How to Get the Book
A printed copy of the book can be purchased by writing to the Foundation's address. The book is given free of charge to schools, public libraries and family-type children's homes. Contact details are on the relevant page.
The first book in the Glossary Eco Foundation environmental series
Vukhan-Klapan and the Red Mark
A detective tale about a hare with big ears and his best friend - a long-eared hedgehog listed in the Red Book of disappearing animals. For children who want to understand why animals disappear - and what can be done about it.
What This Book Is About
One April morning, the long-eared hedgehog Stepanko wakes up with a mysterious red mark on his cheek. The doctor is powerless. The bats in the forest bar only frighten him with their tales. And so Stepanko, together with his best friend - the hare Vukhan-Klapan, whose enormous ears hear trouble before anyone else - sets off in search of the mysterious Felicia: the forest cat who knows everything.
Felicia explains: the red mark appears in animals of which fewer and fewer remain in the world. The long-eared hedgehog Stepanko is in the Red Book of Ukraine. And the forest cat Felicia herself is also a vulnerable species - only a few hundred of her kind remain in Ukraine. The bats of the Giant Noctule species were last seen in Ukraine almost 80 years ago. And behind each of these animals lies a specific cause of disappearance: destroyed steppes, deforestation, the pollution of water bodies.
The book is not a scientific lecture - it is a detective story that contains real facts. In the finale, Felicia passes on, through the friends, eight practical pieces of advice for children: what each of them can do today.
Who This Book Is For
The book is intended for younger schoolchildren - readers aged 7-10. The text is written so that a child can read it independently, or it can be read together with parents or a teacher - and the events of the book discussed. In a learning context, the book can be used in nature studies and reading lessons and at extracurricular events devoted to the theme of the environment.
The Series Continues
Vukhan-Klapan and the Red Mark is the first book in the series. The next book will be published in 2027 and will be devoted to climate change. The third, planned for 2028, addresses the themes of responsible consumption and renewable energy.
In 2027, the Foundation plans an open competition of stories and illustrations for children on ecological themes - as a way to involve new authors and give a voice to children who have something to say about nature and climate.