I have a very special book to share with you
Rondo is a special town known for clean air and colourful flowers
Where residents speak to birds and plants
Paint pictures, sing songs and write poetry
A place of peace and happiness
The pride of the town
Was a large greenhouse
Full of rare flowers and plants
Including a chorus of singing flowers
Everyone liked living in Rondo
But three friends loved the town best of all
Danko, Fabian and Zirka
They love their busy life in Rondo
Until one ordinary day
Just like any other day
They heard a whisper
“WAR is coming to Rondo”
This stunning book does a wonderful job
Of showing the darkness, destruction and turmoil of war
War plants seeds of fear that grow into black flowers and prickly weeds
Blocking out the light and silencing the wonderful singing flowers
War ignores any attempt by the three friends to talk
War keeps marching on
Hurling sharp stones and spitting fire
“War touched everyone.”
As the three friends begin to understand that
“War has no heart.”
They realise that they have to speak to War in its own language
They begin to fight back
But nothing works
“The friends watched in despair as War destroyed their fragile world.”
Quite by accident the three friends do finally find the thing that will stop War
They discover that
“even the smallest ray of light will begin to disperse the darkness.”
The three friends come together and build a huge light machine
To stop war, destroy its darkenss and save the sinign flowers
The residents of the town inspired by the three friends
Come together to stop war
Rondo is rebuilt
But everyone has been touched by War
Changed, scarred, injured
“Each has sorrowful memories of War, and how it changed Rondo forever.
To this day, red poppies grow throughout the town.”
This is such a poignant and powerful story translated from the original Ukrainian
Making it all the more meaningful to share with children now
The book was originally published following the 2013-14 conflicts in Ukraine
It is written by Romana Romanyshyn and illustrated by Andriy Lesiv
Published by Enchanted Lion
This is a story of friendship, courage, peace, resistance and hope.