On December 15th, the UAnimals team awarded the Humane Book prize to Ukrainian authors and illustrators who cultivate a compassionate attitude towards animals and the environment in children.
This year, the jury awarded the following publications:
- A Dress for Marusia. Author and illustrator—Hrasya Oliyko.
- Mission: Rescue. Dolphins. Author—Yevheniia Zavaliy, illustrator—Maria Shevchenko.
- Yarchik and 9 Dogs. Author—Anastasiia Melnychenko, illustrator—Sofia Tomilenko.
Anyone could nominate a publication for the award through the form on the website from November 16 to November 26. During this time, enthusiasts suggested over 90 books, out of which 29 met the organizers’ criteria: promoting kindness among children, written by Ukrainian authors in Ukrainian, and published in 2022 and 2023.
The UAnimals team reviewed these 29 publications, taking into account the number of times each was nominated, and shortlisted 9 books:
- A Dress for Marusia by Hrasya Oliyko.
- Corsair, or a Fluffy Story with Claws by Yulia Lazutkina.
- Run, Forest, Run! by Yana Khomenko.
- Puppy Who Counted Clouds by Iryna Matsko.
- Yarchik and 9 Dogs by Anastasiia Melnychenko.
- Mission Rescue. Dolphins by Yevheniia Zavaliy.
- Dear Zhoo. Garden Tales by Anastasiia Lavrenishina.
- Saved Club. Unfluffy Stories by Sashko Dermanskyi.
- Musia and Christmas by Halyna Kyrpa.
These works were evaluated by Ihor Koval, an influencer, a volunteer, a co-owner of a children’s clothing store; Olesia Naumovska, a doctor of philological sciences, associate professor, head of the folklore department at Taras Shevchenko National University; Svitlana Roiz, a children’s and family psychologist; Yulia Slyvka, a publisher, a PhD philologist, a blogger; Liudmyla Smoliar, the chief editor of UAnimals; Leo Busha—the boy from Irpin who inspired Ukraine by performing “Chervona Kalyna.”
“I liked two books: ‘A Dress for Marusia’ and ‘Corsair.’ But, honestly, all of them are wonderful,” shared Leo. He also mentioned that his brother Elvin liked Sashko Dermanskyi’s book “Rescued Club. Unfluffy Stories” the most.
UAnimals founder Oleksandr Todorchuk congratulated the winners and emphasized: “At UAnimals, we try to change not only people’s actions here and now but also their values. The change of values probably happens most easily in open-minded people who are ready for it, and, first of all, these are children. We already see how they embrace the humane treatment of animals and consider it normal, relying on our content on social media. The Humane Book award is aimed, firstly, to remind us that a book is also a powerful tool for nurturing humanity in children, and secondly, that there are many Ukrainian books that can help in this.”
If you are currently choosing what to put under the Christmas tree for children, consider buying them a book that will teach them to love and cherish the world. Let’s cultivate kindness from a young age!
