The author wrote this book while hiding in Kyiv near the beginning of the war in Ukraine. This is explained in an author’s note on the front end papers, which is written in both English and Ukrainian. The book is about nine-year-old Maya, who goes to school in Ukraine with her sixteen classmates. She introduces them and their teacher and tells their backgrounds and stories. We meet Hrystyna, who lives with her grandma and talks to her parents on Skype. We meet Tymko, whose mother plays the violin and her dad sings at the Opera House. Rayis is a Crimean Tatar, indigenous of Ukraine, and Petro is a Romani who has a huge family clan. Maya herself has two mums. Maya and her friends share an important message about love, respect, and what it means to be a family. The surrealistic illustrations in vivid colors enhance this interesting story about the resilience of the Ukrainian people. All proceeds from the book go to charities helping to protect the children of Ukraine. mjw