The news of war is everywhere right now, and no doubt our children are trying to make sense of the sadness and anxiety that is hovering over so many of us. Depending on your child’s age, the approach you take to talking about the tragic war in Ukraine—as well as the racism faced by Africans trying to leave Ukraine and the biased media coverage of the Russian invasion compared to other ongoing conflicts around the globe—will vary. When explaining the harsh realities of war to younger children, sometimes a book written at their level of understanding can be helpful—which is why we’ve gathered over 20 titles that share the varied experiences of families enduring conflict in their nations and the trauma of leaving one’s home and becoming a refugee in a foreign land. While these books don’t shy away from the facts of war and other forms of violence, they also showcase the connectedness of all of us and the resiliency of the human spirit.

For advice on how to talk about Ukraine, wars raging elsewhere, and other tough subjects, see this helpful step-by-step guide by Emily Oster.