A total of 210 applications for participation in the literary contest were received from 31 publishing houses of Ukraine. The organizing committee carefully checked all the publications sent by the publishing houses for compliance with the requirements. After that, Long lists of books for the competition were formed in three nominations: “Literature for adults”, “Literature for teenagers” and “Literature for children”. Readers’ Choice 2021″.
By the second stage, 79 book novelties from 16 publishing houses were included in the Long List of Books in the “Literature for Children” category.
“Alexa Dovbush. The Secret of Power” Vasyl Karpiuk (“Discursus” publishing house)
Do you know who Oleksa Dovbush is? Probably so, because there is no greater hero in all the Carpathians! But the story of the most formidable leader of the Carpathian opryshkas began with a stubborn boy who unexpectedly received great power for himself. Plunging into this story, you and Oleksa will live in the forest next to wolves and vyrkas, join the Opryshki band and look into the world of the heroic past of the Carpathians. And most importantly, in the end you will find out where Oleksin’s Power came from and whether he was able to master it.
“Alphabet” by Iryna Rutilo (publishing house “Kalamar”)
The alphabet is the book from which everything begins: the love of reading, language, knowledge, and time spent with loved ones. Therefore, this first book of a child is chosen with special trepidation. We have created such an Alphabet that even an adult will read from the first page to the last! Because she really impresses! Why? Read on!
1. Volumetric letters can not only be read, but also felt with your fingers. This approach is the first step towards language perception in the future.
2. Development of fine motor skills – the book seems to invite children to touch and feel the pages from all sides.
3. Unexpected bold images for each letter created by the wonderful designer Iryna Rutilo. Our young readers and their parents admire them.
4. Every turn is full of sophisticated humor and hidden meanings that will amuse even adults.
5. Extremely high-quality, dense edition will accustom to good books from an early age.
“Divodrim and Pajama Lady” by Ira Bov (children’s art publishing house “Black Sheep”)
Little Yasa’s parents went on business. The girl does not want to go to bed because she misses them very much. In order for the granddaughter to fall asleep, the grandfather recalls a legend from his childhood about the wizard Dyvodream, who can fly, be invisible and even fulfill secret wishes. But you can meet him only in a dream. What wish will Yasya make? Where will they travel with Divodrim? And how to find out if all this is real?
“Tales for Eliza” Oleksandr Gavrosh (“NK-Bogdan” publishing house)
Dear Eliza! Do you remember how we read these fairy tales out loud, wrapped in a checkered blanket? You snorted, sighed, wrinkled your snub nose, but mostly laughed. I wrote them for you because I didn’t have the courage to say everything that was on my confused heart. Therefore, he poured his feelings into various stories. You will find yourself in each of them. I hope that this book will someday fall into your hands, and you will remember a blooming grove, fallen leaves, the first snow or your gray cat… Thank you for being there. Thank you for being and will be – in my unique vision of the world. Your author.
“The White Wolf on the Black Path” by Nadiya Humenyuk (“NK-Bohdan” publishing house)
The hero of this book did not think, did not imagine what an interesting journey he, an ordinary schoolboy Markiyan Kozachenko, would have. But somehow, the Cossack Mamai jumped out of the old portrait that hung in his room. And it spun around. First, Markiyan got into the parallel time corridor of Ukraine, then – to Zaporizhzhia Sich, and from there – all the way to Berestechka. During this journey, so many adventures fell on his clever head that he only had time: to be surprised, to dodge bullets and sabers, to get out of the dungeon of the ancient castle, and to discover the secret of the book of the monk Luka, and even to free Hetman Khmelnytsky himself. But when faithful friends are nearby, everything can be overcome. And at the same time – to change for the better. Now Markian understands well what the words mean: “A Cossack is not afraid of a cloud or a quarrel.”
“Meeting on the Barefoot Bridge” by Nadiya Humenyuk (“NK-Bohdan” publishing house)
If it weren’t for Radik Buslyk and red-haired Boniface, then, quite likely, this mysterious dungeon in the suburbs would still be hiding from people the treasure hidden in it many years ago. But the cat, the boy and his friends are so restless, smart and inquisitive! And do not lend them courage. Because, let’s face it, not everyone dares to go down into the dungeon, where it is not only interesting, but also very dangerous. A fun adventure story written by Nadia Gumenyuk will not leave indifferent little dreamers and adventure seekers.
“Marusy’s Important Matters” by Sasha Voytsehivska (“Nash Format” publishing house)
This book is about the little girl Marusya, who still lives in her mother’s tummy. She gets to know the world from her mother’s words and movements, from her father’s voice and touches, from the various surrounding sounds, which are sometimes strange, but very, very interesting… And then the miracle of birth and the miracle of discovering the world happens! This is a book about the awe-inspiring anticipation, the first communication with the baby, when he or she is still in the mother’s tummy. But even there, the child already has a lot of important things to do: get to know dad, light, warmth, touches, play in the first hide and seek, show character. And later comes the moment of such a long-awaited first meeting and hundreds of different firsts: meeting relatives, first new dishes, first protests, first touches of the environment and the first “wow!”
“Me and the monster George. How to be healthy” A. Yu. Varnavska (Osnova Publishing Group)
George is the hero of this book, a cheerful and sociable monster. It tells in clear language about important things: why it is important to make friends, to help mom, how to take care of health and safety. Instructive stories, useful advice from the monster and colorful illustrations will interest your child and help him acquire useful skills, in particular, to play together and communicate. For adult children 3-6 years old to read.
“Me and the monster George. How to communicate” A. Yu. Varnavska (Osnova Publishing Group)
George is the hero of this book, a cheerful and sociable monster. It tells in clear language about important things: why it is important to make friends, to help mom, how to take care of health and safety. Instructive stories, useful advice from the monster and colorful illustrations will interest your child and help him acquire useful skills, in particular, to play and communicate in a friendly manner.
For reading to adult children 3-6 years old.
“Dino mom. A book of important thoughts before sleep” Mila Yarosevich (Osnova Publishing Group)
Dino-mom is a fairy-tale story that teaches a child to learn about the world in the form of a game, trying on roles and models, recognizing himself in the characters and answering questions. This fairy tale helps to accept and love your world, and that is why this book is about authenticity, not ideality. Dino-mom is not only for children. This is the story of a mother and her large and small family, in which it is easy to recognize your own. Being a mother is a great gift and a great responsibility. Every mother should know why it is so important to unite the family, to do something together, to accept everyone as they are, to make mistakes, but not to give up and to appreciate every little moment. Dino-mom is an invitation to the world of childhood, which is especially beautiful because everything is possible here.
“Think for yourself! 10 cool ways to teach a child to think critically. 4 — 5 years” Victoria V’yunnyk, Hanna Novyk (“Osnova” Publishing Group)
You want your child to:
She had her own opinion and could argue it.
Recognized real facts and false statements.
Did you independently make choices, make decisions and take responsibility for your actions and words?
Or maybe you are worried about the fact that the child can become a victim of manipulation and planting someone else’s position and reasoning? Our book is the answer to your expectations! With the help of the simple techniques offered, step by step, you will form the first solid foundation of 4K skills — critical thinking, creativity, communication, and the ability to work in a team. They are extremely important, included in the TOP-10 skills of a modern successful person of the XXI century.
The purpose of the book is to help parents gradually and unobtrusively introduce the child to the modern information world, to prepare it with simple exercises, to create a basis for development and learning.
This unique guide was created by mothers of two to six children. Both mothers have been working with preschool children for more than 20 years, continuously studying themselves and teaching thousands of teachers of Ukraine methods and techniques for working with modern preschoolers. They liked the methods of teaching children through games and love to share their creative discoveries with parents and teachers.
The book in your hands is the first swallow of these authors on the development of “4K”. Stay tuned for the next tutorials. They will also be interesting, meaningful, and most importantly, practical. FREE additional exercise pages are available via QR code.
“Lyakazochki” by Irene Rozdobudko (publishing house “Nash Format”)
There was a girl named Sofiyka. She was three years old. One day, my mother took Sofiyka to admire the Christmas tree. But the girl did not want it – she became capricious and only repeated: “I want a bun! I want a bun!” And then Big Bulla came to her… Every child sometimes likes to mess around, poke around, poke around, is naughty, afraid of the dark, doesn’t want to clean up toys after themselves – and many other things… Do you know how to overcome this? It’s very simple: read to your child the fun, funny, very unexpected scarecrows of the popular writer Irene Rozdobudko. And you will see that your child very easily recognizes himself in various “scary” situations that he himself experienced. And make sure that in reality everything is not scary at all, but on the contrary – fun!
“Kuzya, Zyuzya and company” Vsevolod Nestaiko (publishing house “Nash Format”)
Mosquito Zyuzya was very restless. He believed that he himself knew everything and that obedient children did not achieve anything in life, and only disobedient ones did. And so the mosquito kindergarten went for a walk – and Zyuzya fought off the group and went to look for adventure. And, of course, stuck in the first and best web… The publication is a unique combination of universally recognized classics and modern creative art. More than one generation of Ukrainian children grew up on the amazing fairy tales of the ever-popular Vsevolod Nestaik – and they are still as important and relevant as if they had just been written! Spectacular, modern artistic design by Nadiya Kushnir gives a truly “new breath” to classic fairy tales.
“Lost in the camp” by Nastya Muzychenko (publishing house “Nash Format”)
Matvii and Mia are going to rest in a mountain camp. Fresh air, discos, quests and other entertainment – everything is as usual in such camps. But only until Matvii accidentally learns about a mystical, even creepy story that happened here a few years ago. And such stories, as you know, have a habit of repeating themselves – and here our heroes find themselves at the epicenter of events…
“Princess-blogger” Oleg Chaklun (publishing house “Nash Format”)
Valeria is the truest princess. She is the daughter of a king and queen, lives in a castle and leads a social life. But at the same time, Valeria is the most genuine blogger who not only thinks up various pranks and pranks, not only implements what she has planned, but also tells everyone about it on her blog. How to eat pies from the royal kitchen while they are still hot, and therefore the tastiest? How to outwit the lackey, get the castle guard around your finger, and even make friends with the terrible troll and turn him into an assistant in mischief? All this and many other various life hacks are in Oleg Chaklun’s incredibly funny book “Blogger Princess”.
“The Third Snow” by Ivan Andrusiak (“Nash Format” publishing house)
This book is a new fairy tale about a forest school (not even one) and its clever, mischievous and interesting students. And at the same time, this book is a skillfully “twisted” children’s detective story with a real crime (even more than one) and a real investigation led by an incredibly smart and predatory teacher. But that’s not enough – because “The Third Snow” is also about how modern children react to acute, urgent, painful problems in the life of today’s Ukraine… In fact, it’s a story about good and evil, compassion and cruelty, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears – that is, about all the most important things that are always close to you in life and that you definitely need to talk about with a child. But not just talking, but responsibly, accessible, with kindness and love.
“Lanterns” by Oleksandr Dorozhovets (publishing house “Nash Format”)
Keith Martin lives on the outskirts of the city in an old wooden house. He really likes to watch what is happening outside his window, and to fall asleep to the measured dance of colored traffic lights. Thus, while watching, one day he learns a big secret about who oversees that the lights are on and that there is order in the city… But when huge snow falls and a blizzard “blinds the eyes” of traffic lights and lanterns – the world stops, because no one regulates the movement of people and cars, and at night the city is covered with lightless darkness. And then Martin the cat has to share his secret with a friend — because even secrets sometimes need help!
“The Guinea Pig Detective” by Ivan Andrusiak (“Vivat” publishing house)
When mysterious crimes happen, all the animals from the nearby houses, and even those who live on the street, without fail turn to the guinea pig – detective Gerard. However, he is a well-known sweet tooth, so he will take on business only on the condition of a tasty fee. Together with Gerard, you will find out who ate the cat’s breakfast, run away from hungry predators, find out everything about an unknown horror that scares good animals, explore dark crypts and fight fears, and most importantly – learn to catch intruders in an instant, using deduction and logic.
“Royal Robbery” Serhiy Svyridenko (publishing house “Nash Format”)
Princess Nikusiak, while walking in the royal garden, accidentally stepped on the foot of a centipede. The angry centipede demands “one hundred thousand million” compensation for this. But money is scarce in the kingdom, and the frivolous king fashions a paper airplane from a debt note and launches it into the palace window. And then the centipedes capture the prince and two princesses — and the merry catavasia begins! The funny, even laugh-out-loud tale of Serhii Svyridenko “The Royal Robbery” will appeal to both girls and boys. And parents will find a lot of adult wisdom in seemingly casual children’s jokes.
“Adventures on Klavaren Island” by Irene Rozdobudko (“Nash Format” publishing house)
When traveling on a small river, you should be especially careful if there is an old dam on it. Because there may be a cave in the dam… And in the cave there is a real time hole… What awaits the inquisitive fifth-graders, young adventurers Klava and Reno? An uninhabited island that you can call by your own name, a night in a treetop, and a turtle scrambled eggs with coconut sauce for breakfast… But that’s not all. After all, uninhabited islands are often visited by pirates – and then it becomes really dangerous.
“Three fairy tales” by Sashko Dermanskyi (“Nash Format” publishing house)
This book includes three fairy tales by one of the most popular contemporary Ukrainian children’s authors Sashak Dermanskyi: “King of Beech, or the Secret of the Emerald Book”, “Kingdom of Apple Farming” and “Dance of Chugaistra”. They are distinguished by heart-breaking plots and mysterious adventures, amazing characters and brave saviors of Good (Gavryk the beech, Juliet the dragoness, Shmygun the leprechaun and the people of the apple growers, the touching Chugaister, the wise Molfar and the charming meowers, Nathan and Joe, Ivanko, Lilka and Vasko) and the author’s signature humor. And the leitmotif of all these works is the wise call “Take care of the seed of your souls!”
“Delphi” and magicians” Valery Puzik (“ASSA” publishing house)
Modern Odesa. The tanker “Delphi” was attacked by three dragons. They breathe fire and mist and are ready to destroy everything in their path. Eight-year-old Orest can resist them. He just found out that he was chosen as a wizard. Now a lot of tests await the boy. Will the book and medallion that the seagull gave him help Orestes? But will the young wizard have the courage to challenge the Black Dragon and save the city from destruction and oblivion?
“The Secret Life of Rudyk” by Tais Zolotkovska (“Ranok” publishing house)
There lived a cat. Her name was not Marquisa, not Princess – just Rudyk. The screeching cat caused a lot of trouble for the whole family. But was there really no benefit from it? It seems that Rudyk’s favorite thing is to take a nap on the grass under the cherry tree. But as soon as something happens, the cat rushes to help. A real superhero with a fluffy face and sharp claws! In Tais Zolotkovska’s warm and witty story, kindness and care are finally rewarded, and friendship becomes the most valuable gift. Warm illustrations by Maria Rudyk complement the book.
“The owl that was looking for its business” by Yulita Ran (“Ranok” publishing house)
What should a squirrel do who is fed up with the family business of hiding nuts? It’s very simple: choose another! For this, the determined Turri will need to work as a postman, a builder, a counselor and many others. Only after that, the squirrel will find a job that he likes.
“The owl that took the echo for walks” by Eva Solska (Ranok publishing house)
How to stop being afraid of the dark and become brave if you are a little timid owl? Everything is simple. You should find someone who is more afraid than you and take him for walks. A touching fairy tale will help the child gain self-confidence and show that any fear can be overcome.
“About three brave knights” Anna Tretyak (“Ranok” publishing house)
Once three brave knights — or knights? – went in search of adventure… Do you think it was a long time ago? Not at all. Maybe it’s happening right now! Anna Tretyak’s story is about imagination and play, thanks to which children – and adults! — they can instantly become anyone: astronauts, dinosaur tamers, explorers of new lands, knights and knights. And it is not necessary to go in search of adventures around the world, because imagination can turn even ordinary events into an exciting adventure.
In the second stage, each expert of the “Literature for Children” nomination will choose five candidate books from this list, which they will place in order of ranking.
Accordingly:
1st place (5 points) — winner and further
II place (4 points),
III place (3 points),
IV place (2 points),
V place (1 point).
The organizing committee, by counting points, will determine 3 books that will go to the third stage of voting. These finalist works will be presented at the discretion of readers in libraries throughout Ukraine. During this voting, the final winner will be determined.
Book prize “Espreso. “Readers’ Choice” was founded by the “Espreso” TV channel and is supported by the NGO “Demforum”. Its presentation took place on May 18, 2017 as part of the “Book Arsenal” in Kyiv.
The award is designed to celebrate the best Ukrainian modern literary novelties of the year, to support the interest of Ukrainians in reading books by domestic authors. To help readers choose interesting books, and publishers to find a way to readers. The winners of the Prize will be announced at the beginning of December 2021 on the air of the “Espreso” TV channel, on the “Espreso.TV” and “Demforum” websites.
