putting the pieces together -- 写给小朋友的话

[fij]

Could someone help with the meaning of the phrase "写给小朋友的话"? (from a book for children)

This is not the first time that I think I know all characters and also some of the words in a phrase, but I just can't put the pieces together :-)

I think this time I'm fine until 写给小朋友 , but when I add 的话 , I do not understand the whole phrase together: 写给小朋友的话

I may be missing a new word here

Many thanks

[SiMaKe]

Providing full context would make for a more complete response.

With what you have provided here are two possibilities:

1. "what (the words) you wrote to the children..." (e.g. may have gotten them excited)

2. "if you write to the children, then..." (e.g. give them my best)

1 is the which/what/who clause construction. E.g. the words which you wrote...

2 is the construction A+的话; meaning "if A, ..."

[edelweis]

Isn't it the title of a page where the author addresses the readers?

I'd translate it as "To my little friends", or "A few words to my little friends".

Edit: or perhaps "Foreword".

Edit: to explain the structure, the main word is 话 ("words"), and 写给小朋友的 is merely a qualifier.

A literal translation would be: "words written for (my) little friends"

It is not a full sentence (there is no verb and so on, only a "subject") because it is a title.