Finding Messi: The Miracle Cat from Kyiv

Home is where we are together

Based on a true story, Finding Messi is about the unbreakable bond between a girl and her beloved cat, Messi. When Ukraine is attacked, eleven-year-old Iryna and her mother must leave everything behind in Kyiv, including Messi. When Messi goes missing, Iryna rallies the community to help find her pet.

Finding Messi gently explains the impact of war on families. Young readers will gain a better understanding about children around the world who are displaced by war through the story of Iryna and Messi.

Written by an American teenager who visited Poland and Ukraine in March of 2022, Finding Messi will open the hearts of children around the world.

Trevor Ostfeld is a seventeen-year-old high school junior in New York City. In March of 2022, three weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, Trevor and his dad traveled to Poland and Ukraine to deliver humanitarian supplies and to offer support for people displaced by the war. Their group from Temple Emanu-El in Closter, New Jersey met Iryna and Alexandra Chernyak in Warsaw. Trevor hopes that sharing Iryna's story will help people understand the impact of war on families and young children.

Trevor lives in New Jersey with his parents, his two younger sisters, and his dog, Rocket.

Iryna Chernyak is a thirteen-year old seventh class student in Warsaw, Poland. Until late February 2022, Iryna lived with her mom, Alexandra, in Kyiv, Ukraine. She enjoys contemporary dance and playing the guitar. Iryna hopes that her story gives people hope, that even when times are tough, you should never give up.

Iryna lives in Warsaw with her mom, stepdad, baby sister, Mia, and her cat, Messi.