Olena Kharchenko and Michael Sampson: On Inspiring Hope Through Children’s Books
Authors Olena Kharchenko and Michael Sampson discuss what inspired them to write their new picture book, The Story of Ukraine.
Olena Kharchenko is from Dnipro, Ukraine. She is a graduate of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. She lives in the U.S. with her husband (Michael Sampson) and daughter. She has been actively volunteering in different projects trying to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression since 2014. Olena hopes that this book will help people around the world to learn more about her motherland.
Michael Sampson was a Fulbright Scholar to Ukraine during the Russian invasion in February 2022, teaching elementary English. Once evacuated, he reported on his work from Poland as seen in The New York Post, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Daily News, The Tampa Bay Times, School Library Journal, The Horn Book Magazine, and NPR. He is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 books for children. While earning his Ph.D. in Reading at the University of Arizona during the 1970s, he met and established a lifelong friendship and professional relationship with mentor and colleague, Bill Martin Jr. Over the years, Sampson and Martin have written 21 books together, including Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; Armadillo Antics, and Ten Little Squirrels, to name a few. Sampson has served as Dean to the College of Education at four universities, most recently St. John's University in New York. Visit him at his website, billmartinjr.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
In this post, Olena and Michael discuss what inspired them to write their new picture book, The Story of Ukraine, their hope for readers, and more!
Name: Olena Kharchenko & Michael Sampson
Literary agent: Ronald Zollshan (Michael)
Book title: The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom
Publisher: Brown Books Kids
Release date: December 13, 2022
Genre/category: Picture Book
Previous titles: More than 50, including Ten Little Squirrels; Armadillo Antics; Chicka Chicka 1,2,3; I Pledge Allegiance; and Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do you See?
Elevator pitch for the book: Written and illustrated by two Ukrainians and an American Fulbright Scholar, this beautifully illustrated, fact-packed look at Ukraine—complete with both English and Ukrainian text—is a touching celebration of a heroic nation fighting for its freedom.
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What prompted you to write this book?
We were living in Dnipro, Ukraine, when Russia launched its all-out onslaught invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. We fled the country with 8,000 others to safety but stayed in Warsaw to help more refugees escape as well. It was there at protests in front of the Russian Embassy that we heard the crowd sing Ukraine’s national anthem, and that was the inspiration to write this book—to tell the story of these brave people who will defend their democracy at any cost.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
This was the fastest book we have ever done: eight months, from idea to publication. This was because of the urgency of the topic and the need to get the truth about Ukraine out to combat propaganda as quickly as possible. The idea morphed from just including the words of the national anthem to sharing more about the Ukrainian people and their history and culture.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
As writers, we were surprised at the speed the illustrator, Polina Dorschenko (herself a refugee), put the art together that portrayed Ukraine’s history and people as fighters for their land and culture though the centuries. We were also impressed at the speed the publisher, Brown Books Kids, moved our drafts to final copy and publication.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Yes, we started the book with a plan that the text would simply be Ukraine’s national anthem along with our explanation of the meaning behind the song. However, the story told itself, begging us to include more information about the history, geography, national symbols, and heroes of Ukraine.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
We hope the book will inspire the people of the world to stand with Ukraine in her fight against a terrorist nation that wants to wipe out the Ukrainian people and culture so they can steal the land and resources of this great nation.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Write what inspires you and stay with the story. The passion is with you, no matter how many hours a day it takes nor what forces will come against you to try to silence your story from being told.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
