Heritage Month Day 16

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 – Books for Kids

As a retired educator, my autumn rhythms have been around school start-up for a long time. Now that kids have been back at school for a couple of weeks – and I’m not! – I’m wondering if any teachers are thinking about Ukrainian Heritage Month and how it might fit into their curriculum.

If you’re a high school educator, you might be interested in the amazing graphic novel, Red Harvest, by Canadian artist and writer, Michael Cherkas (2023). It’s the fictional story, based on true events as related to the Ukrainian-Canadian author, of Mykola Kovalenko, a Ukrainian immigrant to Canada, who was the only member of his family to survive the 1932-32 Soviet-created famine in Ukraine. Through Mykola’s memories, we witness the horrors of what happened to his family and fellow villagers in the “breadbasket of Europe” as they struggled—not only to make sense of the war that was being waged against them—but, ultimately, to survive. Red Harvest is distributed by Simon & Schuster.

Some other titles:

• Andrei and the Snow Walker, by Larry Warwaruk, tells the story of a young boy who moves with his family from Ukraine to a homestead near Batoche, Saskatchewan, in 1900 and befriends local Métis youth.
• Lesia’s Dream, by Laura Langston, follows a 15-year-old girl leaving Ukraine for the Canadian prairies in the early 1900s, only to face hardscrabble pioneer life and the indirect shadows of the First World War.
• Dear Canada: A Prairie Boy’s Winter, from the Scholastic Canada, Dear Canada series, includes historical children’s perspectives touching on early immigrant life and the complex realities of the Ukrainian Canadian internment operations during WWI.
• Silver Threads, by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko (2004,
  Fitzhenry & Whiteside). Anna and Ivan immigrate to Canada from Ukraine shortly before the First World War. When the war starts, Ivan tries to enlist in the army to fight for his new country but instead is interned as an ‘enemy alien’. Anna, now alone, works hard to survive on their land while waiting for Ivan’s return. She never gives up hope and takes care of the spider that lives in their cottage, which she believes is a good omen. A good book to have pre-Remembrance Day.

Naturally, a school librarian would be your best source for ideas. 😊

Postcard Challenge – I believe in you

I’ve been thinking about the ways in which teachers welcome their students into the new school year, ways that teachers help build student confidence in skills and in self, and I’m aware that there are students in classrooms all across Canada who are Ukrainian children sheltering in Canada since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  

So, I looked for something motivational for today’s postcard art. Something that a young child could easily relate to and draw. I found one on Instagram in “I bee leaf in you” by @easy_drawing_ideas__

It’s cute, easy-to-draw, and it’s motivational. The message can also work as a mirror to the child. That is, the act of drawing “I bee leaf in you” to inspire a Defender can remind the child who is drawing the message to believe in themself.

What you need: A postcard. Of course. To draw and colour: you can use crayons, pencil crayons, fine markers/gel pens. Whatever works best for you. Black, yellow, blue, green and any colour you like for the little heart. I chose pink. I first did an outline of the text and images using a pencil. Then, I used gel pens to colour in my bee and my leaf. 😉 For my text, I decided write out “I bee leaf in you” in the literal, in the intentional, then in Icelandic (since the card is from Iceland) and, finally, in Ukrainian.

I like the simplicity of the art and the message. I can see me doing “I bee leaf in you” again.

Tomorrow, another easy one for kids … friends.

Each day through Ukrainian Heritage Month, we share an easy-to-do creative idea that you can try on your postcards to Defenders. 30 days. 30 cards. Simple art.

Our Ultimate Heritage Challenge to you, dear postcard warriors: one postcard per day during September. Try some of the postcard ideas we offer through the month. Prizes will be drawn for three winners who have tried at least three different ideas that we’ve shared through the month of September. We’ll know because your cards will ‘show’ us. Deadline: we must receive your Ukrainian Heritage Month challenge package of postcards in our mailbox by October 20.

Share your creative ideas with us, and any other ways in which you acknowledge Ukrainian Heritage Month.

Email your ideas and images to us along with a brief explanation and we’ll share: postcardstothefront.canada@gmail.com

Tag us on Instagram, Facebook, Threads. We’d love to share your stories with others. Don’t forget to tag the creators whose ideas you use.

IG and Threads: @postcardstothefront_canada   @ukrainian.heritage.month   @easy_drawing_ideas__

Facebook: ukrainianheritagemonthontario * uccontario

Tags: #ukrainianheritagemonth #ukrainianheritagemonthontario #standwithukraine #canadaukraine #postcardstothefrontcanada #postcardart