C for Coronavirus

Pic/Harpercollins India

For young kids who are experiencing their first pandemic like the rest of us, it must be a confusing time, especially with the information overkill from all sides. How does one explain this global killer virus to a five or seven-year-old? HarperCollins Publishers India partnered with Nosy Crow, a UK-based publishing house, to create an e-book that answers all the obvious questions in a simple, lucid manner. Axel Scheffler's illustrations bring to life the information put together by authors Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson and Nia Roberts. The 15-pager had professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine as a consultant, and included advice from two head teachers and a child psychologist. Here's what seven-year-old student Tanya Poddar had to say about the e-book:

Tanya Poddar reads the e-book

What I liked:
I liked the ideas the book gave me on how to help people I live with. I was happy to know that doctors are working hard to make a medicine for this virus. I also got to know how we can prevent the virus from spreading.

What I did not like:
I didn't like it that this virus may kill some people, and that we don't know when we will be able to go back to school. I miss my school and friends a lot. I wish the book had more pictures.
Tanya's mother, Shivani, found the book informative and said it explained the facts very simply for kids. "We have made a list of all the things Tanya and her older sister can do at home to stay happy and activities that would be helpful for them. The book is a bit text-heavy for a seven-year old, but Axel Scheffler's illustrations are delightful." She would recommend it to parents with young children.

Log on to https://bit.ly/2V yAq7W (free to download)

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