Finding empowerment in coronavirus confusing times
In "The Day the Animals Triumphed Over the Coronas", four close friends – a lion, a mouse, a parrot and a dog – lived together happily at the edge of a forest.
By MIRIAM KATES LOCKTHE BOOK tells the tale of four close friends – a lion, mouse, parrot and dog – living together happily at the edge of a forest(photo credit: PEPE FAINBERG)
The last few months have been bewildering for everyone. Let’s face it, life has become very strange. During the lockdown that began in March, when I did venture outside for my 100-meter walk, I began to have a sensation that the coronavirus I was trying so hard to avoid was actually little bugs flying around in the air.Expert advice encouraged this type of thinking – wearing gloves, washing your hands many times a day, even washing the bottom of your shoes when you came inside in case you stepped in corona. Some experts even suggested disinfecting the groceries you bought if you were brave enough to go to the supermarket. Even ordering food online required a certain amount of courage because who knows what the deliveryman touched before carrying your packages to your door?For adults, this period has been challenging and difficult, to say the least. For families with young children, it is up to the parents to set the tone so the children can remain not only healthy but also calm and happy.Apparently, I was not the only one who visualized corona as a swarm of dangerous little bugs. In The Day the Animals Triumphed Over the Coronas, written by Carmela Lev Ari and illustrated by Pepe Fainberg, four close friends – a lion, a mouse, a parrot and a dog – lived together happily at the edge of a forest.Leo the lion was the ruler and leader of all the animals in the forest, and at the same time, he was a wise counselor. Mio the mouse happily spent his days gathering food throughout the forest, and Dido the dog had a big heart and knew how to make all the animals happy. Perry the parrot really meant well but did not always know how to keep his mouth shut. He flew around all day eavesdropping on the other animals’ conversations, and had a habit of repeating these conversations thoughtlessly to the wrong animals. However, his friends loved him anyway and they were happy, and so were all the other animals in the forest.One day, intruders interrupted their idyllic life in the forest. A swarm of little mosquitoes called “Coronas” arrived in the forest intent on taking it over. They made a deafening “zoooooooom” noise that was so loud that all the animals ran away in fear. Even worse, they started stinging some of the animals and making them sick. The animals all agreed that they should stay inside and maybe the annoying Coronas would just go away.Suddenly, Leo the lion and his friends were cooped up inside all the time. They looked out the window and watched helplessly as the Coronas took over the forest. Leo hoped the Coronas would go away quickly but they continued to fly around in big swarms, making their terrible noise. The animals became more and more frightened.LEO WAS losing his patience. He was beginning to get very frustrated.“‘How dare they!’ roared Leo, but he knew very well that even he, the fearless and wise king of the animals, couldn’t control the hazardous mob of Coronas. He had little choice but to wait things out in his home like everybody else.”Leo decided he could not sit in the house doing nothing any longer, and just had to go outside. When he tried to leave the house his faithful friend, Dido the dog, blocked the door. There was no way Dido would let Leo go into the danger zone and risk being stung by the Coronas.
“‘Have patience, my friend,’ he soothed. ‘All the animals are secure in their homes at the moment. Every one of them is experiencing this, and like you, they feel helpless. Just remember: It is only a temporary situation, and before long we will all be free once again.’”Leo, who was always so confident and strong, was becoming desperate and miserable. All the animals were worried about him. Dido, the dog with the big heart, came up with an idea of how they could cope with the situation. They would all do what they knew how to do best and put their talents to good use to help each other.That is how it came to pass that Perry the parrot, who listened to conversations and repeated them to the wrong animals, would fly high above the forest wrapped in cloth for protection and use his listening and repeating skills for a positive purpose. Perry would find out what how all the animals in the forest were managing and what they needed.When it turned out that many of the animals did not have enough food and were getting hungry, Mio organized all his mouse friends to hunt for food and bring it to the other animals in a safe way, through the holes in their floors. As Perry flew through the forest, he also passed on Leo’s empowering messages to the animals.“‘Food and water are on the way,’ he called through their closed doors, repeating Leo’s announcements word for word. ‘You are brave and strong, and I believe in you.’ He continued, ‘Soon this crisis will end, and we’ll be able to wander through the forest once again!’”The four friends found a way not only to cope but also to make the best of the situation, becoming better and stronger animals in the process.The Day the Animals Triumphed Over the Coronas is illustrated with lively, colorful pictures that bring the forest animals to life. This inventive story will draw your children into the animals’ world while sharing a positive message of empowerment to help them get through these confusing times.THE DAY THE ANIMALS TRIUMPHED OVER THE CORONASBy Carmela Lev Ari andillustrated by Pepe FainbergGefen Publishing32 pages; $15.95
