Genya wants nothing more than to be a professional artist. She has had this goal since age 5 and that was almost 6 years ago. Now her dream could come true if she is accepted at a prestigious art school in Kiev, the same one her mother attended.

Getting in won’t be easy. She lives in Soviet Ukraine during the time just before the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster which occurred on April 26, 1986. That event causes her family to temporarily relocate but she doesn’t give up her passion to draw.

The author is in fact sharing her own story. The graphic panels are unique in their artistry and personnel recollections. The story is memorable not only for the realities of the time, but also for Genya who you will be rooting for to be one of the rare Jewish kids who get into the school.

Middle grade readers who like to draw and those interested in the history of an event unknown to most middle graders will enjoy following the author’s childhood journey in CHERNOBYL, LIFE, AND OTHER DISASTERS.

BOOK BIRTHDAY: April 14, 2026 PAGES: 144

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She has received multiple awards for her picture book illustrations, including a Sydney Taylor Honor and two notable recognitions. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books A Party for Florine, Anya’s Secret Society, Typewriter, Mona Lisa In New York, and I Hate Borsch!, and the illustrator of Drop by Drop by Jacqueline Jules, among other collaborations. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City.

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