Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Book Bundles: Our Pandemic Experience
The first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic — when the world shut down and everyone had to stay at home — were especially traumatic. Three picture books look back at that time with compassion for what we endured and optimism for what emerged. See also our COVID-19 tag for more books, articles, and thoughts about the pandemic. For even more related books, click any of the subject tags below. Book Bundles are short weekly lists of recommended new books for a variety of age levels. Browse more Book Bundles in our Booklists Archive.
(3)
PS
"Who was inside? // I was inside." Without specifically mentioning COVID-19, a young white girl discusses what her life is like during the early days of the pandemic: "I was inside my room with a clock and my dog and a picture of Nan... // Everyone was inside." In addition to the ways she stays connected with others, she addresses the tedium, the uncertainty, and her hopes about returning to normal. Joyner's digitally rendered illustrations help convey the main character's moods. Bright pops of color enliven the black line drawings; the scene is muted when "...I felt sad inside." Overall, the message is a positive one, which, two years in, is still needed.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Karine Jaber.
When "the world changed overnight. Schools were closed. Restaurants were emptied," everyone's lives went on pause. Sadik's gentle text evokes that strange and unsettling time in the spring of 2020: "hugs were forbidden! Kisses were illegal." Jaber's child-friendly illustrations feature a red-headed child whose experiences of lockdown will resonate with many young readers. Scenes of empty parks and lines outside stores are uncomfortably familiar; the mood brightens as we learn to live with the new normal and appreciate the gifts of this forced worldwide slowdown. An appended page of questions encourages children to reflect on how the pandemic affected them and on what changed in their own lives.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Annika Siems.
Kangaroos on the city streets of Adelaide, Australia; an influx of flamingoes in Navi Mumbai; wild boars roaming through residential areas in Haifa, Israel. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when most people stayed home, wildlife began to safely venture into previously human-populated spaces. This book visits twelve locations and species around the world highlighting each situation with a brief, informative paragraph or two and a detailed double-page illustration of the unusual scene. In addition, this period benefited some animals in captivity (pandas) or on display (lions on South African safari tours), giving them respite from constant human activity. Todaro's afterword provides more details about the effects of the "anthropause" on nature and advocates for more "cohabitation efforts." "Notes on Habitats, Biomes, and Wildlife Behavior" and a list of related websites conclude this intriguing take on the pandemic.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.