If one thinks about it, one might consider it strange and irresponsible or even funny to attempt writing at my age. So I honestly thought about it, considered it, and even laughed about it but considering the circumstances, I’ve made the attempt.

And the circumstances were quite simple and pragmatic. My elder son, whom I consider a very talented designer, decided he wanted to illustrate a children’s book. And not just a children’s book, but a Ukrainian book. And not just to illustrate it but to change the whole appearance of the book. After getting my younger son (a programmer) involved in the project, they soon solved the problem of the appearance of the book, but for some reason they could not find a book to illustrate.

The appearance they invented for the book required a text of adventures. And no matter how much they searched, they could not find a book to illustrate. Having listened enough to the mutterings of my elder son, I unexpectedly offered my own services in writing the text. After a long pause, highly raised brows, and looking at each other, my sons accepted my offer, although it was obvious that they did it solely from respect to my grey hair.

Their skepticism was totally justified for prior to my retirement I never wrote anything apart from construction papers or invention applications. It however seemed to me that I had enough reason to try and write something.

I remember my own childhood very well, when I would fall asleep clutching a book. Even more so I liked to tell my peers some wondrous stories claiming they were real events and that I took active part in them. The interesting thing was that even though nobody doubted they were fairytales, my audience listened to me very attentively, with open mouths, demanding a continuation. I could even remember my tale of the adventures of the acorn men that I told my younger brother and sister, who, having grown up, can still remember these acorn men as something extraordinary although they have absolutely no memory of what the adventures were. Neither do I remember that, for almost fifty years passed since that time, but the thought of the acorn men stuck firmly in my head.

Therefore, when I offered to write the text of the book, I knew what I would write about. I mentally returned to those old days where I could see spellbound faces of children in front of me, and after such a lengthy break, I began to tell tales – inspiringly and shamelessly – yet again…

From the very beginning of creation of the characters of the cycle, I had no doubts about their qualities. Distinctive – for sure; funny – perhaps; with pathos or heroics – never. Each of them however was not only to illustrate certain events, but also to live a life of its own, to overcome barriers, and to solve endless mysteries. I only hope that none of them will leave you indifferent and that the magic Dyvolis will releave to all of us its numerous mysteries.

Good days to you and to the whole glorious family of the grey-haired Vyr…

When my brother expressed the desire to illustrate a book of adventures or fairytales, so that the very appearance of the book would emotionally tune its reader to that genre, for some reason I immediately thought of ancient scrolls of parchment. I thought about it and realized that in its classic form such a scroll could not be used because in the hands of children such a scroll will only survive a short time. However the idea of making a scroll seemed so attractive that I did not want to reject it on the spot, so I searched for compromises, one of which has finally been approved by our little team.

Now our task is to make it attractive to you and – to be realistic – to the publishers, which would do good to become realists themselves…