Sunbeam is on the greatest journey of his lifetime. His father, the Sun, sent him to Earth to learn more about the universe and its many creatures. Now, millions of miles away from home, he's lost somewhere in the frigid North Pole.
Son of the Sun and Wizard Lizard is an interactive children's storybook that released on iTunes in early February. It tells of Sunbeam's travels and how he ultimately learns forgiveness — that "bad guys," big or small, can be fought with compassion and understanding over hatred and violence.
It's a lesson the story's creators are struggling to follow at the moment. Mikhail Stepanskiy, 33, and Ruslan Kosarevych, 24, just spent the morning delivering food and supplies to protestors camping outside in Kiev, Ukraine. It's the third month of anti-government protests in the city. More than 90 people have reportedly been killed within one week, as of Feb. 21, the same day the Ukraine government and opposition leaders struck a deal to end the violence.
By the time the initial unrest broke out in November 2013, Stepanskiy and Kosarevych had already launched their company, Kidappers, about a year ago. They were well into the development of Son of the Sun.
They're hoping their work can inspire an end to the violence. If anything, that it will serve as proof of their — and their entire country's — creative potential: "Our so-called government thinks we're cattle that must be drained. But we're free, talented people. This app, and the ones to come, are proof."
In between working on lighthearted, joyous children's book, they're witnessing horrific violence every day.
"The irony of us designing a story about forgiveness during such a violent time is not lost on us," Stepanskiy says. "This is war. People need to understand that. It's difficult to sit in this office and understand that outside there are snipers — police snipers — killing people."

Police stand guard near a manmade barricade outside Maidan in Kiev
Image: KidAppers
The Kidappers office is about one kilometer from Independence Square, the epicenter of the protests.
We're talking via Skype. Both guys, bearded and lounging in front of a bare white wall, look exhausted. Pissed off, mostly. On Wednesday night, Feb. 19, Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych offered a truce, but by early Thursday morning, videos of police firing AK-47s and sniper rifles at protestors had surfaced online. The proposed truce was never signed.
Stepanskiy and Kosarevych have been assisting protestors at the barricades since Dec. 1, 2013, after reports surfaced that riot police had beaten student protesters in late November. Both have brought food, medicine and money to those camped out near the square. Stepanskiy helped build barricades; Kosarevych stood in lines to hold back police.
Despite the climbing death toll, Stepanskiy says the overall morale is relatively high among the activists he's seen on an almost daily basis.
"There's a spirit of discipline; the highest level of self-organization," he says.
It's been a strange paradox to wake up each morning and bring supplies to the barricades, then walk to an office, 15 minutes away, where they try to concentrate on cartoons about forgiveness and understanding. One of Stepanskiy's computer's tabs shows Sunbeam and story ideas for future lessons; the other tab, just one click away, is a live update of that day's death tolls.
Most difficult of all is fighting the atmosphere of hatred that permeates the city right now.
"It's hard to know what's going on and not want to go to Maidan to fight," he says. "[Kosarevych], for example, is in good physical shape. He's a tennis player, and he can throw Molotoff cocktails very far. But we — anyone out there — need to stop letting hate get into our hearts."

Image: Kidappers

As we speak, Stepanskiy's eyes dart back and forth toward the bottom of his screen, refreshing news pages. The sun's beginning to set in Kiev, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't mean much. Not yet.
"This book has extremely urgent context — now more than ever," he says. "We want to prove to the entire world that we are worth a better life. We just want this revolution to end. And when it does, for people to have clear hearts and be able to move on."
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Protesters carry a wounded demonstrator in Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014. Hundreds of armed protesters charged police barricades Thursday on Kiev's central Independence Square, despite a truce called just hours earlier by the country's embattled president. Protesters pushed back the police about 200 meters and were in control of most of the square.
Protesters stand behind burning barricades during a face-off against police on Feb. 20, 2014 in Kiev. Hundreds of armed protesters charged police barricades Thursday on Kiev's central Independence Square.
Protesters burn as they stand behind burning barricades during clashes with police on Feb. 20, 2014 in Kiev.
Anti-government protesters walk on a puddle of blood left by a wounded demonstrator during clashes with the police in the center of Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.
Protesters clash with police after gaining new positions near the Independence square in Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.
Protesters advance towards new positions in Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.
Dead bodies lay covered on the ground during clashes with riot police in central Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014 in Kiev.
A demonstrator stands on a balcony overlooking Independence square is seen during the face off against heavily armed police on Feb.20, 2014 in Kiev.
Fellow demonstrators carry a heavily injured anti-government protestor during clashes with riot police in central Kiev on Thursday.
A protester stands behind barricades during clashes with police on Thursday.
An Orthodox priest walks under fire during clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police in central Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.
Activists evacuate a wounded protester during clashes with police in Kiev's Independence Square on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014.
Activists pay respects to protesters who were killed in clashes with police in Kiev's Independence Square, the epicenter of the country's current unrest, Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. Fierce clashes between police and protesters, some including gunfire, shattered a brief truce in Ukraine's besieged capital Thursday, killing numerous people. The deaths came in a new eruption of violence just hours after the country's embattled president and the opposition leaders demanding his resignation called for a truce and negotiations to try to resolve Ukraine's political crisis. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Activists carry a dead protester during clashes with police in Kiev's Independence Square on Thursday.
Activists and priests pay respects to protesters who were killed in clashes with police, a flag held by one activist reads "For Ukraine." in Kiev's Independence Square on Feb. 20, 2014.
Protesters stand behind burning barricades during a face-off against police on Feb. 20, 2014 in Kiev.
People look on the protesters who were killed in clashes with police in Kiev's Independence Square on Feb. 20, 2014.
An activist closes a victim's eyes while others pay respects to protesters who were killed in clashes with police on Thursday.
An activist holds a vest that belongs to a victim of a clash between riot police and protesters in Kiev's Independence Square on Feb. 20, 2014. A bullet hole is seen on the vest.
Protesters clash behind burning barricades during the face off against heavily armed police Feb. 20, 2014 in Kiev.
Activists pay their respects to protesters who were killed in clashes with police in Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014. Fierce clashes between police and protesters, some including gunfire, shattered a brief truce in Ukraine's besieged capital Thursday, killing numerous people.
Anti-government protesters reinforce a barricade during clashes with the police in the center of Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.