GERMAN KIDS' BOOKS ON CORONA AND OUR NOT SO NEW NOT SO NORMAL

We are hitting one year in of pandemic life. You probably are as tired of it as everybody else. But you might, as many others, also have hit a pandemic wall - and are wondering about your kids. One year in also means there was time enough to write, plan and actually print and publish actual books on the topic, not only e-books (for some earlier e-publications on Corona see here and for more general books on germs, viruses and washing hands check here. And as always, books are such a great way to talk about difficult topics without adding additional stress.

Here are my favorite: a book for little ones of why we can't hug, but wave. A beautiful touching picture book about staying indoors. A book about seeing friends at school after remote learning - and more.

Eoin McLaughin / Polly Dunbar

WINKST DU MIR MAL?

When you really like each other, you want to hug and touch. If you can't - like now - it can be hard. But there are other ways to show affection, as best friends hedgehog and turtle discover.

Adorable little picture-book with an important and ever so timely message.

3 years and up

Rotraut Susanne Berner

EINHORN, BÄR UND NACHTIGALL TANZEN AUF DEM MASKENBALL

In the past masks were a fun accessory for a costume - now we have to wear them all the time and it is not always something we like to do. After all they can be a little unpleasant behind the ears... This ABC picture book in rhyme tells us about all kinds of animals wearing their mask: who doesn't like to (the beetle), about pleasant side effects (the lama can't spit at us anymore), about not so pleasant side effects (the chameleon can't hide anymore) and who doesn't have to wear it (the giraffe, it is way above us anyway.). A fun read about a now everyday topic.

3 years and up

LeUyen Pham

DRINNEN DRAUSSEN

Written during the first month of the pandemic this diverse picture book beautifully captures the grief and peace, the big change and but also solidarity it brought among us: in almost Wimmelbuch like drawings LeYuen Pham captures how people went inside - and what was still going on outside. A timely book that will will serve as a document of the times with a message for years to come.

4 years and up

Karen Young / Norville Dovidonyte

HEY, DU BIST GROSSARTIG!

Some kids might develop anxiety and fears with all that is going on. This non-fiction picture book written by two psychologists explains age-appropriately how fear is located in our brain, where it stems from - and some excellent strategies how to cope with it (deep breathing is one of them.) It also has the important message that you are really courageous if you do something despite your fear.

6 years and up

Usch Luhn

WIR SIND AUCH MIT ABSTAND KLASSE

Everyday life is slightly different right now - and in schools, if they are open, there are a lot of new rules. This chapter book acknowledges that and tells about learning to deal with them and with the disappointment that no school outings or overnight trips are possible right now... But the kids come up with a good idea to make up for it. They are amazing even with a distance...

7 years and up

Marc Van Ranst / Geert Bouchaert / Sebastian Van Dominck

MONSTER-MIKROBEN

This super informative and still fun non-fiction book tells us all about useful mikrobes and bacteria and viruses.. How they spread, how we get rid of them, some really bad ones like the plague and malaria.. vaccines and why we take precautions currently. And at the very end it even includes some easy to do experiments (all safe, of course) to help the children understand the concepts.

8 years and up

Birte Müller / Yannick de la Peche

WIE KRANK IST DAS DENN?!

This book is not for the fainted hearted. It is a mix of entertainment and non-fiction for all those who enjoy a a good shudder and like to laugh their fears away. Everybody else should maybe not take a closer look.. A compendium of 14 yucky illnesses of the past (the plague, lepra..) and today, including corona, with amazing illustrations and a wealth of child-appropriate manner.

8 years and up