New Delhi: A pictorial book seeks to answer key questions related to coronavirus to help five to nine year olds understand this unprecedented time in which a hidden virus has compelled them to stay at home - away from school, friends and the outdoors."Coronavirus: A Book for Children" is written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson and Nia Roberts and has illustrations by Axel Scheffler.

The book is published by HarperCollins India in partnership with Nosy Crow and is available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Assamese and Nepali.

"There's a new word you might have heard. You might hear people talking about it or you might hear it on the news. This word is the reason that you're not going to school. It is the reason you can't go outside very often or visit your friends. It might be the reason why the grown-up or grown-ups who look after you are at home. The word is coronavirus," the book begins.

According to Tina Narang, publisher (children's) at HarperCollins India, this is an "extremely relevant picture book" which will "help children understand this truly unique time in which a hidden virus has compelled them to stay at home - away from school, friends and the outdoors".

The book, which also has an expert's input - Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, attempts to answer questions like what is coronavirus, how one catches it, is there a cure and what is going to happen next.

It says this is a strange time for everybody, and it's happening all over the world.
"But if we are all careful and we all stay at home, we are doing what we can to stop the coronavirus spreading. And that gives the scientists and doctors time to work out how to cure the illness and maybe stop people getting it altogether by using medicines and vaccines," the authors say.

"One day, quite soon, though nobody knows exactly when, you'll be able to visit people you love who don't live with you, play with your friends, go to school again and do lots of other things that you enjoy but that you can't do now," the book says.

It ends on a positive note saying "one day, this strange time will be over".