Dream: As long as people write pysanky, the world will exist
Every once in a while, something lands in my hands that feels bigger than a product — something that feels like a story we’re meant to share. Today I want to introduce you to a book that made me smile, tear up, and feel proud all at once.
It’s a brand-new bilingual graphic story called: Dream: As long as people write pysanky, the world will exist by Tetiana Konoval (Kyiv, Ukraine)
The part that matters first: how it was written
Tetiana wrote this book in her kitchen during the February/March blackouts in Kyiv, when there was no heat and no light. She sat wrapped in a blanket, with the oven door open for warmth, typing on her laptop powered by a large powerbank.
When I picture that — someone creating something gentle and beautiful in the middle of such uncertainty — it reminds me why art matters. Why tradition matters. Why pysanky has always been more than “just eggs.” It’s memory. It’s identity. It’s hope.
What the book is about (and why it’s so special)
This is a graphic story about a child from an immigrant family, growing up and trying to make sense of who he is, what he values, and where he belongs. It’s told through a mix of:
a graphic novel
a “book within a book” (a grandmother’s diary)
and a warm introduction topysanky as a living tradition
English and Ukrainian are naturally woven throughout, which makes it feel real — like how so many of us actually speak at home, with our families, our Baba/Babcia, our memories. And the cover? It’s designed like a labyrinth in the shape of an egg, inviting you to find the right path and its way out. It’s thoughtful in that quiet, meaningful way — the kind of detail you notice more each time you look.
My personal connection (and why you’ll hear me talk about this one)
Here’s the part that still makes me shake my head in the best way: the main character is based on my oldest son, Nicholas — and some of our family finds their way into the story too. So yes, I’m sharing this because it’s a beautiful book… but I’m also sharing it because it feels like a little thread tying together our family, our community, and Ukraine — through pysanky.
At the heart of the story is a young boy exploring pysanky through his Baba/Babcia’s book, and that exploration takes him on a special trip to Ukraine where he learns to write pysanky with Tetiana Konoval herself and her students. It’s tender, meaningful, and full of the kind of cultural warmth that stays with you after you close the last page.
I’ve also brought in a small number of copies to keep on hand for customers who want to add it to their Ukrainian EggCessories order. (Just a heads up: if you have Amazon Prime, it will likely be cheaper on Amazon — I’m stocking it mainly for convenience, and because I want to help share Tetiana’s work.)
About the author
Tetiana Konoval (born Dec 18, 1971, Donetsk) is a pysankarka and teacher who received the state award “Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine.” She has written more than 10,000 pysanky, and her works are held in museums around the world. In 2023, Ukrposhta issued postage stamps in the “Ukrainian folk pysankas” series — including pysanky from the Odessa and Volyn regions written by Tetiana.
Recently viewed products
You may also like
Subscribe
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …