British publishers collect things for children from Ukraine

Two independent publishers have created an initiative to help refugee children from Ukraine: they are collecting backpacks with the much-needed items. This was reported by one of the publishers – Little Toller Books.

The initiative is called Packed with Hope; its authors are Gracie Cooper (Little Toller Books) and Kevin Duffy (Bluemoose Books). Backpacks for refugee children containing a selection of books, a head torches, a toothbrush, a comb, a warmer, reusable drinking bottles, notebooks, coloured pencils, puzzles, socks, hats, scarves and other much-needed items.

Gracie Cooper said: «My children are constantly asking: “Could this happen to us?” We can’t simply stand back and watch. The uprooting of families is heart-breaking, and we have to be able to help in some way».

Little Toller Books and Bluemoose aim to provide at least 30,000 books and are inviting publishers, bookstores and authors to donate picture books and paperbacks for children of different ages. All publications must be accessible to children for whom English is not their first language.

There are four different backpacks:

• yellow, for children under 4, include colouring-in books, bedtime stories, 3D books, publications that help learn the alphabet and arithmetic, books about animals and books without words;

• blue, for children from 4 to 8 years old, include bedtime stories, simple fact books, colouring-in books, elementary books for children learning English for the first time;

• green, for children from 8 to 12 years old, include collections of bedtime stories, fact books, activity books, English language adventure stories, graphic novels, knowledge books and entertainment publications;

• red, for children from 12 to 16 years old, include collections of bedtime stories, fact books, activity books, adventure English stories, European stories, graphic novels, non-fiction books and a small pocket sized dictionaries.

«We know what we are doing is only the slightest of gestures. But what if something in that bag puts a smile on someone’s face? What if a six-year-old could fall asleep listening to a bedtime story? What if a thirteen-year-old could escape into a story? We are sure that our friends in the publishing world will be supportive», – added Gracie Cooper.

The entire publishing house plans to collect and send 10,000 backpacks to Ukraine’s neighbours, which requires 75,000 pounds. You can join the fundraiser here.

The Old Lion Publishing House reportedly opened access to several children’s books, and Yakaboo and Astrolabiia made available their adult’s literature.