Whether It’s Bad News or a Pandemic, These Children’s Books May Help

Some of the children’s books in this UVA collection address their reactions to disturbing news or the fear of vaccines. (Photo by Erin Edgerton, University Communications)

“The collection website is getting thousands of hits, and we’re getting more requests for consulting and other suggestions,” Hosbach said.

Steve Plaskon, an associate professor of education, asked Hosbach to give a presentation recently to one of his courses on elementary teaching. He called her “a wonderful resource.”

“Often there is a gap between what our [student] interns need to be able to create successful lessons and what is provided in the field,” Plaskon said. “Ashley Hosbach’s collection is unique and unusual, and I don’t think there is another like it anywhere.”

Hosbach said there is a very low number of vaccination books published for children – something she is writing an article on. “The majority of these tend to be from small presses or are self-published by medical personnel. We need more authors and publishers to write books about vaccination for children to help build vaccine confidence.”

She said she also sees it as a collection that “will be referenced historically for research on the pandemic and how public health information during a crisis is communicated to children.”

For instance, “Sofia and the Shot,” written by nurse practitioner Sarah Wilson, features a young girl who is anxious about getting her vaccine. A talking cat, Mr. Whiskers, appears to reassure her and takes her on a journey to explain why vaccines are important.

Hosbach also recommends another feline-themed volume, “The Little Cat That Zoomed,” by Ashley and Eyal Podell, that takes the family cat’s perspective to help children process changes in routine.

Two other titles provide examples of books that tackle more general emotional and potentially traumatic issues: “How to Tame My Anxiety Monster,” by Melanie Hawkins, an elementary arts teacher, and “The Breaking News,” by Sarah Lynne Reul, which Hosbach called “a great book for any stressful situation that helps children focus on the helpers and how they can contribute during a crisis versus just the bad news.”

Hosbach also pointed out that the collection has been “mapped,” or matched, to an educational framework known as the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, as well as the Virginia Department of Education Health Standards of Learning, to help UVA student teachers and others more easily integrate the material into classroom instruction.

Building the collection with funding from the Jefferson Trust, Hosbach hopes to be able to purchase more pro-vaccination books and give them away. She is actively seeking partners in the Charlottesville-Albemarle community to distribute books. Local organizations can connect with Hosbach directly if interested in collaborating.