Free disaster resource developed jointly with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Even though the virus was still in Littletown, it was good to share their worries.
In the story, the coronavirus has spread to Littletown causing changes in everyone's lives. The story describes how COVID-19 affects Trinka and Sam and their families. We see their reactions and learn how their parents help them to express their feelings and feel safer.
A companion parent guide suggests ways that parents can use the story with their children. A separate booklet contains questions young children may have. Parents can look through this booklet and choose pages they want to include in the story or use the booklet separately with their children.
The story opens doors to conversations about:
Resources
Free PDF Version
Click on the image to preview and on the buttons to download a print quality version.
Share this story with others by sharing the link to this page as we may update the PDF and develop new resources. Downloading the PDF means you agree to follow the copyright and Use Guidelines.
NOTE: Story and booklet updated January 12, 2021.
Updates
Story updated January 12, 2021 to reflect changes related to the development of the vaccines. The following pages changed.
Tailoring the Story to Your Community
We recognize that different communities around the world have different levels of the virus and different rules related to wearing masks. We also wanted children reading the book to be able to see the character's faces and relate to them. In the booklet, we included the page (shown on the left) that helps your child and family talk about where the mice should be wearing mask and add them. We hope this is helpful and that it leads to important conversations about the virus and how we try to keep each other safe from the virus.
Free Video Version
Listen to the story as read by the author. You may share this version in trainings, provided you follow the Use Guidelines.
Free Webinar
Other COVID-Related Resources
Join Piplo Productions creator, Chandra Ghosh Ippen, in conversation with colleagues about COVID-19 and its impact on young children and families.
Podcast for Parents
A conversation with Dr. Barbara Stroud about stress, COVID, young children, and the critical importance of parents.
Podcast for Providers
A conversation with Tena Sloan about young children and COVID-19.
KQED Newsroom
KQED Newsroom Interview with Marisa Lagos: Mental Health in the Age of Social Distancing and Self-Isolating
Your Feedback Helps . . .
Available Languages
For some language versions, we have a webpage and additional resources. For others, we provide a link to just the story.
Click on the image to access the different language versions
Click to see which versions are in process
and to request to translate.
In the News
Update March 31, 2021
The story launched April 19, 2020. Since then, the English version has been accessed over 110,000 times by over 39,000 unique users. It is also being directly shared by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and multiple other organizations (see below). The Spanish version has been downloaded over 15,500 times by over 5,400 users. Our little friends are supporting families in all 50 states, as well as in DC, Puerto Rico, and 155 other countries.
Some of the Organizations Recommending this Story
This is a small sampling of the organizations recommending our book on their websites. We share them because people often want to know if individuals and organizations have found our books to be useful. Below you will see a sampling of the community organizations, libraries, school and school districts, universities, religious organizations, health and mental health organizations, government organizations, and national organizations, including the US Department of Education and the California State Assembly Democratic Caucus, who are sharing and recommending our book. We also love seeing that our books are used in other countries, including Canada, the Caribbean, and England.
Acknowledgements
The development of this story was supported in part by the Irving Harris Foundation and by grants made to the Early Trauma Treatment Network (ETTN) at the University of California, San Francisco and the National Center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The views, policies, and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.
Special Thanks To:
Mindy Kronenberg, Beth Grady, George Grady, Ann Chu, Brooke Kimbro, Lauren Gourley, Lili Gray, Michelle Harvey, Heidi Hills, Gabriela Mendoza, Courtney Naliboff, Heather Nelson, Resa Sandora, Christine Vélez for pilot testing and providing feedback and input on earlier drafts of the story.