Of the positive effects of COVID-19, we have been witnessing a surge in creativity from our local community. One such creative output is the publication of ‘I Wonder’: a children’s book on coronavirus and the response of the world, to the pandemic.
The picture book suitable for even the youngest readers views the effects COVID-19 has unleashed on home soil, through the questioning eyes of a child.
I Wonder, is a children’s book on coronavirus, written from the perspective of a child. Photo: I Wonder website
Children’s book on coronavirus
Lynn’s daughter: Her muse
The idea for the picturebook was born when the family was watching a circuit breaker update on TV at home, when Lynn expressed frustration about being “confined indoors for days”, to which her daughter exclaimed: “What’s so bad about staying at home? I think I quite like it!”
“Our child, RaeAnne is the source of inspiration and joint illustrator for the book. She has taught us to look at this Covid-19 pandemic with optimism and hope,” notes Lynn who is an educator by profession.
Pictured here is the author’s family: Lynn, Eugene and RaeAnne. Photo: I Wonder website
“Our daughter’s perspective about the pandemic shed new light on the challenges of having to manage working from home and home-based learning. We decided to make an effort to find joy and delight in our family time together, cooking meals, playing games, taking outdoor walks, cuddling in bed and creating memories with one another,” the author further notes.
With RaeAnne’s views on the Singaporean response to the pandemic, Lynn went about writing the book and asked her 10-year-old daughter who has been a student of art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) since she was four years old, to sketch up pictures to accompany the story. All the colourful illustrations in the book has been whipped up by RaeAnne, with a little help from her father.
The concentrated family effort has since been turned into an ebook that is free to download in PDF format and is available here.
Children’s book on coronavirus: Mini details for mini minds
The book that is perfect as a bedtime read for preschoolers, is comprised of short sentences and colourful pictures that detail the new changes that have become visible after the enforcement of circuit breaker measures. This includes depictions of playgrounds that have been cordoned off, empty supermarket shelves, and people wearing masks.
First page of the book. Photo: I Wonder website
“While there have been a few publications on social responsibility and safety, this picture book depicts the child’s perspective on the pandemic in Singapore and the meaningful journey we took as a family during the circuit breaker,” Lynn notes.
“Some preschools have started using this as an Ebook for home-based learning. We have also received encouraging reviews from parents,” Lynn adds.
The book is dedicated to healthcare workers “who show our children who true heroes are, as they risk their lives to protect ours in the midst of the pandemic.”
