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Arkansas moms write children's book to help kids understand COVID-19

Three Arkansas-native moms wanted to create a book to make teaching kids about coronavirus a little bit easier.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The coronavirus pandemic continues to be a challenge for all of us. One of the hardest parts is keeping up with the latest details and understanding how we can make things better. 

As adults, we rely on news articles and watch news on television to help us with that but those methods can be hard for kids to understand. That's why three Arkansas-native moms wanted to create a book to make teaching kids about coronavirus a little bit easier.

Three Arkansas moms: Dr. Kristina Bondurant, an epidemiologist, Jen Holman, a writer, and Cary Smith, an artist, have all been facing similar challenges during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Our kids were asking a lot of questions so we thought other kids were probably asking their parents a lot of questions too," said Holman.

It was that challenge that inspired them to get creative. They collaborated and wrote a book called Mira Does Her Part to help parents learn how to talk about the coronavirus in a way kids could relate to and understand.

"We told the story of a little girl sad about being stuck at home because she doesn't understand social distancing," said Holman. "But her scientist mom explains it and when she understands it, she realizes she's got to help fight the virus and her imagination runs wild while she learns shes part of this too."

The book is full of incredible illustrations that Smith said are meant to help empower kids.

"When my body isn't allowed to go on adventure, my mind goes on one," said Smith. "Even though we're stuck at home, physically, our minds can go on a journey."

It's a journey that's adventurous and educational. Dr. Bondurant said she wanted this to teach kids and parents why all of this is happening.

"The biggest question I hear is 'why' and that's why our definitions and facts can help parents explain why we have to do this right now," said Dr. Bondurant. "We break it all down in kid friendly language and in simple facts and we hit home on social distancing, hand hygiene, and how staying at home is so helpful right now."

These moms hope the book will be a resource and a way to bring families closer together during this time.

"I really hope families enjoy that time sitting down reading together," said Smith.

You can find the book, Mira Does Her Part: How One Girl Vanquished a Virus with Healthy Habits, on Amazon right now.

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