Milton Rabbit: A book to help kids through the COVID-19 crisis

Meet Milton Rabbit an interesting online storyteller for young children. Rukmani Trust has joined hands with Milton Rabbit to help children in India navigate the various challenges in their daily lives as a result of the pandemic.

Recognising the complexities that come with understanding the coronavirus disease for the younger generation, a Danish publisher partnered and global pump manufacturer Grundfos came together to develop an illustrated children’s book ‘Milton and the Invisible Coronavirus’.

The illustrations visualise different complex topics — from social distancing to personal hygiene. They explain in a fact-based and safe way what COVID-19 is, how and why we should look out for each other.

The aim of the project was to help shed light on what the pandemic is all about, and how we can play our part in fighting it.

Milton Around the World is an educational universe for children aged 5 to 8. Considering the sparse information about COVID-19, Rukmani Trust was convinced that Milton’s universe could be used as a starting point to create comfort around the situation.

We felt that the children may not quite understand what is happening around them, but they notice huge changes in their everyday life and see the worry painted in the faces of the adults.

They do not understand why they cannot go to school or see their grandparents. And why do they have to wash their hands all the time?

Parents themselves feel challenged now and it is a considerable task to also have to explain in pedagogical and non-frightening terms what COVID-19 is and why we need to be so careful. It is something that the parents may not fully understand themselves.

To counter this, Rukmani Trust has made digital versions of Milton’s books, and its accompanying teaching material available to on-ground NGOs like Lakshyam to facilitate digital learning and enhanced awareness about the pandemic in remote areas. To read more about Milton Rabbit, click here.