“Since the Russian army invaded Ukraine, you have been worried about Ukrainian families. Your messages sent to the Small Daily show it.” On its front page on Tuesday, the newspaper for 6-10 year olds The Little Daily is aimed directly at its readers, for a special war in Ukraine issue which aims to explain this worrying news to children and answer their questions. The photo on the front page shows dozens of civilians, men, women and children, leaving the town of Irpin amid the debris of a bridge destroyed by shelling.
The editor of the Small Daily François Dufour explains at the microphone of Europe 1 why it is important to talk to children about the war. “The children absolutely must go to war in Ukraine!” he exclaimed. “For three reasons: first the children don’t live on the planet Mars, then they go anyway to hear about it at school, on the radio, on TV, etc. And, finally, it’s a great opportunity to make them understand that history and geography are not theoretical subjects at school, but that they help to understand the world.”
“Don’t try to be reassuring”
A sticker on the front page of the newspaper warns children and advises them to read this difficult issue with an adult. François Dufour clarifies to our microphone on the best way to talk about this violent news to the little ones. “I advise you to start from the questions that your children ask themselves, and to make sure that they understand your answers. And do not forget that a child does not necessarily know what a missile is, talks, a humanitarian corridor”, explains the editor-in-chief.
“Beware of giving too many opinions and sticking to the facts,” he also warns. “These are the facts that will allow you to explain the ins and outs of the war to children. Do not try to be reassuring, because you risk lying very quickly. However, the reality is shocking and the only matter of to reassure is to explain and make people understand.”
In the four pages of this daily newspaper for children, which promises to be read in ten minutes, young readers will find a map and photos which illustrate the explanatory texts of the situation in Ukraine. A glossary at the bottom of the page also gives the definitions of difficult words for children such as “pound”, “mobilize” and “molotov cocktail”. This number of Small Daily dedicated to Ukraine is sent Tuesday to the newspaper’s subscribers.