Marquette professor writes 'School in the Time of the Coronavirus' children's book

MILWAUKEE -- There is still a lot of uncertainty about what exactly school will look like this year. That uncertainty can be stressful for parents, but also for kids. Now, there's a new book coming out to help.

Schools across the country are making difficult decisions about the best way to bring students back in the classroom. Many things are still up in the air -- but it is clear things will be different.

Emily Mazzulla

"We don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like in the fall or in the spring, but at some point, we will be going back into school and the transition is just that: it’s a transition. Kids are going to be looking to adults, to parents, to teachers to help them with that transition," said Emily Mazzulla, clinical assistant professor of psychology at Marquette University.

Emily Mazzulla is a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Marquette University. She is also a mother of three. And when she realized there weren't a lot of resources to help with the transition, she made one. A wrote a children's book called "School in the Time of the Coronavirus."

 

"It’s about a little girl who is washing her hands, singing the happy birthday song and goes through it twice, and kind of looks at herself in the mirror and says to herself, ‘what is this going to be like at school?’ So she’s worried," said Mazzulla.

Mazzulla says resilience-building strategies are sprinkled throughout the book. The strategies are then clearly outlined at the end. Mazzulla wants the book to be a way for parents to start the conversation with elementary school children.

"Being able to talk to someone about your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or punishment. I think that’s really the key, the communication," said Mazzulla.

The book will be available for pre-order on Amazon starting Aug. 1.