NEW YORK – The Lucky Day is the third title in the beloved Lucky Book Series by Greek-American author Anna Prokos, and finds the protagonist Billy and his family preparing to celebrate March 25th, an important day in Hellenic history.

To commemorate this date, Billy must wear a traditional Greek costume consisting of a funny red hat, puffy pom-pom shoes and a short, pleated white skirt. He does not want to be seen in public with this strange uniform! But when his father explains the history behind the foustanella, as well as the significance of the history of March 25th, Billy proudly marches in his city’s Greek Independence Day parade to celebrate his heritage.

Published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Greek Independence Day, The Lucky Day tells the historic, religious and cultural story of March 25, 1821, start of the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman oppression. The Lucky Day is reflective of events celebrated by Greeks and Philhellenes around the world, so that children can learn about and share their culture and heritage.

The Lucky Day explains the reason behind Greek Independence Day, weaving the religious significance of the day with the events that led to the revolution. With full-color illustrations by Christina Tsevis throughout, the charming book, geared towards youngsters ages 3-11, explains how friends and families celebrate the day with special foods, poems, parades, costumes and more.

Prokos has written more than 50 books for children and their families, recently turning her attention to publishing books that feature Greek culture and traditions. As a child, she joyfully participated in the numerous traditional events and holidays celebrated by Greek-American families. Today, as a parent, Prokos realizes the importance of simply and colorfully explaining these beloved cultural traditions with future generations. A native of New Jersey, the author now lives near Charlotte, NC, with her husband and four sons, where she enjoys sharing stories of growing up Greek.

Illustrator Christina Tsevis lives in Athens, Greece, and grew up in an artistic family which has been creating beautiful artwork for years, and motivated her to create her own designs as a teenager. To create the titles in The Lucky Book Series, Tsevis drew upon her love of family traditions celebrated in Greece. Tsevis encourages children to embrace their individuality and share their uniqueness with the world.

Prokos spoke with The National Herald about her latest book. When asked about how long it took from idea to publication for The Lucky Day, she told TNH that “the idea has been with me since I published The Lucky Egg, in 2013. But life with four kids, a full-time career, and a move to another state, put my book plans on hold.”

“Now with the opportunity to work from home from my corporate job, I found extra time in the day to write it,” Prokos continued, adding that “the book took me a week in the spring to research and write- it has been brewing in my mind for years! My illustrator, Christina Tsevis, lives in Greece and was also on COVID lockdown, so it was lucky she was available in the summer to illustrate. Her illustrations were finalized by end of September, I did some more editing on the text and my graphic designer had final files to the printer in mid-November. The book was finalized and ready for sales on January 5, 2021.”

Prokos added that “my company is doing Greek School Book Fundraisers for many Greek Schools in New Jersey and California, featuring all The Lucky Day and all the Greek culture and traditions books in The Lucky Book Series. I will also be doing a Facebook Live reading of The Lucky Day on March 25.”

Coming soon in the series, The Lucky Word, a book about October 28, and the meaning of OXI Day.

The Lucky Day by Anna Prokos, illustrated by Christina Tsevis, is available online: a-to-zpublishing.com.