In this informative new picture book biography of Volodymyr Zelensky, Linda Elovitz Marshall describes the Ukrainian leader’s experiences and unexpected rise to prominence. The urgency of Marshall’s subject is self-evident, and its complexities are bound to challenge young readers.
The author carefully assembles the events of Zelensky’s life to explain how he became president of Ukraine. She begins with the premise that, when he was a child, “Volodymyr hated lies.” Although this characterization cannot be proven, it’s certainly plausible, given the trajectory of his career.
Between 2015 and 2019, Zelensky starred in a television series called Servant of the People, in which his character becomes the president of Ukraine. (Zelensky was himself sworn in as president in 2019.) While the comedic series was a success, the assault on democracy in Ukraine led Zelensky to conclude that “ … that some things could not be fixed with humor.”
Those “things” include the crushing disillusionment that was born of Ukraine’s corrupt 2004 presidential election, and the disappointing subsequent administration of Viktor Yushchenko. By depicting normal events in Zelensky’s personal life — such as raising a family — alongside these more collective events, Marshall implies that authoritarian rule is not abstract: its injustices affect ordinary people. Illustrator Grasya Oliyko juxtaposes pictures of Zelensky’s children playing cheerfully with blocks with images of Yushchenko demeaning his citizens by appeasing Putin. Oliyko’s art style combines the simplicity of comics with a long tradition of European political cartoons; and her black-and-white line drawings are accented with touches of blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine’s flag. Both Marshall’s narration and Oliyko’s illustrations demonstrate that Ukrainians refuse to be dissuaded by daunting odds.
As a Jew, Zelensky has become a symbol of Ukraine’s history of antisemitism. After explaining that Jews have lived in Ukraine for over a millennium, Marshall briefly alludes to the fact that hatred of Jews predated the Nazi invasion during World War II: “Throughout the country’s history, Jewish people were often discriminated against and bullied … or worse.” Without erasing this painful past, Marshall makes a point of showing that Ukrainians have elected and supported a Jewish president who is leading their struggle against fascism.
Bravery might be only one component of Zelensky’s leadership and his people’s fight, but it plays a central role in this inspiring book.
Emily Schneider writes about literature, feminism, and culture for Tablet, The Forward, The Horn Book, and other publications, and writes about children’s books on her blog. She has a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures.