MODERN UKRAINIAN LITERATURE AS A MEANS OF FOSTERING CARING AND RESPONSIBLE ATTITUDES TOWARD ANIMALS

The article explores the educational potential of contemporary Ukrainian fiction in shaping humane, caring, and responsible attitudes toward animals among older preschool children. Emphasis is placed on the ability of literary language to influence a child’s emotional and moral development, stimulating empathy, sensitivity, and the capacity for compassion. The study analyzes works by modern Ukrainian authors that exhibit a clear ethical and humanistic orientation. It is revealed that literary texts in which animals are presented as full participants in the plot contribute to the formation of children’s moral and ethical understanding, as well as skills for responsible interaction with the environment and all living beings. The article also examines current educational initiatives, in particular the Bioethics project by the Happy Paw Foundation, which utilizes literary texts to promote a humane worldview in children. The effectiveness of audiobooks and poems as tools for developing empathy in preschoolers is discussed. The importance of integrating literature into the educational process in preschool institutions is emphasized, along with the role of parents in family reading as a key factor in moral upbringing. The article concludes that modern Ukrainian children’s literature serves as an effective instrument for fostering a compassionate, responsible, and morally mature personality capable of kind behavior and conscious attitudes toward animals.