BE A LIGHT IN THE DARK: FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS TOGETHER

Inspiration

I was inspired by the idea of world going dark with shutdowns happening around the globe. The idea of dark and light is repeated throughout the story to inspire kids and bring a message of hope. I also brought my background as a former CDC public health professional to translate health messages in an approachable, but accurate way.

What it does:

This story addresses children's emotional needs, while providing CDC prevention messages and messages of hope appropriate for children ages 6-9.

How I built

it: I wrote a first draft of this story by drawing from CDC's website for talking to kids about COVID-19. Then, I shared the story with my picture book critique groups several times to ensure it was emotionally engaging as a children's book and then with public health professionals to ensure accuracy in the prevention messaging. Then, I began working with an illustrator, Bria Morgan Collins, to create the final product. Bria worked in digital art to create the final draft.

Challenges I ran into: Ensuring accuracy in the text and illustrations while maintaining the story's emotional resonance was challenging. Bria had to learn how to work in a digital medium, which was completely new to her.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of:

I'm proud that this story addresses both children's emotional and public health questions in one consistent, engaging narrative.

What I learned:

Ensuring accuracy in illustrations and text can be difficult, but is critical to avoid misunderstanding.

What's next for BE A LIGHT IN THE DARK: FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS TOGETHER:

I plan to create a YouTube video storytime that could be promoted along with the story