There’s no denying that the pandemic has altered our day to day life. There are many picture books recently published which reflect this changed world and the new circumstances in which we find ourselves.
Good Morning Zoom: A Parody by Lindsay Rechler is a charming book that gives a glimpse into staying at home while working and going to school. I can’t help but smile at the line, “Good morning top Mom wears nonstop.” Powerful illustrations made me emotional when reading Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham. It’s a beautiful story that captures life over the past year when many people spent more time indoors, were physically distant, giving the sense of hope for when we can return to normal. In these books, readers may notice illustrations of people wearing face masks and the Library has a few picture books specifically about that.
We Wear Masks by Marla Lesage is a rhyming story that shows different tasks that require different types of masks to be worn, ending with the reminder that wearing a face mask says you care. When we used to think of masks, we often imagined Hallowe’en masks or superhero masks which have been a Library craft in the past. In Lucy’s Mask by Lisa Sirkis Thompson, Lucy imagines all the things she can be with a mask on before finding out what a face mask lets you become. Heroes Wear Masks: Elmo’s Super Adventure by Lillian Jane has the familiar characters of Elmo and his friends returning to school and wearing face masks. A reflection of the day to day practices of washing hands and staying physically distant, this book also includes tips for grown-ups.
In children’s nonfiction, check out the new series of books Community Helpers During COVID-19 that highlight the jobs of some essential workers. What Kids Did: Stories of Kindness and Invention in the Time of COVID-19 by Erin Silver shares positive ways children found to help others during the pandemic. 3D printing, making face masks and collecting donations are some ways children found to help and give hope.
On billboards outside businesses and on homemade signs in neighbourhoods there are messages of thanks to workers. The rhyming book Thank You, Helpers by Patricia Hegarty gives cheers and high fives to essential workers and those who have had to adapt to new ways of working. It has been a long year. Together we have had to make some changes and there is still no telling when things may start to resemble what we each consider normal. Thank you to everyone for doing what they can to stay safe and healthy.
The Library has tons of resources available online, in addition to the collections we are offering for pick up at curbside. All you need is a library card to unlock the treasure trove of eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming movies and TV shows, digital magazines, and more. If you’re interested in getting a new library card, or renewing your current card, give us a call at 345-8275 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm) or email us at comments@tbpl.ca and we’ll set you up!
Thunder Bay Public Library – www.tbpl.ca. If you have a comment about today’s column, we would love to hear from you.
Thunder Bay Public Library's Book Blog 
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