Explaining COVID-19 to Kids: Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus
May 18, 2020
When it comes to COVID-19 there are A LOT of questions and fears that we adults have, imagine what it feels like to be a kiddo during this time. With three inquisitive kids of their own and months of treating COVID-19 patients in New York City, Lauren Block MD MPH (a primary care physician, Associate Professor at Zucker School of Medicine) and Adam E. Block PhD (a health economist, Assistant Professor of Public Health at New York Medical College), decided to put to page the information that they were sharing with their children, regarding the science behind the COVID-19 pandemic. Enter Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus, which Dr. Block explains they wrote to "make some of the scientific principles clear and easy for parents and kids to understand."
This charmingly illustrated children's book is available for free in "little kid" and "big kid versions." Both books start on that first canceled day of school and walk the reader through the various questions that kids have - from going to the park or seeing grandma and grandpa to what even is a virus and where did it come from. The littles' version is straight forward in its relatable immediacy of Kelly's questions, while in the bigs' version, you can see those critical thinking skills have shifted to the next logical level, taking the questions just a bit further.
The why of writing this book...
This is the only children's book that goes into depth on the science behind the spread of coronavirus, how the virus causes the symptoms it does, and how vaccines contribute to herd immunity. You and your children will understand why the virus spreads so rapidly, how handwashing and social distancing can prevent transmission, how kids can help others during the pandemic, how people who become ill are treated in the hospital, and how you can protect your family from infection. -www.kellystayshome.com
Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus
by Lauren Block MD MPH and Adam Block PhD | Illustrated by Alex Brissenden
Soft cover available soon from Amazon | eBook now available via Smashwords
