CORONAVIRUS

A child-friendly introduction to COVID-19.

The co-authors calmly and gently walk children through coronavirus basics, from how it’s spread to how it’s changed their lives and the lives of those around them. They hew mostly to colloquial terms rather than medical jargon, referring to respiratory virus particles as “[germs that] float through the air in tiny drops of water,” for instance, but when necessary, important vocabulary is introduced and defined within the narrative. Getting better is emphasized, as is the fact that most cases of COVID-19 are relatively mild, but the co-authors do not dodge the truth: “Sometimes even [a ventilator] might not be enough to help them get better, and if that happens, then sadly they might die.” Readers are directly enlisted to prevent this with exhortations to wash hands frequently, even after disposing of a tissue, “because the coronavirus lives in your snot.” To this sober, frank narrative Scheffler adds cartoon vignettes, striking a delicate balance between his trademark goofiness and the gravity of the circumstances. While the term “social distancing” is never introduced, the concept is, along with explanations of why readers may not visit relatives in person (“Hi, Granny,” one brown-skinned child says, waving to a face on the computer screen) or go to school (two white children evince diametrically opposed reactions). Scheffler’s cast is thoughtfully diverse, including several characters with visible disabilities and one woman who covers her hair. The book’s British origins can be seen in the absence of masks among the general population when in public, so readers in regions where they have been adopted may need further explanation about local rules or norms. The book is available as a free PDF download from the publisher. It is laid out in double-page spreads, which display with forbiddingly small type on a tablet, but on a desktop computer legibility is decent at 60% of original size. Links to resources, mostly U.S.–based, appear in the backmatter.