Camila and the Coronavirus

Inspiration

I am an 8th grader at Renfroe Middle School, and I have always loved to do all types of art and writing. When I became aware of this contest, I was excited to share elements of my own experiences through a younger lens. I wanted to make it visually appealing for young children and I decided to use syntax at about the level of an 8-year old to make it most understandable for younger readers. I also wrote it in first person because based on my own experiences, that point of view is easiest to relate to. When all of our lives became drastically affected by this pandemic, I was scared and I used my own fear as a base for the fear, anger, and sadness that the characters in my book face. But I did not focus on this and rather used positivity as a focal point.

What it does

My story focuses on children who use their motivation and kindness to provide treats for their neighborhood in a creative way while practicing social distancing and taking measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I wrote it in a fun and engaging way for young readers to enjoy thoroughly. It is a relatable book for readers ages 6-9 that promotes proper ways to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

How I built it

This is all hand-drawn and painted using pen and watercolor. I even cut the pages myself. It is written through the lens of a child to make it most engaging and teaches proper social-distancing and hand washing in kid-friendly language.

Challenges I ran into

The paper I used became warped by the watercolors because I didn’t have watercolor paper. I also had to edit my illustrations using collage to correct mistakes which were difficult to camouflage.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I didn’t know that I could write and illustrate a whole book -- especially in a short amount of time!

What I learned

I learned that having a narrative arc matters and using kid-friendly language makes it more engaging and relatable for younger readers.

What's next for Camila and the Coronavirus

Even if I don’t win this contest, I hope I can share this story with others to promote ways to prevent the spread of disease and share and optimistic outlook during these tough times.

Built With

• watercolor