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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.

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.

And here are some students folding the zine!

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.

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."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Malaka Gharib is the deputy editor and digital strategist on NPR's global health and development team. She covers topics such as the refugee crisis, gender equality and women's health. Her work as part of NPR's reporting teams has been recognized with two Gracie Awards: in 2019 for How To Raise A Human, a series on global parenting, and in 2015 for #15Girls, a series that profiled teen girls around the world.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.