(English) Coronavirus Isn’t a Prince (or Princess)

Proofreading by
Artwork by
Coronavirus
Isn’t a Prince
A story by
(or Princess)

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Title: Coronavirus Isn’t a Prince (or Princess)
Autora: María Coco Hernando www.mariacoco.es
Artwork and design by Sara Ramírez Sáez www.shine.es
Proofreading by María Rodríguez Coco www.mariacoco.org
Translation into English by Alejandra Sanz Godoy
Edited and proofread by Gwenydd Jones
Tipografía Barrio: Sergio Jiménez and Pablo Cosgaya

To Manu and Tomi.
To Elisa and Julia.
Because, sometimes, explaining these things isn’t easy.
Because stories are windows to an escape.
Because not everything works out as planned.
Because, together, we can beat anything.
Because every day at home is a new opportunity
to keep learning from you.

2
There’s no school today.
These weeks are so different.
For some time now, the grown-ups
have been talking about someone
called Coronavirus.

When I hear this word, I always picture
a Prince or Princess in my mind.
Coronavirus is an itsy-bitsy someone,
Who lives in a castle with lots of friends.
I’m sure Coronavirus doesn’t
have to go to school, either.
Could I see this person under a microscope?
3

4
Dad’s cleaning the house. He’s anxious.
Mom’s always on her computer.
She speaks with doctors and
her face looks, oh, so tired.
Maybe she’s getting sick.

We call Grandpa and Grandma
and ask them not to leave their house.
I guess it’s cold outside,
even though the sun is shining.
5

6
I wonder what Coronavirus looks like ...
A rock star or with strange,
glittery clothes?
We love music in this family,
so I like to think of Coronavirus as a rock star.

Where does Coronavirus live?
He or she sure must travel a lot.
Mom says we might meet
this person one day.
7

8

We’ve been spending all our days at home.
Playing a lot, Mom, Dad, and me.
We do exercise on the game console.
Painting, cutting, and pasting,
and we laugh all the time.
9

10
We’ve never gone so long without going out.
And I love it outside!
But what we do now is open the
windows to chat with the neighbors
who live across the street.
They don’t go out either.

In the evenings, we give
a round of applause
to the people working hard to
make sure we stay healthy.
Everything’s different now.
11

12
We also wash our hands a lot
and take long showers.
We clean the house and
help with the cooking.
We do lots of different things.

Today, I got a sore throat. I have a fever
too. But we’re not going to the doctor.
Mom and Dad say Coronavirus has come,
but I still can’t see anyone.
I guess they must be really tiny.
So, I’m using my magnifying
glass to try to find them.
15

16
I get two points if I sneeze
into my elbow.
And if I wash my hands a lot,
and between my fingers, I get another point.
Do you know what the prize is? Hot
chocolate for my afternoon snack!

17

Grandpa and Grandma are also coughing.
They’re not going out either and
They call the doctor every day.
We Facetime a lot,
and tell loads of jokes.
18
It makes me laugh!

19

20

They say it’s going to be a while
before we can go back to school.
In the mornings, we do homework,
That our teachers are sending to us.
In the afternoons, we play.
We’re getting used to it now.
I’m also feeling better.
21

They found Coronavirus!
I heard on the news that
it was a woman with a
microscope who did it. Lucky her!
I knew someone would manage it!
Now, she’s preparing a shot,
so everyone can be healthy again.
23

24

I drew a picture of Coronavirus.
Let me show it to you.
Now we know each other,
Let’s learn to get on.
25

If we all follow the rules,
and stay at home,
we’ll go back to school soon enough
to be reunited with our friends.
27

We have the superpower
to stay protected
Washing our hands can be fun. Let’s play a game!
Think of your favorite song and sing it from start to finish while
you carefully rub your hands with soap.
Don’t touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.
If you do, you’ll lose a point for your supersnack!
28
When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with the
inside of your elbow. Quick question: Can you think of three
other things you can do with the inside of your elbow?
Tough, right?

If you feel scared, talk to Mom and Dad about it.
They’ll understand and they’ll explain what’s going on.
It’s normal to be scared.
Being at home all day means we can do a whole host of
things. Maybe it’s time to help with the cleaning, learn how
to tie your shoes, or even figure out what your favorite pizza
flavor is!
If you get a sore throat or headache, tell Mom and Dad.
They’ll always take care of you.
And, if you get bored, dive into your books. Just pick one
and read it. Books are the door to so many different worlds.
AND EVERYTHING
WILL BE ALL RIGHT
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