На Велидень Сонце Грає
On Easter the Sun Plays
Author: Ірина О. Клід (Iryna O. Klid)
Edition: 1st
Format: Paperback
Pages: 112
Language: Ukrainian
Illustrations: Few, BW illustrations
Publisher: «Навчальна Книга – Богдан» (Тернопіль, 2007)
Availability: Yes
Acquired: Toronto
ISBN: 978-966-408-190-7
This is more of a resource book for teachers than a book for children. The publishing house that produced it is called «Навчальна Книга», i.e. “The Educational Book,” and this book reflects that.
It is full of Easter and Spring related materials. The first section is a collection of short pieces about traditional Easter celebrations in Ukraine and around the world. Then there are sections of Easter stories from the bible, and legends from nature. There is a section of religious poems, and another of pagan ones–haivky and vesnyanky–with musical notation on several of them.
There is an entire section about pysanky–legends, folk beliefs, an essay about he Pysanka Museum in Kolomyia, a short how-to guide and, of course, poems to memorize. As a Ukrainian child (albeit one living in the USA), I had to memorize poems all the time for Ukrainian school, whether it be for classes or holiday pageants (and there seemed to be an awful lot of holidays). I like this one in particular, on page 91:
It is a popular poem, often reprinted; it was the inspiration for the title of Sofia Zielyk’s book. A translation can be found here.
Another poem, by the book’s author, is this one:
Котилася писаночка з гори на долину,
прикотилаць протісінєко до нас у гостину.
А за нею йде Великдень, несе білу паску,
розсипає між діточок радощі і ласку.
A pysanka rolled from the hill to the valley,
Rolled straight to our house for our feast.
Following it came Easter, carrying a white paska,
Spreading joy and kindness among the children.
It may have been the inspiration for the title of this book.
There follows a section of short plays, any of which would be suitable for a religious school pageant, one about Palm (Willow) Sunday, and the other about Easter. Such plays are very popular in Ukraine (and among Ukrainians in the diaspora), and booklet full of them abound.
The last section of the book, oddly enough, is titled «Ох, ці паски, пишні тга пухкі» (Oh these pasky, sumptuous and puffy), and is a collections of paska recipes. They include tasty paska, cheese paska (2), paska with nutmeg, Ukrainian paska, paska with cheese and nuts, buttery paska (2), paska with raisins, chocolate paska, Podillyan paska, and traditional paska. The traditional paska, oddly enough, calls for margarine!
Back to MAIN Children’s Books home page.
Back to MAIN Books home page.
Back to Pysanka Bibliography.
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