  | Marie's magic eggs : how Marie Procai kept the Ukrainian art of Pysanky alive Author: Wallace, Sandra Neil | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
As a new immigrant to America, Marie Procai felt homesick and alone-she missed her homeland, Ukraine. She took comfort in the ancient Ukrainian art of making pysanky, intricately decorated eggs for Easter, an art she'd learned from her grandmother and brought with her to America.
| Illustrator: | Turk, Evan |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (12/01/25)
School Library Journal (+) (04/01/26)
Booklist (+) (12/01/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/01/26)
The Hornbook (00/01/26)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 04/01/2026 Gr 2–4—This richly layered biography frames cultural preservation to honor one's heritage and develop identity. Marie Procai's lifelong devotion to pysanky, the intricate Ukrainian art of egg decoration, sustains her through war, displacement, and separation from her homeland. What begins as a practice learned beside her grandmother becomes an anchor amid upheaval. Ultimately, she develops a public commitment to sustaining Ukrainian tradition in a new country. Art functions as memory, livelihood, and quiet defiance. In preserving pattern and symbol, Marie safeguards language, belief, and belonging. Acrylic illustrations deepen that thematic current. Saturated blues and luminous golds echo traditional motifs, while densely layered patterns create immersive spreads. Ornamentation fills the page, mirroring the patience and precision the craft demands. Texture becomes narrative; pattern becomes continuity. Light moves across each composition with a quality that feels at once sacred and intimate, visually bridging past and present. VERDICT A visually resplendent, culturally grounded portrait that affirms artistic heritage as enduring identity, resilience, and communal stewardship. - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
