The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus: A PSA Booklet

The Princess in Black

by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

Princess Magnolia - AKA, the Princess in Black - returns in this brief look at the Coronavirus crisis, and the simple things we can all do to improve the current situation.

Available to download for free here:
https://www.princessinblack.com/downl...

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Picture Books, Fantasy, Royalty, Illness, Childrens Fantasy

8 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels: the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, multiple award winner Book of a Thousand Days, and the highly acclaimed Books of Bayern series. She has written three books for adults, including the upcoming Midnight in Austenland (Jan. 2012), companion book to Austenland. She co-wrote the hit graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel Calamity Jack with husband Dean Hale. They live near Salt Lake City, Utah with their four small children, and their pet, a small, plastic pig.

Reviews

[Abigail]

Princess Magnolia and her friends return in this brief ebook - available to download for free HERE - as they take on a new problem: a germ so tiny it can't be seen. It's the "Case of the Coronavirus," and it can be addressed using three simple steps: 1) washing hands, 2) staying at home, and 3) making some space. If everyone works together, then the problem can be solved...

The Princess in Black series, in which a young royal has a secret alter-ego as a monster-fighting superhero, is immensely popular at work with our beginning chapter-book readers, so when I saw that co-authors Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham had put together a little response to the current Coronavirus pandemic and worldwide lockdown, I immediately went to download it. There's not really much to it - it's a brief 7 pages - but it is quite cute, and offers some simple information in an appealing format. This won't really answer a child's questions about the topic - for that I recommend Coronavirus: A Book for Children - but for fans of this character, it could offer a bit of reassurance and fun.

For parents looking for more online resources and ebooks for children addressing this crisis, the New York City School Library System has put together a list of free titles available worldwide, which can be found here:
https://nycdoe.libguides.com/COVID-19...

[Katt Hansen]

I saw this when I was looking up how many books were in the Princess in Black series and of course had to download it immediately. I really do like how the rules for Covid were explained in terms kids could understand (back when we had stricter guidelines). Keep one Frimplepants away! lol.

This book isn't about answering questions about covid but that's not the point. Overall, I think it got the job done and am happy there were resources out there like this when everything was so scary.

[Dianna]

Short, sweet, and positive!

Read it for free online here:
https://www.princessinblack.com/downl...

[Hannah Galler]

It's just a few pages long in a free download, but it's so cute! I absolutely adore The Princess in Black series and I think this was just a perfect addition during such a hard time, especially for those super social kiddos out there (like my own) who are struggling with everything being cancelled and not getting to see their friends.

[Alicia]

A quick way to encourage Princess in Black fans to help fight COVID-19. (I wish I read this in April, though. I would have been even more excited about it then.)

For: fans of princesses and superheroes; readers wanting a quick way to discuss COVID-19.

Possible red flags: could be scary for some readers.

[Christine]

This is a pretty good booklet about the steps to avoid Coronavirus. It is geared toward children - I love how the six feet rule is explained. This was cool.

[Sting Key]

Omg so cute😊 I totally recommend

[Persephone Beverley]

Make sure to do every thing in this book.

[Jenny Bates]

For all of my First Graders who love Princess in Black, which is every single one, this was a great read a loud for distance learning! The familiar characters were a great way to help the kiddos to remember why we are social distancing and not in school right now! Thank you for making this a free download!

[Bethe]

Bookaday #52. Cute! Princess in Black with some helpful reminders during the pandemic. Free pdf, with invitation to visit publisher's stay at home website for more activities and fun.

[Sarah]

Cute, helpful, my daughter loved the idea of measuring distance by the size of Blackie, I mean, Frimplepants

[Erica]

Easy to read and understand things we can do to prevent getting sick.

[Atiyeh]

The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus is a timely and thoughtful resource for young readers navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Created by the award-winning team behind the Princess in Black series, this short comic booklet uses the familiar characters of Princess Magnolia and her friends to explain the importance of health measures like handwashing, mask-wearing, and social distancing in a way that is accessible and reassuring for children.

The booklet is available for free download, making it an easily accessible tool for parents, educators, and caregivers seeking to support children during these uncertain times. Its engaging illustrations and simple, clear language help demystify the virus and encourage positive health behaviours.

Pros:

Familiar Characters: Fans of the Princess in Black series will appreciate seeing beloved characters in a new context, making the information more relatable.

Accessible Format: The free digital format allows for easy distribution and accessibility.

Positive Messaging: The booklet emphasises that children can play an active role in keeping themselves and others safe, empowering them during a time when they may feel helpless.

Cons:

Brief Content: As a short booklet, it may not delve deeply into all aspects of the pandemic, but it serves as a starting point for conversation.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus is an excellent resource for helping young children understand and cope with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its combination of familiar characters, clear information, and positive messaging makes it a valuable tool for families and educators.

[Goddess of Chaos]

Lots to love in a few pages...

This makes everything sound easy and fun.

Taking care of yourself is as simple as 1, 2, 3... the book is accessible to young readers, reinforces the message with the images, says on the last page that it was written using the CDC guidelines as of April 8, 2020, and does all of this with a light heart.

Masks are shown, but probably since different states have different regulations, they are not emphasized.

[Evee]

I'm writing this on behalf of my daughter because I was so impressed with it. She adores the Princess in Black and after reading this, I spent about 30 minutes listening to her teach me all about how to stay safe in a covid world. I highly recommend it to reinforce mask wearing, hand washing, and social distancing in elementary school aged children.

[Helen Agathocleous]

Lovely

I was curious to see what this book explained and as an adult listening to my nieces and nephews thought I would read it. The heroine of the bookselling what is needed fight this virus. It is 2 minute read with beautiful artwork too.

[Thomas Bell]

Cute, and probably useful for kids. I liked the distancing rule of '1 Frimplepants away.'

The book made it seem like it was easy to just cancel all playdates. And back then we thought that would be helpful, not hurtful like it has proven to be.

[Molly]

Princess Magnolia aka The Princess in Black and her friends give advice on how to stop the spread of the coronavirus such as washing hands and staying home. This is a nicely done PSA booklet that shares important health information in a format kids can understand.

[Engel Dreizehn]

Yes it's real and helpful!

[Charlene Avery]

Easy to understand, fun call to action for kids!

[Jonathan]

Funny and educational. Fun for the whole family.

[Korbie Harrison]

Super cute Princess-in-Black themed short about how kids can fight Covid-19! My students loved when I shared it with them 😃

[Lynda]

Perfect!

[jennifer chastain]

Good

Good book for kids to talk about what we need to do I think it’s probably only good for kids who like the princess in black series but I thought it was good

[Kasey]

😶

Why could you not make it longer than 9 pages. I mean we already know this, why even make it?

[Andrew]

Useful public service announcement encouraging hand washing, masking, physical distancing, and staying home. Good way to reach kids already interested in Princess in Black.

[Christina]

Thank you

This was wonderful for my kids! They loved the masks on familiar characters. We read every word. An important message.

[Teresa O'Connell]

Useful

I think this is a good way to teach kids about covid. And it is cute too! I did like it

[Ellon]

Love that Hale made this to inform kids what needs to be done because of COVID.

[Adam Howell]

Free and fun

My daughters live the Princess in Black, and this was no exception. They will probably switch from the ABC song to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star because of this book.