2020 has been the Year of Uncertainty...
Enter your number to get our free mobile app

A pandemic, working and learning from home, masks, social distancing,  and in general a feeling of fear and apprehension.

So WGRZ-TV tells us that prompted first-grade teacher Hailey Glynn to write "When Virona the Corona Came to Town" so her students could understand what was going on and hopefully be less fearful.

"I had been talking to some of my friends and colleagues and family members who are adults who were having a hard time comprehending this situation," said first-grade teacher Hailey Glynn. "Everyone was really confused and didn't know where to turn. I was like, if adults are feeling this way, I can't even imagine how my students are feeling, having lost their routine, lost their time with their friends, their school, their teacher...everything they know to be solid."

There was nothing that she had in her plans at school to explain to her students what was happening, so her mom suggested she write a book focusing on what she knows best, children.

Glynn had never written a book, but she is a teacher, loves writing and considered herself up for the task so she wrote: "When Virona the Corona Came to Town."

Glynn said in less than a month she had the book, which explains the coronavirus pandemic in a kid-friendly way, written and illustrated.

She discusses the changes COVID-19 brought to everyday life, how it's making all of us feel, and about front line workers and those who are helping during this difficult time.

"There's the message to appreciate others and be thankful for those who are so great and helpful during this time," Glynn said. "And even in times of trouble, even in very scary times, it's okay to find joy in your life. Just because it's a scary time, you don't have to wake up and be sad all day every day.

 "When Virona the Corona Came to Town" is now an Amazon bestseller. She sold more than 15,000 copies in just the first two months.

Glynn said she knows teachers who plan to read the book to their students to help them better understand what's going on in this uncertain time.

Glynn says that teaching is her fulltime passion but, she'd like to write and illustrate another book at some point.

 

Top 7 Phrases You Hope You'll Never Hear Again After The Pandemic

More From The New 96.1 WTSS