About the Book
What helps a child feel at home — even far away?

When Mariyka moves to a new country, everything feels different.
To comfort her, Baba shares a story of flying seeds that carry the strength of their roots, no matter how far they travel. 

The Tale of Strong Roots is a gentle picture book about family, tradition, and finding home wherever life takes us.
Written by a Ukrainian grandmother for her granddaughters — and for everyone who believes that love and memory travel with us, wherever we go.

Includes a “Maple Magic” facts page — science & wonder for kids!

SUCESSFULLY FUNDED ON 

Perfect for:  

Families 
living abroad or between cultures

Educators
teaching about belonging and heritage

Anyone 
who treasures stories that feel like home

INSIDE THE BOOK

Two formats — one heartfelt story.

Premium Hardcover — to treasure for years.

Paperback 
— to share and enjoy together.

*Both Formats available in English & Ukrainian.  More languages are on the way!
Book Details
Format Hardcover Premium / Paperback
Size 8.5 × 8.5 in
Pages 28 full-color
Languages English & Ukrainian (more coming soon!)
ISBNs 978-1-0695027-1-1 (Hardcover English)
978-1-0695027-2-8 (Paperback English)
978-1-0695027-3-5 (Hardcover Ukrainian)
978-1-0695027-0-4 (Paperback Ukrainian)
Series Tales with Strong Roots
Publisher Maple Deer Entertainment, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Each copy is printed with care — a little piece of love from our family to yours.
Supported by:
Why This Story Matters
Families move. 
Generations change. 
Yet stories keep us connected. 

This book is for everyone who wants to share warmth, memory, and roots — with children, parents, and grandparents alike. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Valenty​na Miliohlova

A proud Baba — a Ukrainian grandmother ​— who grew up in a village, listening to her own Baba’s stories filled with kindness, wisdom, and deep family roots.
After moving to Canada with her family, she felt how important it was to keep those memories and traditions alive.

 Tales with Strong Roots is her way of passing them on — to her granddaughters, and to children everywhere.

ABOUT THE ​ILLUSTRATOR

Rebeckah Gerstner

Rebeckah is deeply invested in sharing family stories and learning from other cultures. For her, art is all about meaningful connection and finding joy in those connections!
She grew up homeschooled on a farm, loves gardening, and has a special connection to Ukraine through her grandparents, who shared stories and sent handmade gifts each Christmas — making this project especially meaningful.

Upcoming Books — “Tales with Strong Roots” Series

The Tale of Strong Roots is the first in a growing series celebrating family memory and cultural connection. 

COMING SOON
Our Supporters & Community
With heartfelt thanks
This book came to life with the love and support of many kind people.
Thank you for believing in this story — and for helping us keep memories and family roots alive.

Valerie and Rod Smith Wiebe Family Rev. John Crowdis Baba Genya
Jane and Bob Aspen Sue Luoma Sylvia Malthouse Vera Voyd
The Leong Family Joy Cline Greg & Caroline Kitt Evelina Vytvytska
Alla & Greg Yaceyko Christine Howatt Viktor Malik Cheryl Waye
Isabel Bauer Beverly Yaceyko Rajesh Lalwani Eileen
Debbie & Larry Greg Litvinov Rory Alexander Farrell Madden Magdalena Holub
St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian 
Catholic Church
Trinity United Church Central Vancouver Island 
Multicultural Society
VI Regional Library - Nanaimo Harbourfront

In memory of Steve Yaceyko

"Steve Yaceyko believed in keeping one's heritage alive. He would have loved this book, supporting the cause and remembering our roots.  Love you and miss you, Dad"

Yaceyko Farms Ltd. 

Yaceyko Farms  - is a Ukrainian Heritage mixed family farm ❤️ 
“It is great honor to be one sponsor to this exciting book!”

Greg Yaceyko Professional Corporation

“Maintaining my Ukrainian roots is very important to me. My father always instilled these values in me and I am forever thankful that he did that.”

Kinsmen Club of Nanaimo

Kinsmen Club of Nanaimo is a volunteer-driven organization that impacts Canadian communities through service, leadership, fellowship, and personal development.

The Kinsmen Club of Nanaimo

The Kinsmen Club of Nanaimo is very grateful to support the campaign to promote the book “The Tale of Strong Roots – From Ukrainian Baba with Love.” This story aligns with our Kin Canada values of Excellence, Pride, Integrity, Inclusiveness, Compassion. 

The book highlights the challenges of moving from your home to another country and having to learn to adapt to all the associated changes. Knowing that what you hold deep in your heart from your history is valued and accepted in Canada opens doors for great new beginnings. 
Maintaining cultural pride is critical to the success of all newcomers as this keeps them rooted in their important traditions and educates us in those traditions. 
Showing inclusiveness and respect in our interactions demonstrates they are valued members of the community, and we hope our compassion as they navigate everything new shows the integrity of our organization and allows them to be proud of what they have accomplished.

Countdown to Official Launch

The Tale of Strong Roots will be available worldwide on November 8, 2025.

Our pre-orders are open now — and our Kickstarter supporters are receiving their books first.
Thank you for helping this story take root. 💛

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Where to Buy

Our Shop (Square)

Pre-order now

Amazon

Available November 8

IngramSpark

for libraries & bookstores

Local Stores

list coming soon

Every purchase supports our small family studio and helps us bring more stories to life.

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