Three Ukrainian books have been included in the White Ravens 2025 — the international annual catalogue of recommended children’s and young adult literature. None of the titles chosen focus on the war; instead this year’s selection highlights a Hutsul fairy tale, a heartfelt book about a father-daughter relationship, and a visual story exploring communication and understanding.
The Ukrainian titles featured this year are:
“A Strange Carpathian Story” by Vasyl Karpiuk, illustrated by Olesia Sekeresh
Brustury Publishing House, 2024
“Molfar Kotseniek is a kind wizard who protects the peace of the Carpathians and befriends a brown bear named Vedmedyuk. One day, Kotseniek receives a letter from the past, and his world turns upside down. What secret does the old molfar* guard, why has winter ‘gone wrong,’ will he find an apprentice—and what do dragons have to do with it?”– reads the annotation.
Vasyl Karpiuk is a writer and co-founder of the Discursus and Brustury publishing houses. He is the author of over ten books, including the poetry collection “Mulled Wine on the Road to Hoverla,” short fiction, essays, books for children, and a series of adventure books about Oleksa Dovbush. He is also the author of the novelization of the screenplay for the Ukrainian movie “Dovbush.” Karpiuk is particularly known for his books about the culture of the Hutsul people, an ethnographic group of Ukrainians who reside in the Carpathian Mountains. The book was listed among BaraBooka’s 15 Best Children’s Literature 2024 and longlisted among six Ukrainian illustrators’ works for 2024 World Illustration Awards
* Molfar is a man believed to have magical abilities in Ukrainian folk culture
“Warm Things for Tatama” by Oksana Lushchevska and Dzmitry Bandarenka, illustrated by Oksana Drachkovska
Ranok Publishing House, 2024
“What are warm things for? To keep us cozy, of course! Everyone knows that when you’re cold, you put on socks or a sweater. But the warmest things in the world can’t be touched—they are pleasant memories, the smiles of loved ones, their care and love… All of these warm our hearts like hats warm our ears. Let’s search together for this warmth – on the pages of the book and within ourselves – and share it with others,” reads the annotation.
Oksana Lushchevska is an author of 68 children’s books that are translated into six languages. She earned a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia (USA). She specializes in children’s literature and reader’s response. Her book “Quiet Night, My Astronaut” was recognized as one of the most significant Ukrainian releases of 2022 by Chytomo literary observers, and it also received the Ukrainian “Book of the Year” award in the Children’s literature category. For Oksana Lushchevska, this is not the first collaboration with Dzmitry Bandarenko. The couple also wrote a book “101 Light Hoses” – also illustrated by Oksana Drachkovska (translated into Finnish, Kustantamo S&S).
“Half a Word: About Communication and Understanding Each Other” by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv
The Old Lion Publishing House, 2024
“Sharing thoughts and feelings, finding a common language, telling stories and listening to them, talking face to face or from afar, or simply spending time together – that’s communication. This book explores diverse ways of transmitting messages, from human to animal communication, from cell signals to cosmic ones, from pheromones to bioluminescence. It touches upon verbal and non-verbal communication, Morse and Braille codes, gestures, signals, and even how cats, dogs, and tomatoes ‘talk.’”
Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv are an award-winning couple of illustrators who work together as Art Studio Agrafka. They hold the record for the highest number of sold translation rights for their books among Ukrainian illustrators. Their recent books published in English include “On the Move: Things in Motion on Earth and Beyond” and “Sight: Glimmer, Glow, Spark, Flash!” (a follow-up to last year’s “Sound: Shhh . . . Bang . . . Pop . . . Boom!”). Their book “How War Changed Rondo” received the BolognaRagazzi Award and more that 30 translations around the world. Their books are published in the U.S. by Chronicle Books and Enchanted Lion Books; in Ukraine by The Old Lion Publishing House.
This year’s catalogue features 215 books for children and young adults, published in 49 languages from 63 countries. “This year our cover features a large white raven constructed from rough slats of wood. Its interior is a most welcoming paradise for children – a dreamlike place that exudes the magic and intimacy of reading. This raven recalls the technically sophisticated, mechanical automatons that have amazed people for centuries. Or is it a Trojan Raven slyly smuggling books into the land of non-readers?” the editors note in the preface. The image was created by Norwegian illustrator Øyvind Torseter.
The full catalogue is available online and was released ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The White Ravens is an annual catalogue published by the International Youth Library (IYL) in Munich, serving as a comprehensive recommendation list for exceptional international children’s and youth literature. Established in 1986, the English-language catalogue features approximately 200 outstanding new titles each year, selected by the IYL’s children’s literature experts. These selections span about 40 languages and come from more than 50 countries, highlighting the diversity and quality of global book production.
Cover image: The White Ravens catalogue website
Copy editing: Ben Angel