Marie’s Magic Eggs: How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive

★ Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ Foreword Reviews, starred review
★ Booklist, starred review
★ The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

Here is the inspiring story of the woman who kept alive the Ukrainian art of pysanky Easter eggs and brought it to America. Award-winning creators Sandra Neil Wallace and Evan Turk team up for a richly illustrated picture book biography for kids ages 7-10 who love arts and crafts.

As a new immigrant to America living in Minneapolis, 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 learned from her grandmother and brought with her to America. Cradling the pysanka in her hands felt like holding a piece of her homeland and giving her Baba a hug.

Making pysanky made Marie feel a little more hopeful when the Russia’s Red Army invaded Ukraine and forbade anyone from speaking Ukrainian or practicing their traditions, pysanky included. It sustained her spirit when her son was off fighting in World War II, and again when she welcomed Ukrainian refugees into her home after the war. A hardworking entrepreneur, Marie founded the Ukrainian Gift Shop in Minneapolis to keep Ukrainian culture alive in America and share it with everyone.

The legend goes that as long as pysanky are decorated, there will be good in the world. Ukrainian-heritage author Sandra Neil Wallace and award-winning illustrator Evan Turk share this hopeful story of the woman who fought to preserve an essential part of Ukrainian culture.

An investigative journalist of Ukrainian heritage, Sandra Neil Wallace is the author of almost a dozen books for children, some co-written with her husband Rich Wallace. Her titles include Race Against Time, winner of the Carter G. Woodson Award; Marjory Saves the Everglades, winner of the FLA Children’s Book Award; and The Teachers March, an Orbus Pictus Honor book.

Evan Turk is an award-winning author, illustrator, and fine artist. His titles include Muddy by Michael Mahin, which was a New York Times Best illustrated book; The People’s Painter by Cynthia Levinson, which won the Robert F. Sibert Medal; and, most recently, To See Clearly, which received 3 starred reviews.