Shurka, Bobka, and Tanya, having escaped the siege of Leningrad, are separated again, but they are alive and know it for sure—they have already learned to feel the hearts of their loved ones beating hundreds of kilometers away. War, in its blind madness, spares no one: neither adults nor children, neither those on the front lines nor those beyond the Urals, neither cats nor horses, neither trees nor birds. Everything has become terribly confused with this stupid war, and now, to drive it away, it's time to take up the most effective weapon—since people and bombs can do so little, it's time to unleash a fairytale conspiracy. 'Beetles Don't Cry' is the third of five books in the 'Leningrad Tales' series.

The first, 'The Raven's Children,' was named the top event of 2016 in young adult literature, shortlisted for the Yasnaya Polyana literary prize, included in the international 'White Crows' list—among the top 200 books from 60 countries—and won the IN OTHER WORDS award from the BOOK TRUST, the largest British foundation for children's literature. The second book in the series, 'The Stolen City,' was longlisted for the V. Krapivin Prize in 2017.