THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK

In March of 2020, Dr. Thompson-Gray had difficulty coping with not seeing her students in person during the Covid-19 global pandemic. The emptiness and worry caused her to call to check on her students, provide resources, and write a book that would help her students and other children understand what was happening in the world. Her book, The ABCs of Covid-19: Helping Children Understand the Global Pandemic, is an excellent tool to help parents and teachers have an age-appropriate discussion about the virus. The first-time illustrator, Stephanie Rogers Carter, drew the colorful illustrations. She did a fantastic job illustrating many of the events that people around the world were experiencing. The use of diverse characters helps to show how the pandemic impacted people of all ethnicities. Dr. Thompson-Gray has a fascinating family history, and she paid homage to her family in her first book by naming the buildings to honor some of her family members.