of the ground. It was powerful to me because it showed me that even the smallest acts can sometimes be the most important.
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James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The major object of the book is a representation of an unusual threat. I re-read this book when Russia started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the US media started to show instructions on what to do in the case of a nuclear threat.
Two of Everything by Rose Lagercrantz
This is about the survival of Lagercrantz’s Jewish ancestors. It raises the question of hardship through the lens of a childish stance.
