Oh, those kids

Children – innocent and cunning, adorable and malicious, mirrors of the adult world and its unexpected disruptors. The short story collection 'Oh, the Children' offers a diverse cross-section of perspectives on the world of childhood through the eyes of twelve leading Czech authors. Each story presents a different angle – from humorous to thrilling, from fairy-tale horror to chilling family dramas, where life itself is often at stake. Children here are not just objects of upbringing or victims of circumstance, but also active drivers of the plot – sometimes in an amusing, other times in a disturbing way. They are portrayed at times as brave individuals who take on the role of parents when they fail, and at others as emotional blackmailers, little devils capable of wrecking a house, or beings whose decisions can save us, comfort us, or drive us to madness, even to the grave. These are stories about the relationships between parents, grandparents, offspring, and between children themselves, and about how loving and fraught these relationships can be.