Threads: Zlata's Ukrainian Shirt

by Lina Maslo (Author) Lina Maslo (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Threads is an inspiring picture book about a girl’s survival of the 1930s Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, messaging hope, pride for one's heritage, and context for today's War in Ukraine.

The threads on Zlata’s beautiful birthday blouse were knotted by her mother’s hands. “Red is for love, and black is for sadness,” her Papa says. Her Mama warns her not to show it off. Ever since the Communists came from Russia to Ukraine, they prohibited the teaching of Ukrainian culture. They’ve even taken the grain from Zlata's family's fields. But despite the danger, her parents refuse to give up their art, language, or beliefs.

As Zlata works to help her community survive, she finds that the dream of freedom is stitched deeper into the Ukrainian spirit than she could ever imagine.

Drawing from her own family’s experience in the 1932-33 Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, Lina Maslo weaves a thoughtful story that dares us not the forget the pain of the past as it informs the present conflict in Ukraine and inspires hope for the future.
Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
A poignant yet accessible entry into Ukraine’s ongoing suffering—and survival.

Review quotes

Maslo effectively uses dialogue, a first-person narrative with plenty of helpful historical context, and a controlled palette to create a meaningful, engaging tale. A poignant yet accessible entry into Ukraine's ongoing suffering—and survival. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Lina Maslo
Lina Maslo is a children's book author and illustrator working in Anderson, South Carolina. Originally from Ukraine, Lina emigrated to the United States in 1989, two years before the fall of the Soviet Union. Lina's other books include Free as a Bird: The Story of Malala, which is a Library Guild Selection, CCBC Choice, and the winner of the Living the Dream Book Award; and Through the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Created Narnia.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780374391218
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Publication date
January 23, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV016040 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Europe
Library of Congress categories
History
Picture books
Historical fiction
Girls
Ukraine
Famines
Famine, 1932-1933
T-shirts
Ukrainians
Embroidery
Blouses

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!