Early one morning, a little girl named Olenka notices her best friend the fluffy feline Blankie wasn’t in the kitchen eating his breakfast. This had never happened before and the curious little girl was worried, so she asks her mum and dad a lot of questions, but nothing they say makes sense. Her search for answers leads her to Xavier the Rabbit, who knows everything about the way things work. Mustering all the courage she has, Olenka joins Xavier on a journey around the city of Lviv to discover Blankie’s secret.
My Cat Blankie Has a Secret is a book for both adults and children to read together, encouraging an open and frank discussion about the often difficult, emotionally charged subjects of death, loss, and separation, and helping anyone facing the confusion, worry, fear, and anxiety that may result from losing someone they love.
About the author
Olenka Zahorodnyk created a slightly off-kilter picture book for children from Sykhiv, a rough neighborhood on the outskirts of Lviv in western Ukraine. She wrote and illustrated the book to address tough questions kids often ask which parents are afraid to honestly answer, giving both kids and their parents the courage to be honest with each other. Olenka graduated from the Lviv National Academy of Arts with a masters degree and today, Olenka is usually accompanied by her very much alive dog Xena, who is a constant companion on hikes through the Carpathian Mountains, where they collect stories for new illustrations.
this book is also available in ukrainian Here