Piat koloskiv – П’ять колосків

In Piat koloskiv – П’ять колосків (the Ukrainian-language edition of Five Stalks of Grain), Nadia and Taras face hardship, loss, and grief as they try to survive the Holodomor in Soviet Ukraine. This graphic novel shows the moral struggles faced even by children, in a fictional story involving historical events. The artwork features simple, clean lines in contrasting black and white only, a style that lends itself well to a story of such grim conditions and encourages readers to focus on the book’s message. Given its historical connections, this book could be used for social studies lessons but could also inspire fine arts or Ukrainian language lessons. This book is also available in English under the title Five Stalks of Grain.