Children's Publishing Community Rallies Support for Ukraine

on Mar 22, 2022

In the weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, the international publishing community has come together with a number of initiatives aimed at offering support to children’s authors, publishers, and aid organizations. A number of publishing houses across the world are initiating programs to offer support to those suffering. Here is a list of virtual events held by those publishing houses organized to raise donations for Ukraine.

KidLitForUkraine Stories of Hope Virtual Event- More than two dozen children’s authors and illustrators will join the Stories of Hope virtual event organized by author Marc Tyler Nobleman and hosted by KidLit TV.

During Stories of Hope, the authors will read and tell stories, some taken from their books but also personal ones. “The stories are not explicitly about Ukraine, but rather for Ukraine,” Nobleman said, noting that the stories by the Ukrainian authors will contain powerful emotional appeals.

Pre-Order to Help Ukrainian Author- Picture book publisher Red Comet Press has worked with translator Zenia Tompkins to translate into English The Happiest Lion Cub by Ukrainian author Oleksandr Shatokhin. Red Comet releases the book on September 13, but pre-orders will help the author now.

Polish Literacy Foundation Publishes, Distributes Books to Refugee Children- The Polish literacy foundation Fundacja Powszechnego Czytania (Universal Reading Foundation) is working with Ukrainian children’s book publishers to print and distribute books in Ukrainian for refugee children in Poland. the Foundation has already begun to distribute books to children staying in shelters and beginning to attend schools in Poland. All services have been donated by Polish publishers, printers and distributors, and all proceeds will go to Ukrainian children’s book publishers.

U.K. Publisher Donates Profits from Immigration Book to Relief- For every copy sold of The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros (2020), U.K. publisher Nosy Crow will donate £1 per book to Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Appeal. The picture book is about having to leave one’s home and relying on the kindness of strangers. The publisher is also working on a Ukrainian edition of the book.