Kids Around The World Are Reading NPR's Coronavirus Comic

How do you explain coronavirus to kids?

Last week, we published a comic geared to children about the newly discovered virus. This week we published the comic in Chinese. And we've also learned that the comic has been translated into other languages — including Arabic, Braille, Finnish, Bahasa Indonesia, German and Italian— and is finding an audience in schools and libraries as well as at home.

A graphic designer from Bolivia made a Spanish version of the comic.

Librarians have been printing and folding a bunch of zines and putting them in the children's section at their libraries.

A school psychologist in Lithuania translated the zine into Lithuanian so children in her community could read it.

Thanks to Kamilė Borkovskienė, a school psychologist in Lithuania who translated the coronavirus zine into Lithuanian. She shared it with children in her community. Click to save and print. pic.twitter.com/L1xzLbsQGw — Malaka Gharib (@MalakaGharib) March 3, 2020

And here's a translation of the comic in Russian.

A middle-school teacher turned it into a video — with a kid doing the narration.

Another middle-school teacher taught students the art of folding the zine — and added a lesson on how to properly wash hands — in a health class focused on the coronavirus.

No gym today so I created stations: Corona Virus Podcast, create the zine comic, hand sorting washing steps/making poster, actual teacher lead hand washing demo and practice, with 2 fun game stations! Thanks for sharing this, glad I saw it!!! pic.twitter.com/nDP7DIOsA0 — Amber Amstutz (@AmstutzWVMSPE) March 3, 2020

And here are some students folding the zine!

Listening to NPR’s https://t.co/zkNAFdy5oe & making @MalakaGharib’s zine today. Mini-text set: the NPR kid podcast, the zine, @Flocabulary’s Week in Rap, & a great @GetKahoot to assess what we learned about #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/QLdtxTQBqM — Anna Gotangco Osborn, NBCT (@AnnaOz249) March 6, 2020

This week we had an independent mini-makerspace project! Students made informative mini-zines with information on the #coronavirus. I set out copies from @npr and a video on how to fold a zine for students. Kiddos loved it! So glad to share information in a fun way! #makerspace pic.twitter.com/jUPW1qk5PG — Mrs. Russell, GMS Librarian (@GorzyckiLibrary) March 6, 2020

And it's not just kids who are reading the comic — adults have reached out and said it's been a helpful resource, too. One person is displaying the zine on his desk.

honestly I love the way it looks on my desk. and I've now discovered a hobby I strangely love: precision folding pic.twitter.com/bC9bxT64un — Chris Hammack (@pacificobob) February 28, 2020

How have you shared the coronavirus comic with children? We'd love to see how you've used it in a school, library or home setting. Email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line "Coronavirus comic."