Online flipbook

One day Birdie's friend Mr Frog felt yucky. His nose was runny. He had a cough. "I think I'm sick," croaked Mr Frog.

Birdie felt sad and lonely because her friends couldn't play games with her.

She also felt worried. What if Mr Frog didn't get better? What if everyone stayed sick forever?

A virus has made Birdie’s friends sick! Birdie feels lonely and worried. Birdie and the Virus is a story to help young children:

  • understand what COVID-19 is
  • learn to wash their hands and wear a mask
  • learn about getting tests and vaccines
  • understand how to talk with friends and have fun even when they can't be together
  • work through sad or scary feelings
  • understand how people get better from COVID-19.

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View flipbook (English)

You can also read the Birdie gets her vaccination flipbook.

Videos

Watch the animation of Birdie and the virus

Duration: 02:57

Transcript

This is Birdie. Birdie is a happy bird who likes to sing.

She lives in a nest in a tall tree near a forest. Birdie feels cosy and safe in her nest.

Birdie likes to catch worms and talk with her friend Mr. Frog. Mr. Frog lives in a pond with green lily pads.

One day, Mr. Frog fell yucky. His nose was runny. He had a cough.

His head felt hot. I think I'm sick croaked Mr. Frog.

Mr. Frog had to lie down. Lots of their friends were sick too, and had to stay at home in bed.

Birdie felt sad and lonely because her friends couldn't play games with her. She also felt worried. What if Mr. Frog didn't get better? What if everyone stayed sick forever?

Doctor Grace came along. She said, Birdie, I know you feel sad and worried, but we will help Mr. Frog and everyone else feel better.

Doctor Grace gave Mr. Frog a mask to wear. Everyone had to wash their hands.

Birdie said, Doctor Grace. The thing making everyone sick is called a virus. We need to check for the virus inside your nose to see if you might get sick too.

The little stick felt strange inside Birdie's nose, but it wasn't there long.

It was hard for Birdie and Mr. Frog having to stay home.

They couldn't go out and do the things they usually did, but they found ways to have fun together.

Birdie didn't get sick. Soon Mr. Frog felt better, and so did everyone else.

Birdie was so happy to go out and explore, and play with her friends again.

Watch the Auslan translation of Birdie and the virus

Duration: 03:02

Transcript

This is Birdie. Birdie is a happy bird who likes to sing.

She lives in a nest in a tall tree near a forest. Birdie feels cosy and safe in her nest.

Birdie likes to catch worms and talk with her friend Mr. Frog. Mr. Frog lives in a pond with green lily pads.

One day, Mr. Frog fell yucky. His nose was runny. He had a cough.

His head felt hot. I think I'm sick croaked Mr. Frog.

Mr. Frog had to lie down. Lots of their friends were sick too, and had to stay at home in bed.

Birdie felt sad and lonely because her friends couldn't play games with her. She also felt worried. What if Mr. Frog didn't get better? What if everyone stayed sick forever?

Doctor Grace came along. She said, Birdie, I know you feel sad and worried, but we will help Mr. Frog and everyone else feel better.

Doctor Grace gave Mr. Frog a mask to wear. Everyone had to wash their hands.

Birdie said, Doctor Grace. The thing making everyone sick is called a virus. We need to check for the virus inside your nose to see if you might get sick too.

The little stick felt strange inside Birdie's nose, but it wasn't there long.

It was hard for Birdie and Mr. Frog having to stay home.

They couldn't go out and do the things they usually did, but they found ways to have fun together.

Birdie didn't get sick. Soon Mr. Frog felt better, and so did everyone else.

Birdie was so happy to go out and explore, and play with her friends again.

Watch Birdie's sing-along video about hand-washing

Duration: 00:45

Transcript

Birdie says:

Wash your hands.

Cover the cough and sneezes.

Keep your hands away from your face.

So you won't catch diseases.

Wash your hands.

Cover cough and sneezes.

Stay at home if you are sick.

So you won't spread diseases.

You can watch other Birdie's Tree videos in our resources section.

How to support your child in a natural disaster

Learn more about health conditions and treatments in our Health A-Z section. You can also read our natural disaster resilience resources for more help.

Buy a copy

Buy a print copy of Birdie and the virus for $10 plus shipping using our online order form.

You can also buy hand puppets of Birdie and Mr Frog for $15 each plus shipping.

Publishing information

Published: 2020

Author: Andrea Baldwin

Illustrator: Anil Tortop

Format: e-book, paperback

ISBN: 9780648817215