Lisa Cohn's Blog, page 9
July 1, 2018
Vera, Our Girlpower Grandma, Featured in “The Immigrant Story”
Vera, the girlpower grandma in our latest book, Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts, is profiled in “The Immigrant Story” this week by Lisa Cohn.
In real life, Vera is Michael’s surrogate grandma. He likes to say about her, “She has awesomeness wow-power.”
Here’s the story, which provides details about Vera’s life growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine:
When Michael, age 9, was asked to identify the girl-power women in his life, his first choice was his surrogate grandmother. Vera Moroz, 76, was an immigrant from Ukraine. For the boy who was “adopted” by Vera as one of her own, Vera embodies strength, goodness, intelligence, and kindness.
Vera grew up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine, in the village of Cherkasy, where she was born in 1942. She never met her father and grew up not even knowing his name. To this day, she still doesn’t know; he died in the Second World War. As a member of the Ukrainian army, he had also fought against the Soviets. His political views could have meant that her entire family would be sent to a Gulag camp, she said.
“People who were in the Ukrainian army were getting sent to Sibera or prison,” she said.
Because Vera’s mom wasn’t a member of the Communist Party, she received no pension and had to work low-level jobs to make ends meet. Every morning she rose at dawn to walk into town and fuel the hospital’s wood boiler before the doctors arrived. Before leaving the house each morning, she made bread for her three children and braided Vera’s hair while she slept.
Read the entire story here:
Watch Michael dedicate our latest book to Vera:
It was Michael’s idea to dedicate “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts” to Vera. He also thought up the idea of creating a character, based on Vera, who is the coach of the most successful girls’ team in the state and also the girlpower assistant mayor.
Learn more about our new book on Amazon:Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts . Girlpower Grandma Vera teaches important life lessons in our new book.
The post Vera, Our Girlpower Grandma, Featured in “The Immigrant Story” appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
June 15, 2018
Watch Boy, Age 9, Dedicate Book to Immigrant Grandma from Ukraine
Watch Michael, age 9, dedicate our latest book, “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts,” to his immigrant Grandma from Ukraine in this short, sweet video:
Michael met Vera as a toddler in a local community center, and also started playing with her grandsons, Levko and Lukyan. Soon, enough, Michael and Vera were spending more and more time together, and Vera started calling him her grandson (he doesn’t have any grandparents who are alive). At first, he said, “But she is Levko and Lukyan’s grandmother, she can’t be mine,” but then proudly started calling Vera his grandma. He likes to take his friends to her apartment, and they always say, “I want a grandma like Vera!”
Vera has been an important influence in his life, babysitting him often, reading with him, and reminding him of his strengths. She likes to call him “the professor.” She also tells him “In my country” stories about her difficult life growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine.
When we began writing our third book, Michael insisted on making Vera the coach of the most successful girls’ team in the state, and also the assistant mayor. It was also his idea to dedicate the book to her.
You can learn more about Vera and her relationship with Michael in this widely-shared article: Voice of America Article: Immigrant Grandma in Our Book
Meanwhile, we want to remind you that we’re doing a Goodreads Giveaway of our book, giving away 50 copies of “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts.”
Learn about the giveaway here, which ends June 27: Goodreads Giveaway
And be sure to check out the latest reviews of our book, which appear on Amazon and on book blogs:
Reviews of Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beats
Here are a few of our favorites:
An Important Message Candy-Wrapped with Humor!
Blogger Tina Morley and her daughter, Amanda, age 10, wrote on Amazon and in their blog: Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts teaches an important message candy wrapped with humor. Bash learns that under the Title IX law, girls have equal rights as boys when it comes to the best coaches and education. This is an early chapter book with expressive illustrations.
Ten-year-old Amanda’s wrote, I liked that they loved dogs so much and let them be coaches. I think it’s cool that Ally is everywhere. Whenever you need her, she’s there. I like that the grandma is a coach and teaches the best girl team. I also like the grandma’s accent.
Cat Michaels wrote on her blog, Cat’s Corner,
Their book speaks to me as a former special educator as the authors address challenges faced by kids for whom certain sights and sounds send them into sensory overload.
I’ve worked with many children and parents to address this unique style, so I’m over the moon to see more authors tackle this issue…I loved my first glimpse (of the book). With its kid-friendly layour and font (no visual distractions here!) and bright pictures providing context clues for each chapter, it’s perfect for beginning readers or reading aloud. Plus, Bash and Lucy offer tons of discussion possibilities about inclusion and bullying.
And thanks, once again, to Vera, Michael’s immigrant grandma from Ukraine, for all she does for him!
The post Watch Boy, Age 9, Dedicate Book to Immigrant Grandma from Ukraine appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
June 11, 2018
Reviews of Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera & the Dream Beasts!
Book CoverReviews of Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera & the Dream Beasts, our latest book, are coming in, and we’re thrilled with them!
We’ve received reviews on Amazon and from bloggers. We hope they inspire you to read our latest book, which was recently featured in Voice of America, an article that garnered more than 800 Facebook shares. Read it here: Voice of America Article: Immigrant Grandma in Our Book
In addition, the kindle version of our book is Amazon’s Number 1 New Release in kids’ soccer books.
Here are reviews of Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera & the Dream Beasts:
An Important Message Candy-Wrapped with Humor!
Blogger Tina Morley and her daughter, Amanda, age 10, wrote on Amazon and in their blog: Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts teaches an important message candy wrapped with humor. Bash learns that under the Title IX law, girls have equal rights as boys when it comes to the best coaches and education. This is an early chapter book with expressive illustrations.
Ten-year-old Amanda’s wrote, I liked that they loved dogs so much and let them be coaches. I think it’s cool that Ally is everywhere. Whenever you need her, she’s there. I like that the grandma is a coach and teaches the best girl team. I also like the grandma’s accent.
Loved All the Bash and Lucy Books
Elisa Wood wrote on Amazon,
I’ve loved all of the Bash and Lucy books. But this one is my favorite. Great female characters in this book, including mayor-librarian-dancer Ally, whose smarts, talents, and kindness make her a great role model. I also really like the tough, loving and much admired Grandma Vera, the assistant mayor and coach of the most successful girls’ team in the state. Another female role model is Paula, who is intent on ensuring Title IX is enforced, and the girls get the best coach, even though that coach happens to be a dog named Lucy. This book is great fun to read, but I also couldn’t help but think about the way immigrants are maligned these days and how nice it was to see one championed in a Bash and Lucy book. Keep them coming please, son and daughter team, Michael and Lisa Cohn! Great read! You scored once again!
A Fun and Cute Story for Kids of All Ages
Dawn at the blog Bound for Escape https://bound4escape.com/2018/05/23/book-review-giveaway-bash-and-lucy-fetch-team-vera-and-the-dream-beasts-by-lisa-michael-cohn/ wrote:
Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts is a fun and cute story for children of all ages. What’s great about it is that it’s not only a good story with great illustrations, but it teaches several things throughout the story without children even realizing that they’re learning. Some examples of what is learned (I’m sure there’s much more):
Bash is sensory-sensitive and readers learn what it means to be sensory-sensitive and how to avoid being on “overload” (my word). Bash also has an active imagination that helps him to understand what is going on around him
Paula is all about girl-power and we learn about Title XI from her and the rest of Grandma Vera’s team
the library is a good resource for information
dogs are great companions for everyone
compromise is better than arguing and fighting
I definitely recommend the Bash and Lucy books and look forward to reading more of them in the future.
Showing Kids What Sensory Sensitivities Feel Like
Cat Michaels wrote on her blog, Cat’s Corner, http://www.catmichaelswriter.com/:
Their book speaks to me as a former special educator as the authors address challenges faced by kids for whom certain sights and sounds send them into sensory overload.
I’ve worked with many children and parents to address this unique style, so I’m over the moon to see more authors tackle this issue…I loved my first glimpse (of the book). With its kid-friendly layour and font (no visual distractions here!) and bright pictures providing context clues for each chapter, it’s perfect for beginning readers or reading aloud. Plus, Bash and Lucy offer tons of discussion possibilities about inclusion and bullying.
Universal Appeal of the Story and its Characters
On Amazon, “T” wrote,
I think kids and their parents should read this book because I like the message and the universal appeal of this story and its characters. Bash is a sweet sensitive boy who loves dogs and especially his dog Lucy. Ally and Paula are strong girl characters who know what they want. And we all have somebody like Grandma Vera in our lives who is tough and loving at the same time, somebody who can give good advice and a cookie to make us feel better. All kids sometimes need a bit of help from their family and their wonderful pets.
Excellent Read and Entertaining
Audrey wrote on Amazon:
“Excellent read and entertaining! Fun, dynamic characters that make you connect with your own family or friends. I love it when I read out loud and my son stands up anticipating the next event in excitement! Very amusing and captivating illustrations!! Love all the books!”
Again, we hope these review entice you to purchase a copy on Amazon here:
Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts
You can also email us at BashandLucy@gmail.com for review copies!
The post Reviews of Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera & the Dream Beasts! appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
June 5, 2018
Voice of America Article: Immigrant Grandma in Our Book!
Voice of America today posted an article about the immigrant Grandma from Ukraine in our latest book, “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts.”
Here’s the original story, in Ukrainian:
Ukrainian Immigrant Grandma is a Character in a Popular Children’s Book in the US
Here’s the article in English, translated by Tatiana Terdal, and with the photos published in the original piece:
Ukrainian Immigrant Grandma is a Character in a Popular Children’s Book in the US
By Alina Golinata
Vera with Tatiana Terdal and LevkoSeventy-six-year-old Vera Moroz, who lives in Portland, Ore., thinks that the best present in her life is a book where she’s one of the characters.
The children’s story “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts,” written by a friend of her daughter and co- authored by Vera’s 9-year-old surrogate grandson, was published in May 2018.
The book was preceded by many years of warm friendship during which strangers became like relatives.
How Vera became Grandma to Michael
Vera came to the US in 2005 to help her daughter, Tatiana Terdal, take care of her newborn son, Lukyan. Several years later, the second son, Levko, was born.
The family looked for friends for their kids and that’s how they got to know Lisa Cohn and her son, Michael, who lived nearby.
Later, Lisa and Michael started to write children’s books together and the most recent book they dedicated to Vera.
The families often saw each other, visited each other often, and their children played together.
“We used to see Vera and Levko two or three times a week at a local community center,” recalls Lisa. “Vera always played with Michael whenever we saw each other.” Through the years, Michael often saw Vera at Tatiana’s home and Vera became his babysitter. “That helped them establish a relationship because they spent a lot of time one-on-one.”
At some point, Vera started calling Michael her grandson.
“At first,” says Lisa, “he said (when he was three or four) ‘but she is Levko’s grandma, and can’t be my grandma.’ But soon he started calling her his grandma. (He doesn’t have his own grandparents.).”
Vera and MichaelAccording to the boy’s mom, he is very attached to Vera and likes to visit her. Sometimes he brings friends and they always say, “I would like to have a grandma like Vera.”
“My grandchildren call me Babtsya. Another child hears that, so for him and for them I am Babtsya,” said Vera. “Michel started calling me Babtsya. Of course, you know how Ukrainian babtsyas are. They will hug you and kiss you and caress you and love you. Lisa is very busy and I have a lot of free time. Now Michal and Lisa for us are like our relatives.”
And Lisa also has very warm words to say about Vera.
“Vera and I are good friends. She told me a lot about her childhood and youth. She always gives us presents like food she cooks and vegetables she grows,” said Lisa.
Lisa and Michael started writing books together when Michael was five years old. Their dog Lucy died and it was their way of dealing with grief. Lucy became the main character in the books, where she always accompanies a boy, Bash, a character based on Michael. The book about Vera became the third book in the series.
“Michael and I work together to come up with a conflict for our books. He is very good at doing that,” said Lisa.
Book CoverMichael also has sensory challenges and that also is reflected in the character, Bash. That’s the way Lisa wants to educate people about the topic.
According to research, as many as one in six have some kind of sensory sensitivities and it can make it difficult for these kids to be in a regular classroom. Michael is home schooled so he can choose any subject he likes and have breaks for exercise. A lot of gifted children have sensory issues.
Michael with his dog, HudsonVera is the embodiment of girl power
In the book, Vera is the coach of a successful girls’ soccer team and the assistant mayor. Here is how the authors describe her in the book:
“Her uniform was stitched in blue and gold Ukrainian colors, and she and her players wore Ukrainian-style flower arrangements in their hair. Vera and Paula’s team outsmarted, outran, outshouted, and overpowered every team in the town, the county and the state.”
In real life, Vera never was a professional coach but often played soccer with Michael, Lukyan, and Levko, and also spent time with Lucy, who liked to fetch the ball. This gave Michael the idea of making Lucy a soccer player.
It’s not an accident that Vera became a character in the book.
“Michael and I decided to focus on a topic of girl-power. I asked him who he would name as three people who have girl-power. Vera was the first one he named,” said Lisa.
Michael also came up with the idea to make her assistant mayor and came up with a lot of her lines. He knows her well and is very good at imitating the way she speaks.
“If you read the book you can recognize my speech,” says Vera. “When I make mistakes that’s how he put it in the book. ‘Mom, it has to be the way Babtsya says it.’
“I at once recognized myself as the character in the book and as soon as I started reading, told myself, ‘Oh, this is about me. Of course they added fictional details, but the character is very close to reality, especially the way I talk. Michael has a great memory and hearing; he is a very gifted child,” said Vera.
As a coach, Vera often gives lectures on the theme, “In My Country.” She reminds her team how easy their life is compared to her own childhood and tells them to value what they have.
“In my country, not enough money to buy pets fancy foods and get their hairs fixed in beauty place,” Vera says in the book. “Your pets very lucky. And you lucky to have them. You must love them.”
Vera’s life history
Vera grew up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine, writes Lisa Cohn in her blog. During the second world war, the Soviets took away her family’s house and her family had to move to the basement. They also took away the family’s land.
“We had a lot of land, but the Soviet Union took it,” shared Vera in an interview with Lisa Cohn.
When she was six, her mother worked in a hospital at night, keeping a wood-fired boiler going. Before she left for work, Vera’s mom would braid Vera’s hair while she was asleep and prepare her food for the morning.
“They would give us a ticket for one load of bread for one week. When I was very young, I went at night and stayed in the long line to get bread. We were always very hungry. We ate special grass that my mother planted,” she said.
A neighbor once stole her family’s goat and asked her mom to tell the police. She wanted the government to take her children away, to a school for orphans, so the kids would get food. The neighbor went to jail, and her children went to the government school.
In Ukraine, Vera experienced many hardships, including losing $10,000—all her savings—after the Soviet Union dissolved. She explained, “Most Ukrainians lost all their money. After the separation (dissolution of the Soviet Union), Russian bank did not give Ukrainians their money.”
A single working mother, she often knitted and sewed clothing in the bathroom at night so she wouldn’t wake her two children while they were sleeping. She sold the clothing to make extra money. She also worked an 8-hour job, getting up early to make food for her children.
Vera with GrandchildrenIn 2005, Vera moved to the US and also became grandma to Lukyan and Levko and also Michael.
Michael proposed dedicating the book to Vera and he and his mom together wrote the dedication.
“For Vera Moroz: You inspire us every day with your strength, goodness, smarts, and spirit. We love you!”
Vera values greatly her relationship with Lisa and Michael and this book made her very happy.
“This was something very big for me that these people paid attention to me, old woman. I have not had a bigger present in my life as the present from this boy and his mom.”
The post Voice of America Article: Immigrant Grandma in Our Book! appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
June 4, 2018
$150 Raised for Oregon Humane Society, Book Giveaways at Release Party
We have raised $150 for the Oregon Humane Society as a result of sales at our book release party Saturday, as well as pre-sales of “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts.”
In addition, some of the donation we’re making today to the Oregon Humane Society came from audiobook sales of our first two “Bash and Lucy” books. The audiobooks feature the voices of Michael and friends, age 5-11.
After past book release parties, we donated to the Oregon Humane Society the proceeds from sales at the events.
Mr. Hoo performed during our party, which was held at Village Home Education Resource Center during its Summerfest event, which attracted a few hundred people.
Michael and Mr. HooVillage Home provides classes and activities for kids like Michael who are homeschoolers.
Flora, age 9, pictured here, was one of the winners of our book giveaway.
Michael, age 9, was dressed in a Ukrainian shirt, reflecting an immigrant theme in the book.
In “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts,” Grandma Vera, based on the real Vera Moroz, Michael’s surrogate grandmother who immigrated from Ukraine, is the assistant mayor and the coach of the most successful girls’ team in the state. She’s one of three “girl-power” characters in the book, all of whom are based on Michael’s family members.
Our dog, Hudson, a golden retriever, greeted guests at the party.
In the book, sensory-sensitive Bash gets grumpy and overwhelmed when his world is too loud, bright, or busy. He relies on his superstar dog and canine coach, Lucy, to help keep him calm. But his girl-power cousin, Paula, along with Grandma Vera, say that their soccer team should have Lucy on their side. Under Title IX, they argue, girls deserve the same things as boys—and Lucy is the best coach around, for Bash’s team. Bash must figure out how to respect the girls’ rights while keeping dear Lucy by his side.
When released last week, the book made #1 New Release, on Amazon’s ranking for kids’ soccer books.
Recent reviews of our new book point to its humor and ability to educate kids about girls’ rights, sensory sensitivities, and immigrants.
Said Elisa Wood in an Amazon review, “This book is great fun to read, but I also couldn’t help but think about the way immigrants are maligned these days and how nice it was to see one championed in a Bash and Lucy book. Keep them coming please, son and daughter team, Michael and Lisa Cohn! Great read! You scored once again!”
“Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts” teaches an important message candy wrapped with humor,” said Tina Morley, blogger, in an Amazon review. “Bash learns that under the Title IX law, girls have equal rights as boys when it comes to the best coaches and education.” Her 10-yr-old daughter, Amanda, said: “I liked that they loved dogs so much and let them be coaches. I think it’s cool that Ally is everywhere. Whenever you need her, she’s there. I like that the grandma is a coach and teaches the best girl team.”
Said blogger Cat Michaels, “Their book speaks to me as a former special educator as the authors address challenges faced by kids for whom certain sights and sounds send them into sensory overload.”
“I’ve worked with many children and parents to address this unique style, so I’m over the moon to see more authors tackle the issue…With its kid-friendly layout and font (no visual distractions here!) and bright pictures providing context clues for each chapter, it’s perfect for beginning readers or reading aloud. Plus, Bash and Lucy offer tons of discussion possibilities about inclusion and bullying.
Read more about Grandma Vera and “immigrant grandma power” in our new book:
The post $150 Raised for Oregon Humane Society, Book Giveaways at Release Party appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
May 28, 2018
Bash and Lucy 3 is #1 New Release, Children’s Soccer Books!
We were thrilled to discover that Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts made Amazon’s #1 New Release, children’s soccer books (kindle version).
The book has a girl-power theme. Bash’s cousin, Paula, says that under Title IX, all-star canine coach Lucy, Bash’s dog, should coach Paula’s girls’ team. The girls have the right to the very best coaches, she argues. But sensitive Bash relies on Lucy to help keep him calm. How can he convince the girls–and their powerful Ukrainian coach, Vera–that he respects the girls’ rights?
There’s also an immigrant theme in our book. Vera, Bash’s grandma, is an immigrant who grew up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine and endured many hardships (She’s based on the real Vera, Michael’s grandma). She’s the assistant mayor and the coach of the most successful girls’ team in the state. She reminds her team members to work hard and appreciate all that they have.
We’re hoping that the girl-power and immigrant themes helped drive our book to the #1 New Release, children’s soccer books!
We’re also excited about the reviews that have been coming in. Here are a few on Amazon:
“An Important Message Candy-Wrapped with Humor”
This was written by blogger Tina Morley and her 10-year-old daughter, Amanda.
Tina’s thoughts: Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts teaches an important message candy wrapped with humor. Bash learns that under the Title IX law, girls have equal rights as boys when it comes to the best coaches and education. This is an early chapter book with expressive illustrations.
Amanda’s thoughts: I liked that they loved dogs so much and let them be coaches. I think it’s cool that Ally is everywhere. Whenever you need her, she’s there. I like that the grandma is a coach and teaches the best girl team. I also like the grandma’s accent.
Another review on Amazon, by “T”:
“Universal Appeal of the Story and its Characters”
I think kids and their parents should read this book because I like the message and the universal appeal of this story and its characters. Bash is a sweet sensitive boy who loves dogs and especially his dog Lucy. Ally and Paula are strong girl characters who know what they want. And we all have somebody like Grandma Vera in our lives who is tough and loving at the same time, somebody who can give good advice and a cookie to make us feel better. All kids sometimes need a bit of help from their family and their wonderful pets.
Buy the book on Amazon, kindle or paperback: Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts
Watch the adorable book trailer, filmed by an award-winning teen videographer four years ago!
The post Bash and Lucy 3 is #1 New Release, Children’s Soccer Books! appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
May 25, 2018
Meet the Mayor(s) at our “Bash and Lucy” Book Release Party
We’re excited that Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle will be attending our June 2 “Bash and Lucy” book release party! It’s happening 2-4 pm, Village Home Education Resource Center, Beaverton.
Beaverton Mayor Denny DoyleIn addition, if you come to the party, you can learn about the girl-power mayor and assistant mayor in “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts.”
We have met Mayor Doyle a few times at events related to dogs and the arts. Most recently, we chatted with him at an Oregon Humane Society event at Beaverton Toyota. He also attended Michael’s sister’s plays when she was a student at the Arts and Communication Magnet Academy in Beaverton.
Mayor Doyle was elected Beaverton’s mayor in 2009. Prior to becoming mayor, he spent 14 years serving on the City Council. Before joining the City Council, he was elected to serve on the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District Board of Directors, according to his website.
Mayor Doyle believes in working collaboratively to get the job done and knows you build a better city with the help of residents, businesses and regional partners. Under Mayor Doyle’s leadership, the city has created the Beaverton Community Vision, which set the city’s priorities and budget, his website says.
Mayor Doyle has been a strong supporter of public safety initiatives, downtown redevelopment, community building events, expanded support for social service partnerships. In addition, he has strengthened Beaverton’s connection to the arts.
As for the girl-power mayors in “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts, the town’s mayor is Ally, Bash’s sister, who is also a librarian and the founder of a dance troupe. As one reviewer said in a recent review of our book, “I think it’s cool that Ally is everywhere. Whenever you need her, she’s there.”
And Vera, the coach of the most powerful girls’ soccer team in the state, is the assistant mayor. She’s based on Michael’s real grandma, an immigrant who grew up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine and endured many hardships. She reminds her team members that they should work hard and appreciate all that they have in their lives—especially their canine companions.
Read more about Vera and her “immigrant grandma power” below:
The post Meet the Mayor(s) at our “Bash and Lucy” Book Release Party appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
May 21, 2018
Immigrant Grandma Power in “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team…”
Immigrant Grandma power abounds in our new book, Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts.
Grandma Power!In the book, Vera, an immigrant grandma from Ukraine, is a successful girls’ soccer coach and assistant town mayor. Here’s how we describe her in the book:
“Her uniform was stitched in blue and gold Ukrainian colors, and she and her players wore Ukrainian-style flower arrangements in their hair. Vera’s team outsmarted, outran, outshouted, and overpowered every girls’ team in the town, the country, and the state.”
Vera is based on the real Vera Moroz, who grew up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine. During World War II, the Soviets occupied her part of Ukraine, took over her family’s house, and made her family move to the basement. They also took away the family’s land.
“We had a lot of land, but the Soviet Union took it away,” she said in an interview.
When she was 6, her mother worked in a hospital at night, keeping a wood-fired boiler going. Before she left for work, Vera’s mom would braid Vera’s hair while she was asleep and prepare her food for the morning.
“They would give us a ticket for one loaf of bread for one week. When I was very young, I went at night and stayed in the long line to get bread. We were always very hungry. We ate special grass that my mother planted,” she said.
A neighbor once stole her family’s goat and asked her mom to tell the police. She wanted the government to take her children away, to a school for orphans, so the kids would get food. The neighbor went to jail, and her children went to the government school.
In Ukraine, Vera experienced many hardships, including losing $10,000 –all her savings–after the Soviet Union dissolved. She explained, “Most Ukrainians lost all their money. After the separation (dissolution of the Soviet Union), Russian bank did not give Ukrainians their money.”
A single working mother, she often knitted and sewed clothing in the bathroom at night so she wouldn’t wake her two children while they were sleeping. She sold the clothing to make extra money. She also worked an 8-hour job, getting up early to make food for her children.
Vera immigrated to the US in 2006 and became a US citizen in 2011.
Vera took a shine to Michael when he was a toddler and “adopted” him as her grandson. She treats him as one of her own and likes to call him “the professor.” Her grandma power inspires us every day.
In the book, Vera reminds her team members about how easy their lives are, compared to her life growing up, and encourages them to work hard and appreciate all they have.
“In my country, not enough money to buy pets fancy foods and get their hairs fixed in beauty salons,” she says in Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts. “Your pets very lucky. And you lucky to have them. You must love them.”
We dedicate our book to Vera: “For Vera Moroz, You inspire us every day with your strength, goodness, smarts and spirit. We love you!”
For us, Vera is the epitome of Mother Power, Grandma Power and Girl-Power!
The post Immigrant Grandma Power in “Bash and Lucy Fetch Team…” appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
April 23, 2018
A Sensory-Sensitive Boy, His Girl-Power Cousin, Some Canine Coaches: New Book!
A sensory-sensitive boy (Bash), his girl-power cousin, some canine coaches and a handful of “dream beasts” are all featured in our next book, Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts, due out in May!
The dream beasts, which chase humans who don’t like dogs, were invented and designed by Michael, age 9, who had a major hand in shaping the book. For example, he insisted on a long title–“the kind of title you see in Captain Underpants books.” Along with inventing the dream beasts and writing the title, he created numerous “girl power” characters–based on his formidable sister, Ally, and equally capable grandma, Vera.
In the book, sensory-sensitive Bash gets grumpy and disruptive when his life is too bright, too loud, too smelly or too busy. He relies on his canine companion, Lucy, to help keep him calm, especially when the dream beasts lurk nearby. But his girl-power cousin, Paula, is stirring up all sorts of trouble. Paula says her soccer team has the right to take Lucy away from Bash because girls deserve the very best canine coaches under Title IX. And superstar Lucy is the most successful coach around—for Bash’s boys’ team. How can Bash show he respects the girls’ rights while keeping dear Lucy by his side?
Our first chapter book features illustrations from Heather Nichols of Portland, Oregon, design by Vinnie Kinsella, and editing by Laura Garwood and Kristin Thiel .
Coming soon is a video about kids, like Bash, with sensory sensitivities, also called sensory processing disorder. It features two 9-year-olds talking about what they’re sensitive to, what makes them feel calmer, and which types of education they prefer, given that they feel antsy if they are required to sit in a class for more than a few hours.
Also coming soon is an audiobook, featuring the voices of Michael and friends. And for the first time, we’ll release an e-book version of our Bash and Lucy book, which is our third book.
Watch our first book trailer, filmed about four years ago, but which is still relevant today!
Questions or comments? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com
The post A Sensory-Sensitive Boy, His Girl-Power Cousin, Some Canine Coaches: New Book! appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.
January 26, 2018
“Squishy Taylor” Gets High Marks from Our Roving Reader Leader for #ReadYourWorld
“Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters” by Alisa Wild immediately caught the attention of Michael, age 9, chief of the Roving Reader Leaders.
It was delivered to our door for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 by Capstone Publishing. After quickly reading this first book, Michael insisted on going to the bookstore and getting the rest in the series.
Here’s what he had to say about the first book:
A day later, he got his hands on a few more “Squishy Taylor” books, but complained that he hadn’t found all of them. Here he gives the series a 100-million-star rating!
Learn more about Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018, which is in its 5th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom.
Check out the 2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors here: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday....
Squishy Taylor Book ReviewCheck out the 2018 MCBD Author Sponsors here: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday....
MCBD’s CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but has also worked hard to spread the word about this event. http://multiculturalchildrensbookday....
TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be 9 pm 1/27/18.
Twitter Party! Great conversations, fun prizes and the chance to #ReadYourWorld (1/27/18)
Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta
Get a free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday....
Hashtag: #ReadYourWorld.
In Squishy Taylor, dark-skinned Squishy finds herself in a stepfamily with two stepsisters, aka bonus sisters. The kids aren’t crazy about the stepfamily situation at first, but connect with each other when they try to solve a mystery together. The book has a beautiful cover and is engaging and fun. We love that the girls learn to get along–and meet all kinds of interesting characters along the way.
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