Watch 9-Year-Old Dedicate Book & Audiobook to Immigrant Grandma from Ukraine
Lea Cohn, co-author of the "Bash and Lucy " books, was 9 when this video was created. Michael reads the third Bash and Lucy book's dedication to Vera Moroz, who appears as a girl-power Ukrainian grandma in the book and in real life is Michael's surrogate grandmother.
Bash and Lucy Book 4, "Bash and Lucy Say, 'Love, Love, Bark!'" features Vera as the passionate and do-gooder assistant mayor. She wants citizens to stop fighting and embrace the goodness of dogs and creates "Dog-tention" and daily dog holidays to achieve her goal. We're in the midst of planning the audiobook for Bash and Lucy Say, "Love, Love, Bark!" and will give it away to schools and children.
"Bash and Lucy Say, 'Love, Love, Bark!'" was released April 4, and this dedication is still an apt representation of the relationship between Vera and Michael, who is now 14.
In real life, Vera followed a rocky road from a young child in Ukraine to becoming Michael's surrogate grandmother. While she was growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine, the Soviets took control of her house and moved her family to the basement. Later, when the Soviet Union dissolved, Vera lost her life savings--$10,000.
The smart and spunky Vera worked while raising two children as a single mother, and often sewed clothing at night in the bathroom--so she wouldn't wake her kids--and sold it to make extra money.
Now, Vera babysits and sells home-made food to raise money for war-torn Ukrainians. When Michael takes friends to her apartment, they all say they want a grandma like Vera.
Vera is also a voice-over artist in the Book 3 audiobook (and Book 4 audiobook, available soon).
Vera and Michael are available for interviews about their relationship, Ukraine and the Bash and Lucy books.
Visit www.BashAndLucyBooks.com to learn more about the books and Vera.