Children may be aware of the war in Ukraine due to news coverage, and this book helps to introduce the country to readers and is useful for reports, too. The enthusiastic text gives a brief description of Ukraine’s history, culture, natural resources, people, holidays, and relationship to other countries in Europe. There are only a few sentences on the current war, so this is more of an overview. The text is very positive and celebratory of the country, and the author is originally from Ukraine. Color photos on nearly every page, sidebars, maps, activities (such as crafts and recipes), and other elements make this a great resource for a wide age range.

I'm from Ukraine, so there's no new information for me in this book, but I'd definitely recommend it to literally everyone: both children and adults. This book is perfect if you know nothing about Ukraine or if you want to educate yourself a little bit more than knowing just the location of this country and its capital city Kyiv. This is a nice introduction to learning more about the biggest country in Europe that is currently at war because of russian full-scale invasion.

Blue Skies and Golden Fields is a really short book, so I don't want to spoil anything, but it has beautiful illustrations, and there is not only general information about Ukraine but you'll also learn some recipes and Ukrainian folk tales. And believe me, you'll definitely be interested in learning more about Ukrainian culture because the author's writing style is really easy to read and it made me like this book even more.

This was a NetGalley book.

It was a beautifully illustrated, and even though the book is geared towards children, I learned a lot from it.

I recommend it for all ages!

Educational book that is appropriate to read aloud to those too young to manage some of the vocabulary. It contains a nice mix of diagrams, facts, photos and stories from Ukraine. Describing Ukraine as a country and slightly touching on the fact that Russia invaded in 2022, it could be the catalyst for conversation with older children. Because it is broken into sections, a child may want to read a part at a time or skip around depending on what they are interested in that day.

Well written and avoids political overtones. Would be a great addition to a home or classroom library.

#BlueSkiesandGoldenFieldsCelebratingUkraine #NetGalley #ClassroomLibrary #UkraineforKids

Beautiful, colorful, country book on Ukraine. Facts presented simply without controversy. I prefer "non-series' , formulaic in my nonfiction collection, and this book is perfect! All the information, great photos, and unique.

This non-fiction children's book has all of the information a child would need when studying or research about Ukraine. The book includes: geographical, historical and cultural information about the country, information about symbols, resources and regions, food, religion, traditions, historical dates and timelines, language information, famous artists and celebrations. As a grade 3 teacher, I often assign research projects where students need to find the exact information I described above. I would gladly hand a copy of this book to a student and feel confident that they would be able to complete most activities with independence. It is well written, carefully laid out and has great information as well as interesting additional features like recipes and activities. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers wanting to provide an informational resource about Ukraine to children in the age 7-11 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was a sunflower fan long before it became an international symbol of not just peace but hope and resistance against foreign invasion. As such, the cover grabbed my attention immediately. As a retired teacher, I wondered how it could be used for learning, particularly as I imagine many children, the target audience, had never heard of the country before recent (2022) events. While it certainly isn't a comprehensive tome on the country's culture and place in history, it does provide a solid starting point as well as some hands-on projects.

My first reaction, probably naturally, was to delight in the colorful photos spaced throughout the book. For instance, rather than simple drawings of, say, a nightingale, the national bird of Ukraine, photos were used. No surprise, the sunflower got its own section, one that included instructions on planting them. They share a bit of culture here and there and one of them was a Ukrainian poem to be recited as you water your flowers.

History-wise, they provide a very basic overview and timeline. I should note that the book seems more directed at adults, adults who can read and discuss the information within with children. It provides a taking off place, in other words. Known as "the breadbasket of the world", Ukraine certainly is worthy of discussion. A handy timeline is provided, by the way. Given recent events, it provides a handy reminder that Ukraine's geographical location has made it something of a volatile barrier between the west and east at times. Again, not presented politically but in a conversational tone as a starting place for discussion. As such, this book would be an excellent starting point for adults wanting to know more about Ukraine.

Thanks #NetGalley and #Capstone - #CapstoneEditions for providing this quick, easy-to-read overview of Ukraine, it's culture, history, and importance to the world. Now I'm going to go practice those Ukrainian phrases.

A really pleasant, useful and handy primer to Ukraine. The maps show the real territory, even the Crimean, as Ukrainian, but without overly politicising anything this is a needed advert for the independent state, carefully being gubbered up by the bloke next door (at time of writing, of course). We learn of their holiday meals and that the most common soft drink is not kvass, we see their wonderful decorated Easter eggs, take a trip down to visit some Cossacks, and wander through the optimistic beauty of the sunflower fields. It's obvious why this book was made when it was and for what reasons, but that doesn't mean it's a bad book – far from it. It will fit most easily into anyone's primary school (except for those in Russia and Belarus, obvs).

An informative and amenable introductory book to Ukraine, its history and culture in general, that includes a wide range of information from language to food to places and economy as well as activities children can be involved in, such as planting sunflowers (Ukraine's national flower) to cooking an easy recipe from Ukrainian traditional cuisine, and others.

I think it's geared more towards family reading time with the children than for the classroom, at least that's my impression. The pictures and illustrations are colourful and vibrant, and well-placed. The only thing that could've been improved on is that sometimes the text generalises and is vague when it should be specific. I do understand it's not meant to be thorough, as you'd need a fat tome to even start covering important topics relating to Ukraine, but given that this book is by Ukrainians for foreigners, more thought should have gone to not going for broad generalities.

My young kids and I enjoyed reading this book together and learning more about the beautiful country of Ukraine.

Written in a conversational tone relatable to elementary-age kids, this book paints a welcoming picture of Ukraine and its people, culture, traditions, landscape, history, and more. We especially enjoyed the activities throughout, like recipes, folktales, and instructions for planting sunflowers and painting eggs naturally.

Some information could have been better researched and more objectively presented. “Ukraine has a zillion diverse landscapes” was particularly bothersome. But otherwise, it’s a nice book for learning something positive about a war-torn country.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy!