Witnessing hostilities, let alone war crimes or the death of loved ones, is a very traumatic experience, especially for children. Even those small Ukrainians who did not lose their relatives or homes still experience stress and tension due to the war. In order to cope with a traumatic experience more easily, you need to talk about it, realize it, rethink it and let it go. Books can be assistants in such a frank conversation.
The “Chitomo” platform created a selection of children’s works about the war. These are 11 books – 10 Ukrainian authors and 1 foreign. The list includes works for children of different ages and preferences.
Preschoolers and younger schoolchildren
Anna Dewdney “Llama Llama Red Pajamas and His Mother”
This is the only translated book in the collection. “Llama Llama red pajamas and his mother” are fascinating illustrations, stories about a restless three-year-old Llama and rhymes with a lulling effect. The book is best suited for evening reading to preschoolers.
Volodymyr Chernyshenko “One-Two-Three Steam Locomotive”
This is also a poetic story for preschoolers or children of primary school age. The counting book not only helps children learn oral arithmetic, but also unobtrusively talks about the evacuation of people from dangerous places where hostilities are taking place. Predominance of green and blue shades of illustrations has a calming effect.
Svitlana Stretovych “The bear travels to the Carpathians”
This book can be offered to younger students. The war is mentioned here only indirectly, as a background. The main character Vedmezhunya sneaks out into the mountains to better see what is happening in the city, where sometimes disturbing sounds and the smell of smoke come from. Then the little bear and her parents decide to climb Hoverla. The book will be a great helper and guide for families who really travel in the Carpathians. It contains instructions and advice for those who decide to go to the mountains.
It is interesting that “Vedmejunya travels to the Carpathians” was printed this year in the Kharkiv Vivat publishing house, whose premises and warehouses burned down due to attacks by the Russian army.
Maria Horyanska “We don’t need war”
This book is recommended for children over 5 years old. In it, such complex abstract concepts as “unity”, “nation”, “responsibility”, “freedom” and others are explained in simple words.
Category 6+
This part of the list includes the books “Give me a paw, Pepitko!” Oksana Lushchevska, “The Tale of the Amazing Apple Tree” by Oksana Dumanska, “The Button Who Wanted to Go Home” by Slava Svitova, “Raketa Raccoon and Other Heroes” by Yevgenia Zavaliy.
Category 8+ and 9+
Olena Skulovatova “How to make money on vacation”
The main character of the work, Rusya, wants to collect money for a new phone and a birthday party. Thanks to her new friend, the girl learns about savings, cryptocurrency, and how the world of finance works. The book will help children to distract themselves and learn a lot of new and useful information, will teach the basics of financial literacy.
Marko Teren “Seven sacks of buckwheat wool. About grandfather Panka and magic power”
This is a collection of fairy tales about grandfather Panka, who helps other heroes protect their native places from foreigners – iron birds that spit fire and other monsters. There are magical tools that save the defending warriors, and other elements of fantasy and folklore.
For teenagers
Violin Sytnik “Lali”
This is a book from the 15+ category. Lali Korchilava is a teenage girl who moved to Ukraine from Georgia after the Russian occupation of South Ossetia. The work contains stories about the search for identity, bullying, first love, conflicts with parents and choosing a profession – everything that children deal with in adolescence.
