Dedham Author's 'Ukrainian Peace Print' Draws $15K For UNICEF

DEDHAM, MA - Peter H. Reynolds of Dedham, an award-winning children's book author and illustrator, created an image on March 1 symbolizing the hope for peace in Ukraine as its invasion by Russia raged forward. Now, his "Ukrainian peace print" not only has gone viral but also proceeds from the sale of its prints have raised $15,000 in only three weeks for UNICEF USA to aid the Ukrainian people.

The image depicts a young, barefoot girl holding up a sunflower with a peace sign at its center over a backdrop of blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The 7-inch by 7-inch print is available at www.thedotcentral.com for $10.

Peter Reynolds and Paul, his twin brother, own the Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham Square. Peter presented a check to Elana Western, the New England managing director for UNICEF USA and her colleague Laura Driscoll, its New England director of philanthropy Thursday morning in the independent bookstore and community landmark the twins founded nearly 20 years ago.

"We decided to do this on the one-month anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine," Peter said of the check presentation, noting that it will be the first donation of what he hopes will be many. "It would be nice to think that we wouldn't need more donations if there is a resolution. But there will be a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done in Ukraine."

"I think Peter created this print to express that there is more light in the world than darkness," added Paul, a co-author of their book entitled "Going Places." "He put it out as a digital image on social media, and almost immediately, thousands of people started liking it and sharing it. It resonated with them."

Soon people started requesting prints. Initially Peter thought of printing 100, but his assistant, Margie Leonard predicted its popularity, saying that at least 200 should be made. Neither expected the demand to grow exponentially.

"Now we have hundreds of orders," Peter said, noting that all proceeds from the sale of the print go directly to UNICEF USA. "For an independent bookstore, it can be hard to keep up."

A dedicated group of volunteers has been gathering in the bookstore's basement, packing orders and bringing them to the post office. They included Janet Holmes, Emily Hansen, Beth Doris-Gustin, Joanne Keaveney, Sister Barbara Lavin and Anita Rioux.

"As a Dedham resident, I am so proud of Peter," Keaveney said. "He is so innocent and is truly doing this from his heart. I am hopeful that more Dedham residents will support this effort."

"We wanted to do something for the people of Ukraine, especially the children," Peter explained. "We were happy to connect the dots with UNICEF USA on behalf of all the people who donated money to this amazing cause."

He thanked them for "helping to make the world a better place during these challenging times."

Paul chose UNICEF because of its renowned reputation, noting that there was concern that even reputable Ukrainian charities could be sabotaged by Russia.

Both UNICEF representatives have local ties. Driscoll, a Hyde Park resident, noted that she brought her children to the Blue Bunny for story hours when they were younger and buys gifts there. Western is a Dedham resident who is fond of the store, named for the blue bunny pattern displayed on Dedham pottery.

Driscoll noted the connection between Peter's phrase of "connect the dots" and his most famous book, entitled "The Dot," to the Blue Dot safe centers in the countries bordering Ukraine. In addition to spearheading reunification efforts for families divided during the mass evacuation, the centers provide warming stations, supplies and information to travelers.

"I saw Paul's post of the picture on Facebook," Driscoll said. "I really wanted to connect because it made such a great impact. Just a few days later, Peter got in touch with me to ask that, if they made prints, if we could accept the proceeds as a donation. I said, 'Of course.'"

The 18-year veteran of UNICEF USA added that it "seemed that all things were coming together."

Driscoll described UNICEF USA's efforts in Ukraine helping people receive food, medical supplies and psycho-social support as they cope with being separated from family members.

"It's a long-term process," she explained. "We are trying to meet people where they are. It's really an honor to work for an organization that is so ready to respond."

Western, of Dedham, said she learned earlier that morning that roughly half of Ukraine's children already have been displaced as a result of the Russian invasion, making the need for funding even more urgent.

"Children should not have to suffer," stressed Peter. "I wanted to create an image to express my hope for peace."

After watching hours of newscasts depicting the violence, he decided to channel his creative talents to depict his concern. He searched the internet for the Ukrainian flag and the symbolism behind its colors.

"The young girl is standing on a field of grain, which the yellow represents, with the blue sky above her," Peter said. "She is barefoot, just symbolizing the basic need for something as simple as shoes. In spite of that, she is holding a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine, with a peace sign at its center. She is wearing a yellow scarf because it is winter."

As he spoke about the illustration, he sat at a table, creating a large sketch of his print in a matter of minutes before a small but awestruck gathering.

Peter said that people are welcome to share the digital image as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine, although purchases of the prints and matching buttons would benefit the humanitarian effort. The 250 buttons were donated anonymously, and the $5 for each go to UNICEF USA as well.

He added that he is a true believer in the concept of peace. One of the books he illustrated is "Peace Train," which includes the song lyrics by the Cat Stevens tune. He will be working with the singer on future album covers and another book, he added.

"We all need to hop on that train and move in the same direction," Peter said. "All of us have time, talents and resources that we can use to make this world a better place"

Born in Canada, Peter said he was honored to learn that the U.S. embassy in his homeland is displaying a large version of the print centered between the Canadian and American flags.

The brothers also are the founders of the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity (RCTLC). The center is a non-profit organization that encourages creativity and innovation in teaching and learning.