A new children’s book about the Wuhan coronavirus whistleblower teaches bravery

A new children’s book about the Wuhan coronavirus whistleblower teaches bravery

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The police tried to silence Li, but he continued to speak. In the book, a 7-year-old girl, May, learns about Dr. Li’s courage and acts to cultivate hope.

The illustrated book was written by New York Times bestselling author Francesca Cavallo. It was first made available as a short, free downloadable book. The online version was downloaded more than 60,000 times in just a few weeks and later translated by volunteers into 38 languages.

Cavallo told CNN that he believes he has received many requests from parents and educators for the print version of this book because they wanted to give children a better explanation of deeper events during the pandemic. So she chose not to wait to write a longer version of the book.

Dr. Li died on February 7, 2020, of coronavirus. Cavallo said that “he became a symbol of freedom, of the importance of science, so the fact that he appeared in a children’s book was an extremely important way to preserve his memory”.

Cavallo was also concerned about the increase in racism against Asian Americans and thought that many children would always associate the virus with China – and the Chinese.

“I didn’t want those kids to associate an Asian face with the virus,” Cavallo told CNN. “This is the kind of racism that is extremely difficult to eradicate when you grow up. I wanted them to associate Dr. Li’s face with the face of the first hero of this pandemic.”

After launching a crowdfunding campaign, Cavallo and his team managed to raise more than $ 52,000 in less than a month through Kickstarter and published the book in November. It sold more than 15,000 worldwide with copies in English, Italian, Simplified Chinese and Pilipino.

Cavallo said the book inspires children to be courageous in the face of adversity, adding that “it also celebrates empathy by showing children what this crisis means for everyone and will offer you and your children. [It provides] a space to explore your feelings about the pandemic and an opportunity to get inspired and make sense of what happened together. “

The book is being sold directly online and some publishers around the world are distributing it in the Philippines, Italy and Singapore.

Cavallo also recently closed a distribution agreement. Beginning in July 2021, Undercats books will be distributed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, which could allow “Doctor Li and the virus that wears the crown” to reach millions worldwide.

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