THE PLUCKY UKRAINIAN SUNFLOWER

In Doornebos’ debut picture book, a host of Ukrainian sunflowers resists an invading bear.

Standing in their patch in rural Ukraine, a young sunflower and his fellows feel an ominous rumbling through the ground: Something is wrong. Sure enough, a ferocious, bullying bear comes stomping along. It blocks out the sun and crushes flowers underfoot. (“‘I want your land!’ the bear roared.”) All of the sunflowers are scared, but the young sunflower stands up to the bear. With flattery, trickery, and the support of its fellows, it leads the bear far away and dumps it into a watering hole. Doornebos relates the sunflowers’ tale in the mode of a fable, employing simple language and recounting events that unfold more through moralistic intent than the logic of cause-and-effect. Though quite overtly an analogue to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the story functions perfectly well as a standalone piece—its message of resilience is universal, and adults and children alike can take heart from the sunflowers’ triumph. Anderson’s crayon and watercolor illustrations mirror the narrative’s simplicity against mostly white backgrounds. The bear, in its savageness and entitlement, is evocative, as are the frailty of individual sunflowers and their recognition of strength in numbers. The yellowness of the sun and the sunflowers offers a constant reiteration of hope, which ultimately prevails in a joyous scene of cultural celebration.

Heartening and uncomplicated—a rousing modern-day fable.