A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis Geneviève Susemihl Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Reading can be a lot of things: entertaining, exciting, relaxing, and educational. Reading is also known to help lower stress. During months of pandemic stress and virtual school in 2020 and 2021, reading became a much-needed escape for children and adults. 1 Adventure stories, fantastic travel accounts, animal stories, fairy tales or exciting explanations about natural or scientific phenomena were a welcome distraction from homeschooling tasks and stressful situations at home. With closed libraries and bookstores during the lockdown, however, many children and their families had restricted access to children ’ s books. Besides, with children and their parents staying at home, children ’ s reading practices also changed. Nevertheless, during that time, hundreds of children ’ s books were published in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching children about coronavirus and encouraging them to protect themselves and others. Many of these books were meant to help children understand the situation and their emotions and to “ stay safe, calm, connected and hopeful, ” as the Reading Agency proclaimed. 2 They were also meant to serve as tools for caretakers to give explanations and support. Everywhere, in every time, stories have been told to educate, entertain and increase individuals ’ awareness about norms and values, representing an important way to create understanding and common knowledge. This wave of children ’ s books in reaction to a national and global crisis, however, is unique in its scope and promptness. 1 In the United States, schools were closed to in-person instruction in all states during the 2019 - 2020 academic year ( “ School Responses to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic During the 2019 - 2020 Academic Year, ” Ballotpedia, 31 July 2020, https: / / ballotpedia.org/ School_responses_to_the_coronavirus_(CO VID-19)_pandemic_during_the_2019 - 20- 20_academic_year [accessed 23 Mar 2022]. 2 Reading Agency, “ Books that Help Children Stay Safe, Calm, Connected and Hopeful, ” n. d., https: / / cumbria.gov.uk/ elibrary/ Content/ Internet/ 542/ 827/ 44147151939.pdf. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [45] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 Inspired by the changing reading habits of my own three children and their questions concerning corona, I started to look more closely at children ’ s literature about the coronavirus. I wanted to find out how children ’ s reading practices changed during the pandemic, and what effect these changes might have had on them. Studying a large number of specifically developed books in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I examined the content and design of these books and their role in helping children cope with stress and anxiety during this time of crisis. 3 While these books provide an interesting record about how adults conceptualize and understand children ’ s roles during the pandemic and a limited number of these books serve as useful informational resources, I argue that the majority of these children ’ s books did not work as effective tools for stress relief, because they did not meet the socioemotional needs of children. In this paper, I will comment on the importance of reading children ’ s books during times of crisis and on the reading practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, before I discuss several results of the study and look at a few books about the coronavirus in more detail. Children ’ s Books during Times of Crisis During the COVID-19 pandemic, children worldwide have been living through an extremely stressful time, experiencing multiple hardships and challenges. Although medical literature has shown that children are minimally susceptible to COVID-19, they were hit the hardest by the psychosocial impact of the pandemic. 4 Being forced to stay home and avoid contact with friends and relatives left many children feeling bored, lonely or scared. Measures such as isolation, contact restrictions and economic shutdowns imposed a great psychological burden on them and threatened the mental health of children and adolescents significantly. 5 As Gosh et al (2020) determined, school closure, 3 A comprehensive study of 130 children ’ s books in English in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March 2022 by the author. 4 The Mayo Clinic staff asserts that while children are as likely to get COVID-19 as adults, they are less likely to become severely ill; see Mayo Clinic Staff, “ COVID-19 in Babies and Children ” , Mayo Clinic, March 19, 2022, https: / / www.mayoclinic.org/ diseases-conditions/ coronavirus/ in-depth/ coronavirus-in-babies-and-children/ art-20484405 [accessed 16 June 2022]. 5 Ghosh, Ritwik, et al, “ Impact of COVID-19 On Children: Special Focus on the Psychosocial Aspect ” , Minerva Pediatrica, 2020, 72(3), 226 - 235. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [46] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 46 Geneviève Susemihl lack of peer contact and outdoor activity as well as irregular dietary and sleeping habits disrupted children ’ s usual lifestyle and promoted monotony, distress, impatience, annoyance, anxiety and diverse neuropsychiatric manifestations. 6 For children with special needs or disadvantages, such as disabilities, trauma experiences, already existing mental health problems, migrant background and low socioeconomic status, the pandemic was a particularly challenging time. Adapting to the many changes during these unpredictable times was difficult, and the impact of the pandemic created significant socioemotional and financial stress for many children and their families. At the same time opportunities for stress regulation such as sports and cultural events were significantly reduced. This made it not only difficult for children to focus adequately on academic tasks, but to take care of their mental health. 7 While it has been shown that stress can have positive effects, because it increases alertness, resiliency and adaptability and helps people to get tasks done and accept change, 8 when stress becomes a constant state of being or people experience excessive stress because of a difficult situation, it can become exhausting and all-encompassing. One of the best ways to relieve stress and improve one ’ s overall mental wellbeing during times of crisis is by reading, because it works as an escape. Through books, readers are able to escape stressors in their everyday life by focusing on a world and situations outside of their own. Studies have shown that imaginary worlds can help children deal with real-life problems and promote wellbeing. 9 A 2009 study by the University of Sussex found that reading for only six minutes lowered heart rate, relaxed muscles, decreased blood pressure and eased tension which contributed to lowering stress levels by 68 percent. Additionally, reading continues to affect the brain for days afterward, so even reading for a short amount of time can be beneficial to people ’ s mental health - no matter what kind of book a person reads, whether it is a fantasy novel, a 6 Ibid. 7 Phelps, Chavez, and Linda L. Sperry (2020). “ Children and the COVID-19 Pandemic, ” Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2020, 12(1), 73 - 75. 8 Jaret, Peter, “ The Surprising Benefits of Stress, ” Greater Good Magazine, 20 Oct 2015, https: / / greatergood.berkeley.edu/ article/ item/ the_surprising_benefits_of_stress [accessed 16 June 2022]. 9 Mak, Hei Wan, and Daisy Fancourt, “ Reading for Pleasure in Childhood and Adolescent Healthy Behaviours: Longitudinal Associations Using the Millennium Cohort Study, ” Preventive Medicine, 2020, Jan; Pulimeno, Manuela, Prisco Piscitelli, and Salvatore Colazzo, “ Children ’ s Literature to Promote Students ’ Global Development and Wellbeing, ” Health Promotion Perspective, 2020, 10(1), 13 - 23. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [47] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 47 thriller, or a cookbook. 10 This form of literary remedy - also called bibliotherapy 11 - relies on literature to help people solve problems and improve their mental health. The idea of bibliotherapy for children is not new. For decades, caregivers and counsellors have used books to help children handle adversity or difficult times, as psychologist Michele Borba explains: “ Pairing a book with an issue - whether it ’ s grieving, loneliness, or anxiety - can help kids process their emotions through the story narratives and characters. ” 12 For example, a book featuring a courageous, independent protagonist can foster self-reliance in children, someone missing a friend or relative might find comfort in a story about a lonely protagonist, and a grieving child may benefit from a story about processing the loss of a pet. Reading allows children to experience stories and ideas outside their own thought process, and associating with characters in stories can help children deal with real-world issues. Likewise, by reading the thoughts of different characters children see new perspectives on the world, which can support empathy and understanding of people around them. 13 Kucirkova (2019) stresses that “ identification with characters who are dissimilar from the readers is the most valuable contribution 10 “ Reading reduces stress levels, ” Kumon, Aug, 2012, https: / / www.kumon.co.uk/ blog/ reading-reduces-stress-levels/ ; Clark, Carol, “ A novel look at how stories may change the brain, ” Emory University Research News, http: / / esciencecommons.blogspot.com/ 2013/ 12/ a-novel-look-at-how-stories-may-change.html; Kaplan, Sarah, “ Does reading fiction make you a better person? , ” Washington Post, Jul 16, 2016, https: / / www.washingtonpost. com/ news/ speaking-of-science/ wp/ 2016/ 07/ 22/ does-reading-fiction-make-you-a-better-person/ ; “ Reading for Stress Relief, ” University of Minnesota, https: / / www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/ reading-stress-relief [all accessed 02 June 2022]. 11 The term “ bibliotherapy ” was coined by the American essayist Samuel M. Crothers in 1916 and literally translates to the therapeutic value derived from books. Bibliotherapy can be defined as using books to aid people in solving the issues that they may be facing, and consists of selecting reading material relevant to a reader ’ s/ client ’ s life situation. It has also been described as “ a process of dynamic interaction between the personality of the reader and literature - interaction which may be utilized for personal assessment, adjustment, and growth ” (Lehr, Fran, “ Bibliotherapy, ” Journal of Reading, 1981, 25(1), 76). https: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ labs/ pmc/ articles/ PMC7036210/ - the therapeutic approach, bibliotherapy includes discussion and reflection on a story ’ s topics that overlap with the individual needs (Pulimeno et al 2020, 17). See also Nichani, Ashish Sham, “ The Art and Science of Bibliotherapy … Bibliology … Bibliography? ? ? , ” Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology, 2016, 20(1) and Babarro Vélez I, Lacalle Prieto J., “ Literature as a Therapeutic Instrument in the Health-Disease Process in Childhood, ” Enfermeria Global, 2018, 17(50), 585 - 616. 12 Borba, quoted in Alpert, Yelena Moroz, “ How a book a day can keep pandemic stress away, ” National Geographic, May 3, 2021, https: / / www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/ family/ 2021/ 05/ how-a-book-a-day-can-keep-pandemic-stress-away [accessed Jun 3, 2022]. 13 Kaplan 2016. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [48] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 48 Geneviève Susemihl of children ’ s storybooks to cognitive empathy, ” because it “ fosters in-group/ outgroup identification and minimizes in-group/ out-group bias. ” 14 Reading, therefore, lets children be more compassionate, because it allows them to see their personal experiences from a new perspective. Moreover, during stressful times, being compassionate and patient with others and with oneself helps children to calm their fears, reduce stress and adjust to a new set of circumstances. Indeed, the experience of seeing one ’ s own situations on the pages of a picture book can feel encouraging. That way, during a long period of physical isolation from friends and family, literature can help children cope with feelings of loneliness and learn to enjoy their own company, as Borba underlines: “ Recognizing that it ’ s okay to be by yourself is a very productive moment. ” 15 As a result, reading can be empowering for children, as literary scholar Michelle H. Martin states: “ Books give kids a sense of power. They have the power to mention things that are bothering them. That kind of empowerment can be good for mental health - it doesn ’ t feel like you ’ re helpless and can ’ t do anything. ” 16 Since most stories have a resolution that gives children a new perspective, children ’ s books can be especially cathartic. In addition to helping kids cope with complex emotions sparked by different life events, books can also help parents or caregivers raise conversations about difficult issues. For that purpose, many books contain pages of activities to help children associate with characters and reflect about situations. Accordingly, children ’ s literature can be regarded as a powerful educational tool and a flexible instrument that facilitates the transmission of health contents to kids. Children ’ s books have always been transmitting basic universal values and raising children ’ s awareness on many aspects of life, equipping them “ with information, attitudes, and skills that could act as a kind of ‘ vaccination ’ against all kind of threats to individual or collective health. ” 17 Pulimeno et al (2020), who have explored the rationale for using storytelling to promote children ’ s development and wellbeing, argue that specifically developed storybooks can “ foster children ’ s self-responsibility towards health and stimulate critical thinking about the consequences of adopting risky behaviors. ” 18 According to them, these books “ can encourage the adoption of healthy choices and represent a useful preventive tool to foster young people ’ s wellbeing, helping them to 14 Kucirkova, Natalia, “ How Could Children ’ s Storybooks Promote Empathy? A Conceptual Framework Based on Developmental Psychology and Literary Theory, ” Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10(121). 15 Borba, quoted in Alpert 2021, n. p. 16 Martin, quoted in Alpert 2021, n. p. 17 Pulimeno et al, 2020, 15. 18 Ibid., 17. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [49] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 49 better cope with emotional/ social problems while proposing proper patterns of behaviors. ” 19 Children ’ s books specifically developed in response to COVID-19, though, might have aimed to serve as preventive tools, but did not necessarily help children cope with socioemotional stress, as will be discussed further below. Nevertheless, during the pandemic, reading has been especially important, because it has been regarded a good way to adapt to living under lockdown. Reading can be done from home, and e-books and other digital online resources have been easily available. Prisco Piscitelli, UNESCO Chair on Health Education and Sustainable Development, states: “ Reading stories, especially fantasy, is a ‘ social vaccination ’ against all the restrictions because they help children find a way to exit what COVID-19 put into play. ” 20 There seemed to be no better way to deal with the uncertainty of that time than with forms of fiction that make people comfortable with being uncomfortable, that explore uncertainty and ambiguity, and depict children as active agents and shapers of their own destinies. That way children create their own strategies for resilience. During the pandemic, however, reading practices within families changed. Read-Alongs and Read-Alouds: Reading Practices during the Pandemic The practice of shared book reading is a nurturing support for early language, literacy, and socio-emotional development within young children ’ s care. Recent research shows that five-year-old children who are read to by their parents and have access to books have higher levels of trust, empathy for others, pro-social skills and are calmer than other five-year-olds, in addition to benefits for children ’ s literacy and other cognitive skills. 21 During the lockdown, children ’ s literature helped families to share moments together and open up conversations about children ’ s concerns and disappointment. However, many family dynamics changed during that time, and with it practices of reading. The closures of childcare, early education programs and centers for family activities in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19 brought many sudden changes especially to the everyday lives of families with young children. Prior to the pandemic parents were told to carefully monitor the screen time of their children and they mostly 19 Ibid., 19. 20 Piscitelli, quoted in Alpert 2021, n. p. 21 OECD, Early Learning and Child Well-being: A Study of Five-Year-Olds in England, Estonia, and the United States. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2020. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [50] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 50 Geneviève Susemihl used print books for shared reading. During the pandemic, children had to attend daily online classes and complete class work online. Furthermore, the only way to see extended family and friends was through video conferences. Parents, therefore, were increasingly turning to e-books and online sources for reading with their children. A study by Read et al (2021) shows that there were no significant changes in frequency of shared reading in general, but there was a significant increase in frequency of screen-mediated reading, especially among families who lost outside-the-home childcare, and a significant decrease in the number of adults regularly reading with their children. 22 The U. S. Census Bureau ’ s 2020 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) confirms these findings. 23 According to the survey, many families spent extra time together between March and June 2020, when lockdowns were in place in most parts of the United States, and parents or relatives read to children more often in 2020 than in prior years. Parents who were married and more educated, though, read more often to young children than other parents. 24 Indeed, the survey indicated substantial differences depending on parents ’ socioeconomic characteristics that are associated with certain advantages, such as higher income, residential and family stability and white-collar jobs with flexible work schedules, which may have allowed these parents to leverage their resources to be more involved with children during the pandemic. Many parents with lower income, however, did not respond to the survey. The study also indicated that more than half of the parents with fewer resources managed to read to children five or more times a week in 2020. While the impact of these changes on children ’ s reading, learning and interactions during the pandemic have not been fully researched yet, a 22 Read, Kirsten, Grace Gaffney, Ashley Chen, and Amina Imran, “ The Impact of COVID - 19 on Families ’ Home Literacy Practices with Young Children, ” Early Childhood Education Journal, 2021, Oct., 1 - 10. 23 Mayol-García, Yerís, “ Pandemic Brought Parents and Children Closer: More Family Dinners, More Reading to Young Children, ” US Census Bureau, Jan 03, 2022, https: / / www. census.gov/ library/ stories/ 2022/ 01/ parents-and-children-interacted-more-during-covid-19.html [accessed 31 May 2022]. The results of the study may have been impacted by nonresponse, as reference parents who reported on their involvement with children were more likely to be older, foreign-born, married, more educated, and above the poverty level than in previous years. 24 In 2020, 69 % of parents reported reading to young children five or more times per week compared with 65 % in 2018. The share of married parents who read to young children five or more times a week increased from 68 % in 2019 to 73 % in 2020. Groups who read to their young children more frequently are Native-born parents, parents who were above the poverty level, and highly educated parents (Mayol-García 2022). OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [51] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 51 study by scholars at Stanford University found that reading fluency was lagging by about 30 percent during the pandemic, especially among secondand thirdgraders. 25 While the overall amount of shared reading might not have changed, the nature of shared reading changed as caregivers turned to virtual options for storytime. 26 As the children were asked to use online sources to learn, many authors, illustrators, parents and celebrities started to contribute to these educational and entertainment resources. They did not only write and illustrate books in response to the crisis, but also offered virtual read-alouds and readalongs of classic children ’ s literature. Initiatives like “ Mondays with Michelle ” Obama or “ Good Night with Dolly ” Parton, both of whom read to children from their homes, meant to encourage and entertain children during the pandemic. 27 Well-known authors and illustrators like Grace Lin and Oliver Jeffers read from their books and engaged with readers through different social media channels. 28 Most of these initiatives, however, only lasted a few weeks between April and June 2020. Books specifically published in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were also read on YouTube by their authors or other storytellers. The book Rainbows in Windows by Arianna Schioldager (2020), for example, is narrated by Oscar-winner Donald Sutherland. 29 While many families, according to Cara Byrne, “ appreciated the temporary entertainment that the weekly drawing classes and read-alouds provided, ” these videos, however, did not seem to help address children ’ s growing anxieties and questions about corona and support their emotional wellbeing. 30 Another issue in terms of shared reading is the availability of children ’ s books. According to a study of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and 25 Spector, Carrie, “ New Stanford study finds reading skills among young students stalled during the pandemic, ” Stanford News, Mar 09, 2021, https: / / news.stanford.edu/ 2021/ 03/ 09/ reading-skills-young-students-stalled-pandemic/ [accessed Jun 2, 2022]. 26 Read et al, 2021. 27 “ Mondays with Michelle ” was presented by PBS KIDS (https: / / www.pbs.org/ foundation/ blogs/ pbs-kids/ mondays-with-michelle/ ); Imagination Library presented “ Goodnight with Dolly ” (https: / / imaginationlibrary.com/ goodnight-with-dolly-read-aloud/ ). 28 Grace Lin, “ Videos for Kids, ” https: / / gracelin.com/ videos-for-kids/ ; Oliver Jeffers, “ Stay at Home Storytime ” , https: / / www.oliverjeffers.com/ abookaday 29 Schioldager, Arianna (2020). Rainbows in Windows: A Book About Big Imaginations, Big Feelings, and Sheltering in Place During a Pandemic. Ill. by Karo Oh. Los Angeles: Yumi; reading by Donald Sutherland: https: / / helloyumi.com/ coronavirus-children-book/ . 30 Byrne, Cara, “ C is for Coronavirus, P is for Pandemic: COVID-19 in Children ’ s Picture Books, ” Presentation at the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, Case Western Reserve University, March 1, 2022, https: / / www.youtube.com/ watch? v=u_EvsSI8-wo&t=2566s [accessed May 20, 2022]. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [52] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 52 Geneviève Susemihl Development (OECD), children from disadvantaged households are four times less likely to have access to a decent supply of children ’ s books at home than children from advantaged families. 31 During the pandemic, parents had no access to libraries and bookstores (except online), and other children ’ s activities online may not be feasible for those on limited incomes. While children from advantaged families may have unlimited access to e-books and various online activities, this is not necessarily the case for children from disadvantaged families or very young children. In April 2020, the OECD, therefore, announced that “ during the coronavirus crisis, children need books more than ever, ” and encouraged countries with social distancing measures to distribute children ’ s books. 32 In order to stop the widening of disparities during the period of confinement, charity organizations and libraries tried to help disadvantaged children and their families by increasing children ’ s access to books as a way of improving early literacy and because of their health benefits. 33 These efforts also included the accessibility of books about the coronavirus. Children ’ s Books about the Coronavirus As the pandemic spread in 2020, the need to explain the coronavirus to children grew exponentially, and many children ’ s books were published specifically addressing the diverse problems of the pandemic. Most texts, though, were created rather rapidly, reacting to advice and policy. Often circulated online for free (the New York Public Library listed more than 400 links to free e-books 34 ) and frequently self-published, they were somewhat short-lived. Using content analysis and close reading methods, I examined 130 of these specially developed children ’ s books in response to COVID-19 in English - 104 of them were published in 2020, and 26 were published in 2021. 59 of these books were made available free for download on the internet. I categorized them into 50 non- 31 Phair, Rowena, “ During the coronavirus crisis, children need books more than ever! , ” OECD Education and Skills Today, April 3, 2020, https: / / oecdedutoday.com/ duringcoronavirus-crisis-children-need-books/ [accessed June 2, 2022]. 32 Ibid., n.p. 33 Examples for such efforts are the Books in Homes program in New Zealand, BookBuses in Great Britain, and Dolly Parton ’ s Imagination Library (OECD 2020). 34 New York City School Library System, “ Free eBooks about Coronavirus/ CO VID-19, ” https: / / nycdoe.libguides.com/ CO VID-19ebooks/ free [accessed 10 Mar 2022]. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [53] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 53 fiction and 80 fiction books, 35 dividing them into age categories 3 - 5, 5 - 8, and 8 - 12 (and older). While the majority of books on print were written by professional children ’ s books authors and illustrators, most of the free e-books were written by medical doctors, psychologists, and other health and social workers, sometimes in collaboration with health institutions or non-governmental organizations. Concentrating on the fiction books, I identified and analyzed certain key issues and tropes and their meanings and evaluated texts and illustrations to search for bias or partiality. Many of these books explain the coronavirus, its structure and development and how it can be spread. They explore practical ways of how children can avoid infection and transmission, and some provide strategies that parents can use to help children cope with anxiety. Many of the non-fiction books feature glossaries, quizzes and activity material that help with comprehension or give parents and teachers opportunities to engage with children about what they have read. Some of the most popular themes and tropes in these fiction books are personifying and fighting the virus, 36 protection and staying home, the portrayal of the family, diversity, kindness, togetherness and ordinary heroism, visual and textual references to superheroes, and the use of symbols such as rainbows and windows. I also studied illustrations and the multimodality of these picture books. Considering the overall content, these books offer snapshots of particular moments in a quickly evolving situation and valuable insights into contemporary ideas about childhood. Only a very limited number of these books, however, help children deal with anxieties and emotions and give support in times of crisis. A large number of these books, for example, is concerned with rules of behavior and hygiene regulations during the pandemic; they are about hand washing, mask wearing, and social distancing. 37 Children are told to stay away 35 The difference between the categories is assumed to depend on whether content is invented or factually reliable. If the books present facts and information within a fictional story, they fall into a category called ‘ informational fiction ’ , while ‘ narrative nonfiction ’ tells a true story with no made-up parts in the form of a narrative. See also: Stewart, Melissa, and Marlene Correia, 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children ’ s Books. Portsmouth: Stenhouse, 2021. 36 Many children ’ s books as well as the media have described the COVID-19 pandemic as being at war with an invisible enemy, in which children and adults are in combat. 37 Baynton, Martin, Stay Clear, Stay Clean, Stay Kind. Wellington: Pukeko, 2020; http: / / stayclearcleankind.com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2020/ 06/ Stay-Clear-Stay-Clean-Stay-Kind. pdf; Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale, The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2020, https: / / www.princessinblack.com/ download/ pibcoronavirus.pdf; Nicholls, Sally, Staying Home. London: Andersen Press, 2020, https: / / www.andersenpress.co.uk/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2020/ 04/ STAYING_HOME_medium-res. pdf. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [54] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 54 Geneviève Susemihl from people, because this is an important way to prevent the virus from spreading. Illustrations show children lining up shoes or drawing a line in order to measure the distance of six feet (see figure 1). 38 A little boy in The Spooky Shallow Cough is advised to “ stay far far away from dear old grandma, ” picturing the child in the foreground and the grandmother as a tiny figure in the background, and an illustration in Why We Stay Home pictures a colored and a white child six feet apart. 39 Protection, which generally invokes the idea of taking actions to protect oneself and others, appears to encourage a sense of community and active responsibility. The idea that children need protecting is central to the idea about what it means to be a child in Western society, and some scholars argue that child protectionist narratives have led to increasing restrictions of children ’ s lives and the undermining of children ’ s abilities and rights, as Glasheen (2020) notes. 40 As children appear to be less at risk from COVID-19 than adults, the protection of children has not become a key narrative in these books. Yet, children have sometimes been seen as a threat of spreading the disease, according to Glasheen, and “ in this binary construction of children as of risk/ at risk, there appears to be little room for imagining children taking on the heroic role of protecting others from COVID-19. ” 41 Nevertheless, many books suggest that children play an important role in protecting those around them. Books that emphasize mask wearing and staying home, however, focus on a passive individual sacrifice for the common good, but often without explanation. Besides, illustrations such as different children or generations 38 Horne, Kyle, Erin Shields, and Nicole F. Albers, Careless Corny: A Cautionary Tale. Ill. by Rebecca Yeretzian-Santana. Los Angeles: Children ’ s Hospital Los Angeles, 2020, freely available at: https: / / www.chla.org/ sites/ default/ files/ atoms/ files/ CHLA-Careless-Corny- Digital-Download-English-060120.pdf; Yen, Shu-Chen Jenny, Something Strange Happened in My City: A Social Story about the Coronavirus Pandemic for Children. Fullerton, CA: The Social Story Center, 2020, freely available at: https: / / socialstorycenter.com/ wpcontent/ uploads/ 2020/ 04/ Children_Something-Strange-Happened-in-My-City_0410_F- INAL.pdf 39 Rabb, Ben, The Spooky Shallow Cough. Ind. publ., 2020, freely available at: https: / / hudsonlibraryysblog.files.wordpress.com/ 2020/ 08/ 8a34b-thespookyshallowcough.pdf; Harris, Samantha, and Devon Scott, Why We Stay Home: Suzie Learns About Coronavirus. Ind. publ., 2020, freely available at: https: / / massaimh.org/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2020/ 05/ why-we-stay-home.pdf 40 Glasheen, Lucie (2020), “ Protection, ” https: / / www.qmul.ac.uk/ sllf/ comparative-literature-and-culture/ research/ childhood-heroes-ba-covid-19-research-project/ [accessed 20 June 2022]. 41 Ibid. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [55] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 55 standing apart might undermine other values in society of reaching out to and engaging with diverse people and the wider community. Figure 1: From Horne et al, Careless Corny: A Cautionary Tale (2020) Another subject of almost half of the books examined is staying home, encouraging children to see their home as a safe place for them and their family members. While some books give reasons for the lockdown and try to help children understand the causes and goals, others respond to the emotional effect that this may have on children. Staying home and staying apart can be acts of care for others in the context of the pandemic. Yet, they can also have an individualizing and alienating effect, as Glasheen (2020) notes, and this narrative can, unintentionally, isolate children from their communities. 42 This can be seen in the book Even Superheroes Stay Home. 43 The story frames everyday activities of the child protagonist such as playing with a sibling, walking the dog or doing the dishes as heroic tasks that will ‘ save the day ’ (see figure 2). As the book provides no context for the need to stay at home, it makes the child ’ s actions seem insignificant, though. There is no notion of a world beyond the home, aside from a telephone call with “ grandma. ” This reduces child (super)heroism to a set of actions that help a few people, rather than the wider community. Additionally, many studies have shown that ‘ home ’ is not a safe place for everyone, and social distancing has had an extremely negative impact on children ’ s health. In fact, incidences of domestic violence and child 42 Glasheen, Lucies, “ Individual Heroes and the Home, ” 2021, https: / / www.qmul.ac.uk/ sllf/ comparative-literature-and-culture/ research/ childhood-heroes-ba-covid-19-researchproject/ [accessed 20 June 2022]. 43 McGaw, Jamie, Even Superheroes Stay Home. Ind. publ., 2020, freely available at: https: / / www.jamiemcgaw.com/ #/ even-superheroes-stay-home/ OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [56] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 56 Geneviève Susemihl abuse were on the rise in the United States during the lockdown, 44 and these problems are almost non-existent in these books. Figure 2: From Jamie McGaw ’ s Even Superheroes Stay Home (2020) Children ’ s literature has also been viewed as a primary source of narratives about family, defining, shaping and interrogating the idea of family and its relationship to selfhood, society and the state. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families had to juggle work and child care responsibilities while also facing food insufficiency and financial hardships such as job or wage loss. Particularly parents with fewer resources suffered high levels of job losses, and solo parents were especially hard hit during the pandemic with limited time, financial resources and support networks. 45 While the impact of the pandemic has created significant socioemotional stress for many families, the books emphasize the caring and love between the family members, and only a few present the difficulties during that time. Besides, the way in which staying home is portrayed and the kind of homes shown (often middle-class houses with nice rooms and gardens) refer to a narrow and privileged vision of what children have access to. The living conditions of many children of minority groups as well as their limited access to health and social care have not been touched, which leaves many children at a loss. 44 See, for example, the following studies: NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), “ Thousands of young people speak to Childline about mental health and abuse during the pandemic, ” 14 May 2021, https: / / www.nspcc.org.uk/ about-us/ newsopinion/ 2021/ children-counselling-sessions-covid-pandemic/ ; Pereda, Noemi, and Diego A. Díaz-Faes, “ Family violence against children in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic: a review of current perspectives and risk factors, ” Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2020, 14(20); Xue, Jia, et al, “ The Hidden Pandemic of Family Violence During COVID-19: Unsupervised Learning of Tweets, ” Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2020, 22(11). 45 Mayol-García 2022. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [57] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 57 A number of (predominantly) print books take a more creative turn on the special situation for children during the pandemic. This may be due to their authors being professional children ’ s books authors and illustrators and the longer printing process that ensures that books pass a thorough review. These books address children ’ s different emotions such as anxiety, anger, fear, loneliness and grief in imaginative stories that invite children to explore different perspectives and provide insights into different situations. Besides, a certain level of realism allows children to think through real-life issues that might be relevant during the pandemic. For example, The Big Alone by Alex and Jan Avendaño 46 addresses isolation and loneliness, and Theresa Trinder writes about hope and imagination during the pandemic in There is a Rainbow. 47 A few other books shall be introduced in more detail in the following section. Opening the Door: Dan Yaccarino ’ s The Longest Storm One print book that addresses family issues during the pandemic is The Longest Storm, written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. 48 It is a story about a single father (photos in the opening spread imply that he is a widower) and three children that have to stay inside their house during a terrible storm. With time, their patience wears thin, their emotions become more intense, and the family find themselves starting to fracture: “ Being home together like that, all the time, felt strange. But soon it went from strange to bad, to worse. And just when it felt like it couldn ’ t get any worse … It did. We were completely sick of each other. ” The illustrations show the children being involved in all kinds of activities, like giving their dog a bath and floating the bathroom. The kids begin to argue and fight with each other; they are worried and angry. While family photographs on the wall and the family sitting together on the dinner table present a positive atmosphere, the text asks: “ Is it possible for a family to run out of nice things to say? ” Eventually, when times are most difficult, the family members comfort each other as part of their emotional evolution - until one day when the storm is gone and the sun returns, they go outside together and begin cleaning up their garden. Throughout the story, Yaccarino does not reference the pandemic or quarantine directly. Instead, he uses the metaphor of a storm that children can use to process what people have lived through during the lockdown. This 46 Avendaño, Alex and Jan, The Big Alone. Toronto: Ind. publ., 2020. 47 Trinder, Theresa, There is a Rainbow. San Francisco: Chronicle Book, 2021. 48 Yaccarino, Dan, The Longest Storm. New York: Minedition, 2021. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [58] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 58 Geneviève Susemihl picture book explores the corona lockdown in a way that speaks to other times of darkness that families experience. The family goes through a complete cycle of grief, allowing the book to be about the loss of a loved one just as well as it is about corona. The author thus speaks to the universal rather than the specific, helping the reader to see the grieving process during the pandemic. Yaccarino uses intense colors, bold lines and dramatic facial expressions to convey instantly recognizable emotions, from anger and loneliness to the relief of finding joy in one another, and shows how connection and resilience can prevail in any stressful time. The background is red when the father is angry, dark blue and black when everyone feels sad, and on the last page yellow sunlight streams into the window and open door. Even the structure of the paper feels sort of comforting to the fingers as readers turn the pages. This is a simple story with emotional and visual depth, concluding with the recognition that happy endings often leave hard work yet to be done. Windows to Different Worlds: LeUyen Pham ’ s Outside, Inside In Outside, Inside, LeUyen Pham 49 also offers a more imaginative intake on social distancing. Instead of describing hygienic rules, stay-at-home activities and how the virus spreads, Pham gives her readers glimpses into different people ’ s homes and workplaces through many “ mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors ” - to borrow Rudine Sims Bishop ’ s metaphor for children ’ s books. 50 The story states that “ something strange happened on an unremarkable day, just before the season changed ” and “ everybody who was outside went inside, [ … ] shut their doors, and waited. ” Pham ’ s illustrations show many rooms of a hospital, where doctors and nurses work in a variety of activities. They are, for example, treating a boy with a broken arm, comforting patients who are incubated, and tending to a mother and her baby. On other pages she gives glimpses into people ’ s homes, showing children reading, playing games, watching TV, singing, cooking, but also sitting in front of a computer screen, exhausted and tired. Parents are checking their bills with worried faces. On another page Pham shows scenes from a small town, with deserted playgrounds and food deliveries between neighbors. Pham does not explain or label the scenes, but invites the reader to discover and dialogue. The scenes are as diverse as the emotions that children 49 Pham, LeUyen, Outside, Inside. New York: St. Martin ’ s Press, 2021. 50 Bishop, Rudine Sims, “ Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, ” Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3), 1990, ix-xi. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [59] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 59 went through during the pandemic, and children are able to relate to these different experiences. Approaching children ’ s stories through the different lenses of mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors emphasizes diversity and promotes empathy. Rudine Sims Bishop argued that books can be windows, “ offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. ” 51 These windows can also become sliding glass doors through which readers can walk in their imagination to become part of the world that has been created by the author and/ or illustrator. When the lightening is right, windows can also be mirrors in which readers see their reflections, and Bishops writes: “ Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books. ” 52 Reading Pham ’ s book, therefore, helps children reflect on their own situation, connect it to their surroundings, and eventually help them cope with socioemotional stress. The windows that Pham offers in her book and the many windows shown in the books examined in this study do not only symbolize different windows into the world and the ability to see beyond oneself, but also a desire to be outdoors and for the world to return to normal. The people looking out of these windows are fixed within one spot, passively waiting, sometimes almost being paralyzed. Pham ’ s book, however, ends on a restorative note, taking her characters (and readers) out of the houses and reuniting them with loved ones. Imagination and Involvement: Books with Activities Besides stories, some of the books examined also offer activities such as coloring pages, quizzes and questions that help children and their parents talk about their emotions. The authors try to work with children ’ s feelings and help them understand, manage and overcome anxiety and stress, offering emotional support and providing resilience strategies. In Manuela Molina ’ s Covibook (2020), aimed at children aged three to six, readers can circle faces to express how they feel when they hear the word corona. 53 In First-Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic by Denise Daniels 51 Ibid. 52 Ibid., ix. 53 Molina, Manuela, Covibook. Ind. publ., 2020, freely available at: https: / / www.mindheart. co/ _files/ ugd/ 64c685_0a595408de2e4bfcbf1539dcf6ba4b89.pdf OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [60] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 60 Geneviève Susemihl (2020), readers are asked to note down their thoughts, circle activities they would like to do when they are afraid, tick off words that express their feelings, create a daily plan, or draw things they would like to do “ once things get back to normal. ” 54 Bonnie Zucker ’ s Unstuck! 10 Things to Do to Stay Safe and Sane During the Pandemic (2020), aimed at youth aged 10 to 16, offers similar activities to process one ’ s feelings, such as quarantine bingo, and various ideas to “ banish boredom ” and “ cultivate creativity. ” 55 Figure 3: Children ’ s Books about the Coronavirus containing activities In Wanda the Worry Doll (2020), 56 author and illustrator Carrie Christian uses clothespins with faces drawn on, hair made of yarn, and clothes of scrap fabric to talk about feelings. The book shows beautifully created landscapes and scenes with houses, furniture and cars made of paper cutouts and contains a craft tutorial. The text states that whenever Wanda feels worried she would “ remember to ‘ let her worries out ’ and it always helped her feel not so alone or scared. ” Christian writes that she and her kids get relief “ from recognizing and verbalizing ” their worries and concerns, because “ internalizing feelings gives them power, be brave, practice vocalizing all emotions. ” 57 With her story 54 Daniels, Denise, First-Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic. New York: Scholastic, 2020, freely available at: http: / / teacher. scholastic.com/ education/ pdfs/ FirstAidForFeelings_Eng.pdf 55 Zucker, Bonnie, Unstuck! 10 Things to Do to Stay Safe and Sane During the Pandemic. Worcester, Mass.: Magination Press, 2020, freely available at: https: / / www.apa.org/ pubs/ magination/ unstuck 56 Christian, Carrie, Wanda the Worry Doll. Ind. publ., 2020, freely available at: https: / / static1.squarespace.com/ static/ 586aada7440243428d86815 f/ t/ 5f29700db7a8e555dd6e49- 8c/ 1596551199210/ wanda_the_worry_doll_2020.pdf 57 Ibid., n. p. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [61] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 61 Christian wants to guide children through difficult situations and help them “ grow up understanding the importance of mental health. ” She also gives advice to parents how to handle children in situations of anxiety, emphasizing that children processed the pandemic and the rapid loss of ‘ normal ’ circumstances in life quite differently. The book Virtual Hug for the World, written and illustrated by Amanda P. Jackson, tells the story of a family and their pretend journey around the world. 58 During a time “ when real travel was limited ” the author explains that her two boys “ decided to take an imaginary journey around the world sharing love and kindness. ” The idea of “ visiting seven continents in seven days ” allowed them to experience the “ adventure of a lifetime, learn about culture, and share virtual hugs with new friends, ” as the cover text states. The book encourages children and their families to imagine unknown places, encounter different people, be open and curious. They travel toTanzania (in their children ’ s room), where they “ went on a safari and saw lions, zebras, and a baby giraffe ” and played with (stuffed) animals, to Beijing (in their living room), where they saw China ’ s big wall (built of building blocks), and went to Sydney (in their bathroom), where they “ made a buddle bath Opera House. ” This journey is meant to inspire children and their families to invent games and use their imagination to deal with stressful situations. Figure 4: Double Spread from Amanda P. Jackson ’ s Virtual Hug for the World 58 Jackson, Armanda Perlyn, Virtual Hug for the World. Ind. publ., 2020, freely available at: https: / / virtualhugfortheworld.com/ read-online OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [62] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 62 Geneviève Susemihl Conclusion: Raising Resilient Children with Children ’ s Books During the pandemic, reading has been a much-needed escape for children. According to Pulimeno et at (2020), books are helpful tools to educate, teach and heal, and specifically developed books that suggest appropriate patterns of behaviors can represent a useful tool to foster children ’ s health. Furthermore, Hunt (2006) stresses that through implicit meanings embodied in stories, children indirectly acquire pedagogical messages that influence their personality and stimulate a social sense of duty. 59 Consequently, books can serve as powerful coping tools, because they help children deal with real-life problems, explore uncertainties, depict children as active agents and shapers of their own destinies and ultimately promote wellbeing. That way children create their own strategies for resilience and develop a capacity to recover from difficult life events and crises. The majority of the children ’ s books about the coronavirus, however, are part of what Heather Houser calls “ the COVID-19 ‘ Infowhelm ’ , ” which she describes as “ the phenomenon of being overwhelmed by a constant flow of sometimes conflicting information. ” 60 From the beginning of the pandemic, children ’ s books have offered stories and instructions about what adults expect children to do during this time, which has often been overwhelming, confusing, irritating, and sometimes even incorrect. What ’ s more, they told children that they have to take on responsibilities and promised them that the virus will disappear and the world will return to normal as long as they follow the rules and regulations. While many authors and illustrators of print books have used more traditional tropes that emphasize hope and restoration, employed artistic ways to represent the pandemic and emphasized storytelling as a method to get through the time of crisis, the majority of these specially developed books in repose to COVID-19 have not been very useful for children ’ s stress reduction during the pandemic. Throughout that time, children seem to have turned to favorite children ’ s book classics for entertainment and distraction - stories that help children progress their emotions and experience different worlds with characters they can identify with. Nevertheless, the books examined provide interesting insights into adults ’ thoughts and ideas about the virus and about children, which reflect the complexity, plurality and ambiguity of our understanding of childhood. Perry 59 Hunt, Peter, Understanding Children ’ s Literature. London: Routledge, 2006. 60 Houser, Heather, “ The COVID-19 ‘ Infowhelm ’ , ” The New York Review, May 6, 2020, https: / / www.nybooks.com/ daily/ 2020/ 05/ 06/ the-covid-19-infowhelm/ [accessed June 5, 2022]. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [63] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 A Story a Day Keeps Pandemic Stress Away: Children ’ s Books and the Corona Crisis 63 Nodelman notes in his book The Hidden Adult: Defining Children ’ s Literature (2008), that through picture books “ adults offer children images of childhood that they expect children to mimic in order to be the right kind of children. ” 61 Picture books, usually written, designed, purchased and read by adults, often feature children learning a lesson. However, it has been impossible for many children to mimic the expected behavior illustrated in a number of these books. Moreover, many challenges and traumas that children faced during the pandemic have been ignored. Nodelman continues that childhood, “ as most often understood and as most often depicted in texts of children ’ s literature and inscribed on children ’ s bodies ” is but a “ fabrication and a fantasy. ” 62 While these books have tried to encourage both children and adults, they outline a specific image of what childhood during the pandemic should have been like, rarely present children who are marginalized and do not acknowledge that the crisis has been transformative for many children. This wave of books has shown that children ’ s literature can be regarded as a flexible instrument that facilitates the transmission of specific contents to kids. Further research, however, is necessary to establish the significance of COVID- 19 books. In that respect, there are several questions we need to ask such as: Is children ’ s literature the right medium to foster collective concepts during times of crisis? What place does the printed text have in relation to digital storytelling and other cultural influences during these times? And what is the relation between what an adult reads and what a child reads and sees? Consequently, the study of children ’ s literature involves sensitive textual distinctions as well as practical, life-affecting actions which both embrace exciting areas for further research in this field. Finally, children ’ s books specifically developed during times of crisis need to help ensure that children become resilient and recover from the effects of the crisis as thoroughly as possible. 61 Nodelman, Perry, The Hidden Adult: Defining Children ’ s Literature. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2008, 187. 62 Ibid., 194. OeC_2021_2_SL_2 / TYPOSCRIPT[FP] Seite 1 [64] 117 , 2022/ 09/ 19, 7: 13 Uhr 11.0.3352/ W Unicode-x64 (Feb 23 2015) 2. SL Œ uvres & Critiques, XLVI, 2 DOI 10.24053/ OeC-2021-0011 64 Geneviève Susemihl