Children’s book The Big Thing helps explain Covid-19 to youngsters

A new children’s book that explains the Covid-19 crisis through the eyes of a five-year-old girl is helping youngsters navigate their way through a changed world by thinking about the positive things in life.

Author Alex Friedman teamed up with Angela Meng to create The Big Thing, which has been charmingly illustrated by Alvaro Gonzales and translated into 10 languages, including English and Hebrew.

The story revolves around adventurous youngster Bea, who learns about the virus, where it came from and how it spread.

As she struggles with being cut off from her school, friends and grandparents, her teacher helps her see the good things that have come from these past months, from a slower pace of life and spending more time with her family, to an environment that is less polluted.

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Friedman, a former senior business executive, said: “It was a deeply healing experience to do something creative and positive for children and parents, across nationalities, in a time when it is easy to feel helpless.

“Now our mission is to share this hopeful message as far and wide as we can.”

The Big Thing is free to read and download at www.thebigthing.org and is also available to buy on Amazon, with all proceeds going to Covid-19 charities