Mother writes book to explain the coronavirus to her children

Maria Gouveia has always tried to explain the world to her daughters in ways they could understand. So, during the Covid-19 pandemic, she wrote a story about the new coronavirus for her two daughters, 11 and 2 years old. The book was written especially for her youngest daughter who was having a hard time understanding why they weren't allowed to go outside, to the park or the beach, as they always did.

She wrote the story and shared it on her social media accounts, so other parents could read it to their children, and was contacted by Joana Araújo Espiñal, an illustrator who wanted to bring her story to life.

Together they launched a book called “Corona’s Dream”, which tells the story of Corona, a little bug who wanted to travel all around the world, passing from hand to hand.

In the book, Corona is not depicted as an evil character because the authors did not want to frighten the children. The book also portrays people of all nationalities and religions, showing that the virus can affect anyone, no matter where they live or if they’re rich or poor.

The book is available online for free and has been translated to 9 languages. There is also a video animation of the story, with narration in Portuguese.

More information: https://coronastory.weebly.com/

Adapted from: https://www.publico.pt/2020/04/02/impar/noticia/sonho-corona-mae-explico...