My husband and I relocated to Malaysia just as I was finishing the art for Let’s Be Friends. We moved into the residence hall of the boarding school where he works, and got settled in.
During this transition, my friends at HarperCollins and I were discussing front cover ideas for Let’s Be Friends. We settled on an option that featured tons of children. Luckily, inspiration was all around me. It’s like the UN around here! I drew many of my new little neighbors into the cover art.
Yarema and Oleksa, highlighted above, are from Ukraine. Here they are with their parents, Oksana and Andriy.
In light of recent events, showcasing this Oleksa, Yarema, Oksana and Andriy seems not only appropriate, but vital.
Over the weekend, this lovely family hosted a StandWithUkraine open house.
Homemade flags adorned homemade brownies, and traditional Ukrainian “cushion” cookies filled out the table.
We hugged, we listened to Ukrainian music, we wrote well wishes on yellow and blue paper hearts and stuck them on the wall.
Let’s Be Friends asks, “Can friends come from anywhere?”
Of course they can.
Ukrainian friends, we stand with you.
Want to help?
CLICK HERE to be directed to Andriy’s blog, STAYWITHUKRAINE, which includes links to trusted donation sites.
illustories 
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