Liudmyla Pytel – författare

Twenty-four illustrated Ukrainian legends, myths, and fables—retold for young readers and gathered, for the first time, into one complete edition.From the enchanted forests of the Carpathians to the golden domes of Kyiv, Legends of Ukraine carries children ages 8–12 into a world where forest spirits sing, heroes battle dragons, and whole mountains and constellations are born from acts of love and courage. Every one of the 24 tales opens with its own full-page illustration.Inside, young readers will meet:the Mavkas, the beautiful spirit-guardians of the Carpathian forests;the hero Ilya Muromets and the three-headed dragon;Prince Igor, the wise Princess Olga, and the Cossack hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and his sword;the founding of Kyiv and the legend of the Lion of Lviv;how Mount Hoverla and the Carpathian Mountains were born, and the mystery of Vyriy and the Tree of Life;why the sea is salty, how the Big Dipper took its place in the sky, and how a grieving mother became a cuckoo.Alongside these are the tale of the Iron Horse, the secret of the Hidden City, the story of Bear Mountain, and quiet, wise fables such as The Legend of Destiny and Leaf and Gold—twenty-four stories in all, each carrying a lesson about courage, kindness, or what truly matters.Told in warm, read-aloud prose and woven through with themes of bravery, love, justice, and hope, this is a keepsake treasury of Ukrainian folklore and cultural heritage—and, at its heart, a celebration of the resilience and enduring spirit of the Ukrainian people. It blends fairy tales, heroic legends, origin ("e;how and why"e;) stories, and moral fables, so it works equally well for a single bedtime story, a family read-aloud shared across generations, and multicultural or world-folklore units in the classroom or library (grades 3–7), where it invites compare-and-contrast reading alongside Greek, Norse, and other world myths.A meaningful gift for Ukrainian and diaspora families passing their traditions to a new generation—and a natural pick for Ukrainian Heritage Month and back-to-school reading. This is the only current, richly illustrated treasury devoted entirely to the myths and legends of Ukraine: a book to be read aloud, returned to, and handed down.