About the Illustrator

Yana Holubiatnikova’s beautiful and haunting artwork illuminates Freedom Pancakes for Ukraine. Yana is Ukrainian and, astonishingly, created each of the book’s watercolor paintings while working in a war zone. She lives in Kherson, Ukraine, the realities of the Russian invasion and ongoing war never far from her mind. During the Russian occupation of her home town, she was forced to forage for food for herself, her young son, and her pets while never missing a day of painting in her studio. As fighting continues, her life remains difficult and uncertain.

Yana’s courage and commitment are inspiring. Author Janice Cohn feels that she exemplifies the spirit and resilience of her fellow Ukrainians who persevere in the face of daily hardship and deprivation. Readers of Freedom Pancakes for Ukraine will see that Yana’s love for her country shines through in the pages of the book—many of Yana’s illustrations are infused with blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

As readers turn the pages, Janice hopes they will reflect for a moment on how and where the artwork was created and join her in sending strength and good wishes to Yana and her family.

Yana’s Statement

Working on the illustrations gave me professional pleasure. Sometimes it was very difficult to come up with multi-figure scenes. It was a challenge for me and I went on this adventure and never regretted it. I now see new tasks and a new path for myself. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to work on this book.

I tried to make the illustrations rich and bright, but they are permeated with sadness. You cannot get rid of this sadness, you cannot turn away, because the lives of a huge number of people in my country are permeated with this sadness.

Meet Yana

Yana Holubiatnikova was born on March 2, 1977 in Kherson, Ukraine. She studied at the Simferopol art college named after Samokish. She worked as a costume designer at the Kherson Theater of Drama and Comedy. She has been a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine since 2013 and a member of the board since 2015. Her paintings have been widely exhibited throughout Ukraine and at international exhibitions, including in the United States.