The book seems to have been hastily completed to meet an urgent need, and due to the ever-changing nature of a global pandemic, some of the facts are already outdated. Adults using this book to explain the epidemic to children may run into places where they have to contradict what it says. A few illustrations show behavior that’s now discouraged, such as going to the park without wearing masks (albeit while keeping distant from others). The explanation of the virus is too simplified for older children, and its effects are ominously shown in pictures of a hospital patient and a coffin that younger children may find too frightening. Many illustrations are black-and-white photos enhanced with digitized Sharpie sketches, often poignant but sometimes disharmonious; the strongest drawings are the ones that stand alone.
Clearly a labor of love, this picture book effectively validates a child’s experience of quarantine and the intimidating emotions that accompany it. After the litany of things Eva can no longer do, readers will appreciate the pages about how she spends her time now, including playing with her brother, studying engineering by building graham cracker towers, and going for walks. Angel’s simplistic story is a useful jumping-off point for sparking discussions with young children about these tumultuous and confusing times.
Takeaway: This timely portrait of isolated life in the pandemic era will help little readers feel seen and validate their complicated feelings.
Great for fans of Mo Willems’s Knuffle Bunny series, Hailey Glynn’s When Virona the Corona Came to Town.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
"Offers helpful tools to start difficult conversations with kids during a rapidly changing pandemic." —Kirkus Reviews
“Everyone—young and old—can relate to this stay-at-home story amidst the greatest pandemic of our time.” —Readers' Favorite
“This book can be a wonderful way to have meaningful conversations with young children as they too are greatly affected by the pandemic. As parents struggle with how to help young children through this difficult time, author and illustrator Jennifer Angel has crafted an engaging and practical children’s book in Corona Daze.” —Readers' Favorite
“Angel’s artwork is an inspirational blend of photographic images and cartoon illustrations that captures quite eloquently the disconnect between reality and the new reality of the pandemic. Corona Daze is most highly recommended.” —Readers' Favorite (starred review)
“Jennifer Angel does not hold back on who is responsible for a lot of the fear-mongering without outright stating it, although a picture is definitely worth a thousand words in the context of this book.” —Readers' Favorite
“Corona Daze is definitely a book I would recommend to my friends with kids as a good way of explaining the current issue our world faces.” —Readers' Favorite (starred review)