Hamilton medical student creates educational children’s book about COVID-19
- Michael Kras
- 28 Oct 2020
McMaster medical student and visual artist Nicole Crimi has created what may end up being one of the most important children’s books of the year.
Created as an educational resource to help young children understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Patty and the Pandemic was written and vividly illustrated by Crimi and is already in the hands of countless children, families, and educators in Hamilton and well beyond; it even got a shout-out from Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Crimi was inspired to create Patty and the Pandemic while seeing how her young nephew Adam was responding to the impacts of COVID-19 and what it means to be a child growing up amid a global pandemic. It wasn’t long before the book was brought from idea to reality, marrying Crimi’s passions for both art and medical education.
Through the perspective of its child protagonist Patty, the book accessibly and playfully teaches children ages 3 to 8 about the importance of mask-wearing, hand-washing, social distancing, and recognizing potential symptoms of COVID-19.
To ensure that the book was both entertaining and factual, Crimi collaborated with a number of team members including Dr. Peter Adamson, who wrote the book’s foreword and contributed to its verses; Dr. Joanne Kearon, who provided insights on public health priorities relevant to COVID-19; and Monica Brundage, who helped in refining the book’s creative aspects.
Patty and the Pandemic is a book that young children everywhere would benefit from, so check out the book’s website and order your copy!
Lead image courtesy of @nicolecrimiart
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