Children’s picture book, 'Pete Stays Home’ by Karra McFarlane, illustrated by Kim Hankinson. Produced to help young children discuss their feelings about having to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Karra McFarlane Editorial Ltd., Shropshire, UK, 30 April 2020

For many children, COVID-19 and public health measures like lockdowns have been difficult and worrying. Pete Stays Home is an example of how a picture book can be used to explain lockdown to children and help them understand how they are feeling. During the winter, Pete, a young bear, has to stop doing his favourite social activities and hibernate. The idea of using animals hibernating as a parallel for lockdown came from Karra MacFarlane’s own difficulty in explaining what was happening in March 2020 to her children. Pete’s story can help children and their parents/carers start a conversation about their own experiences and feelings.

Karra MacFarlane and Kim Hankinson decided to self-publish Pete Stays Home to make sure it would be available quickly. With a major publishing company, it often takes more than a year for a book to go from concept to being published. But in this case Karra MacFarlane and Kim Hankinson went from the idea to the book being printed in five weeks.