Jella Lepman (1891-1970), a German-Jewish journalist, author and translator who worked at the BBC during the Second World War and founded the International Youth Library in Munich, believed that “if children read books from other countries, they would realise that they share common human values and strive to preserve them”.
We are highly interconnected in the contemporary world. What happens in Ukraine bears a direct impact on many other countries. I am a Ukrainian who has been living in the US for 20 years, and when Russia started a full-scale invasion, there were a lot of discussions on US social platforms about what we, as responsible citizens of the world, could do to support Ukraine—as well as what we could learn.
I also give storytelling workshops online, and regularly receive messages from my Ukrainian clients: “Oksana, we deeply apologise but we cannot let children out from the bomb shelter for the reading time. Today we have air raids one after another.”
Putting the two together, I decided to write a book about war for children: Silent Night, My Astronaut. Of course, introducing a topic like war and its impacts to children can feel uncomfortable and difficult for parents and teachers. But I believe it is crucially important to write, publish and share children’s books about war. Why?
First, because I value democracy and freedom, and I think that children should understand that invading another country is an unacceptable act.
Second, it is extremely difficult to live in a place experiencing war, but people do still stay in their country because of love, belonging and responsibility. However, their routine is dramatically changed by the invasion. To represent this change is the major aim of my book. The main character is a young girl who had a lot of interests and common day-to-day activities before the Russian invasion turned her life upside down. I hope that my portrayal of this upheaval will lead to a fruitful discussion on the value of every child’s routine life, but also (I hope) a deeper understanding of the impacts of war today on young people.
For instance, at this point in particular—summer 2024—every Ukrainian city and village is experiencing a severe shortage of electricity. Also, children cannot go to the summer camps they want to or used to because the territories close to the sea and the mountains are either occupied or mined. So, children need to learn to live in a different routine: they spend time with their parents and siblings, they read books, they play outside and visit their relatives (if possible). However, do they dream of having their normal routine back? Of course! Ask any child in Ukraine about their dream and you will hear: “The end of the war.”
Children’s books can provide a safe space for children to learn about sensitive topics and encourage them to evolve, one day, into responsible activists.
Do children in other countries need to know about this? No doubt. If young readers learn about such changes in Ukrainian children’s lives, they will surely have a much clearer understanding of what it is like to be in that situation. Children are not afraid to talk about serious topics. Books are needed as a starting place to discuss what war means—whether children are in the middle of a war or seeing it from afar. They will develop empathy and think about how to support kids in countries where the war is happening. If children read about the war in their childhood, I believe they will learn about their responsibility as humans and will grow into more empathetic adults who will strive to create a better world.
Children also need to read about war to learn how to survive traumatic times. We, as adults, want to believe that history doesn’t repeat itself. Unfortunately, it does. When I did my MA degree in Comparative Literature, I took a course entitled “Literature of Nazism and Stalinism”. It was fully attended, and packed with readings about the war. At the end of the semester, the professor asked students: “Why did we have this course?” Most students thought that it was to learn about history. “No,” the professor answered. “To learn the survival skills.” If responsible adults bring appropriate books about war to children’s attention, they will 100% influence the development of strong survival skills. And also, they will highlight what it is to stay human to your core, despite all the struggles.
Children’s books can provide a safe space for children to learn about sensitive topics and encourage them to evolve, one day, into responsible activists. Children who read about real world issues grow into critical-thinking adults.
Is this a lot of responsibility to put on children’s books? Sure. But children’s literature has the power to help bring about a better, more peaceful future – and that’s a power we should not ignore.
Silent Night, My Astronaut is published by Andersen Press on 16th August 2024.
