THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES: LITERATURE AS A BRIDGE TO UNDERSTANDING POST-TRAUMA

Children's literature serves as a crucial medium for helping young readers make sense of complex emotional and social realities.Traditionally, early childhood literature has steered clear of themes related to war trauma, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).However, recent socio-political events have catalyzed a shift in Israeli children's literature, resulting in the emergence of narratives that engage with the psychological aftermath of war within the family unit.This study examines a selection of contemporary Hebrew picture books that depict fathers returning from combat with PTSD, exploring how these texts introduce young children to the emotional and behavioral transformations experienced by their caregivers.Through literary analysis, the study identifies a shared six-stage narrative structure across these books, mapping the progression from pre-war stability to post-war familial adjustment.Key motifs such as emotional distance, behavioral changes, and the child's perspective on parental trauma are explored, highlighting how these narratives provide a framework for early emotional literacy.The findings suggest that these books function not only as therapeutic tools for young readers but also as educational instruments that foster emotional resilience, empathy, and intergenerational dialogue.By integrating contemporary trauma discourse into early childhood literature, these texts challenge conventional boundaries of children's storytelling while offering educators and parents new pathways for discussing difficult topics with young learners.The study concludes that literature can serve as a safe space for children to process and articulate emotions related to familial trauma, reinforcing its role in social-emotional learning and trauma-informed education.