War: Changed Little Circle

Bologna Lagazzi Prize, Kirkus Reviews Best Book ,

In the darkest times, we must still hold on to the inner light!

"People in small towns don't know what war is.

It fell from the sky, dark and scary.

Rumbling and rattling, it slowly approaches the city,

What followed was destruction, turmoil, and darkness ... "

Dongdong, Chica and Fabien live peacefully in the small town. This is a magical and joyful place where even the flowers can sing! Everything was perfect...until the day war came. Residents who had never experienced war didn't know what to do. They try to talk to it and fight it, but nothing seems to be able to stop the devastation of war and the encroachment of darkness.

Unable to bear their beloved home to be occupied by the black flowers of war, Dongdong, Chica, Fabien and all their neighbors unite, hoping to talk and fight against war through the power of light, people and songs. They each perform their duties, collecting stones, pedaling hard on their bicycles, and inviting everyone to sing the song of the town; in the end, can they lead the town to victory?

After the War Comes reflects on the darkness and pain brought about by the conflict and the scars that linger long after it ends. This is a tribute to peace, resistance and hope.

Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, the authors of "Seeing the Voice" and "Eye-Opening", were born in Ukraine. The motivation for this book originated from the Crimean crisis in Ukraine in 2013-2014 and the corresponding unrest in eastern Ukraine. Unexpectedly, the Ukrainian-Russian war broke out in 2022, and it still has not stopped until the publication of this book. This book once again witnesses the suffering of war in the real human world, and at the same time transforms it in the form of art, becoming the most direct historical comparison for readers.

Romana once said in an interview: "We had never actually planned to create a picture book about the war for children, but the reality of what happened in our country changed a lot of things." (We had never actually planned to create a picture. book for children about war, but reality in our country changed things.)

Romana and Andriy are still living in Lviv, Ukraine. Due to the Russian attack there, in early October 2022, there were power and phone outages, and there were even explosions and smoke. The author and his partner still came to Taiwan readers under this situation. The greetings are also specially made into small cards and included in the book:

//// To dear Taiwanese readers:

Although we are writing this message thousands of miles away, we feel a very strong sense of connection and intimacy with everyone in Taiwan who are in similar situations.

At this moment, a thick and heavy darkness intends to seize us and engulf us. Our most important goal is to preserve our inner light at all costs. The so-called inner light is our soul, freedom, love, and home — these are the most important and precious things that we must guard. No matter how helpless or vulnerable we feel, this inner light keeps us from being knocked down, gives us a glimmer of hope in the darkest moments, and leads us forward. Sometimes, we may only see a glimmer of light in the darkness, but we know that the light within is still there.

We respect the strength, courage and tenacity of the Taiwanese people from the bottom of our hearts! At the same time, thank you very much for standing with us! We also support Taiwan and are with you all!

Romana Romanyshyn & Andriy Lesiv

Oct.10. 2022////