Tell Me a Story Babushka, from Reycraft Books, Presents a Timely Tale of a Dramatic Escape to Freedom
The picture book tells of Russia’s early-1900s invasion of Ukraine and one woman’s extraordinary escape from a Siberian prison camp.
New Rochelle, NY, Nov. 18, 2022—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books has teamed up with author Carola Schmidt to produce Tell Me a Story Babushka, a powerful story that could not be more timely, given current world events. Beautifully illustrated by Anita Barghigiani, the book introduces readers to Karina, a young girl who asks her babushka—her grandmother—to tell her a story about a princess and monsters. But what Karina hears is so much more than that—she is told the story of her grandmother living through Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the early 1900s, being sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Siberia, and escaping to freedom—with the help of a secret message hidden in a nesting doll.
Schmidt, a pediatric oncology pharmacist, is also an award-winning author of kids’ cancer books. Tell Me a Story Babushka is her first book for kids that is not about cancer. Schmidt based the story on her own family history—her grandmother Amelia’s mother was originally from Ukraine but emigrated to Brazil, where Schmidt lives today. Wanting to know more about her grandmother’s homeland, Schmidt traveled to Ukraine, where she was inspired to write the book. “It’s essentially the story of how I imagined my missing family history and their escape from a difficult time long ago,” she explained. “I returned from that trip understanding that our memories are like a favorite blanket creating a cozy feeling of belonging.”
With the present-day crisis in Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion of the country in February 2022, Tell Me a Story Babushka takes on even greater significance and provides both historical and emotional context for readers. “This book is far more relevant today than it was two years ago when we signed on it,” Reycraft Books Associate Publisher Wiley Blevins said. Kirkus, in its review, called Tell Me a Story Babushka “timely, with relevance to today’s difficult Ukrainian struggle as history is repeated.” School Library Journal described the book as “a beautiful, but heartbreaking, tale of survival” and “a timely lesson that exemplifies how often, miserably, history repeats itself.”
Blevins noted that despite the serious subject matter, Tell Me a Story Babushka also revolves around the beauty and the mystery of nesting dolls—and comes with “the perfect happily ever after.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carola Schmidt lives in Curitiba, Brazil. Called Carolina at birth, she was nicknamed Carola by her Baba (grandmother) Amelia, whose mother emigrated to Brazil from Ukraine. Today, Carola is an award-winning author who writes children’s books and scientific books. She also works as a pediatric oncology pharmacist, helping children going through cancer treatments.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Anita Barghigiani, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, attended the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2010 for the first time and fell in love with children’s books. She went on to study Illustration and Entertainment Design at NEMO Academy of Digital Arts. Since then, she has worked as an illustrator for publishers and as a painter and decorator for Dolce & Gabbana. She currently lives in Florence.
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.