Book helps children understand coronavirus
McKinleyville High grad writes book to help kids better understand current health crisis
“I designed the book to be in the voice of a kid so little readers could immediately relate and see themselves as a person with authority regarding their own safety.”
— Tedi McVea, author of “I Know About Germs”
Former Humboldt County resident Tedi McVea has written a new children’s book, “I Know About Germs,” to help kids gain a sense of control over circumstances related to the coronavirus.
“I Know About Germs” — illustrated by artist Noel de la Mora — is about a little boy who discusses the relationship between “bad” germs and “superhero” germs and explains how children can help the “superhero” germs beat the “bad” germs.
“I designed the book to be in the voice of a kid so little readers could immediately relate and see themselves as a person with authority regarding their own safety,” McVea said in an email interview with the Times-Standard.
She added: “… I wanted the little readers to imagine themselves very protected with their army of superheroes inside of them, but still feel motivated to take precautions like washing their hands and practicing social distancing. I ended the story with an image of connection so the readers wouldn’t feel alone during this pandemic.”
McVea came up with the idea for this book during conversations with her 4-year-old son, Dax, who had started expressing anxiety about all of the changes he was witnessing as adults around him struggled with how to stay safe from the COVID-19 virus.
“Dax had a very active social life, was attending ‘PreK 3’ and my mom is in a high-risk work environment, so overnight his world changed with no more play dates, school, time with Yaya or friends or even playgrounds at the park. He originally thought he had to stay home because he had the coronavirus,” McVea said.
“… You see, in kid logic, when you stay home from school, it means you are sick. So, shelter in place was very confusing for his 4-year-old mind. He was concerned about loved ones and for a bit was even scared to go outside thinking that the coronavirus would catch him. My heart broke for him, but I understood he was just overwhelmed with the drastic changes in his lifestyle and was having a hard time getting solid footing without more info.”
Originally, McVea wrote “I Know About Germs” solely to help her son better understand what was going on.
“Dax is the type of kid who does well with information. He likes to feel empowered and in control,” McVea said. “There was nothing out there regarding the pandemic in late March, so I wrote something to help him.
“I immediately noticed a positive change in him when he began to understand the relationship between the virus, hand washing and social distancing,” she said.
McVea — who also has 1-year-old twin daughters — found the book “effective and empowering” for her son so she decided to pursue getting it published to help other kids make better sense of the coronavirus.
“My hope is that the book helps families as much as it has helped mine,” she said.
McVea was born and raised in Humboldt County. She graduated from McKinleyville High School in 2003.
“I was a cheerleader and graduated a year early at the district’s alternative school due to becoming homeless and having to work,” she said. “I was a client of YSB (Youth Service Bureau) and an eventual employee.”
McVea attended College of the Redwoods in Eureka for a time before being accepted in 2009 into the social work program at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, where she now lives.
“I still have close ties to Humboldt with many family and friends. I come visit as often as I can,” said McVea, who has been a licensed clinical social worker since 2011. (She also provides counseling and assessment through a private practice and is an adjunct professor at Our Lady of the Lake University.)
“I Know About Germs” is available through Amazon in paperback and ebook formats and can also be ordered through any bookstore.
“For publication,” McVea noted, “we generalized it a bit more to help be applicable as facts and recommendations change, but a basic description of novel viruses, pandemics and social distancing is described in a very basic way. Parents can then use the book as a foundation for home discussions.”
The book’s publisher, Auris Books Press, is an entity of the Auris Project, a nonprofit organization that helps underserved communities in Texas and Mexico through information, support and connections. McVea — who also runs the “Mom-Ease Bear” blog (https://mom-easebear.blogspot.com) — is donating 100 percent of her share of royalties from her book to the Auris Project.
“Their projects to date include telling the stories of heroes of color,” McVea said. “This work is important to me and I want to see more works produced in this lane. If my donation can help support the building of that infrastructure while also keeping the cost of this book low so it’s available to many families, that’s a win-win for me.”
“I Know About Germs” is McVea’s first published book, though she has several more coming out in 2022.
“I have a trilogy completed discussing topics related to gender that is pending illustration with the same artist,” she said.