Staying Home

A sweet story aimed at helping children understand the current pandemic and the importance of staying home and social distancing. 

Told in a fun way, that shows an opportunity for children to be hero's too. The story is beautifully illustrated, I especially loved the naughty bear with his trolley full of toilet roll. 

A definite 5 star, great for young children, who are feeling a little confused by all the new rules. 

A big thank you to Netgalley, Joshua Burleson and his publisher for allowing me to read this sweet book for free.

What a great children's book to help explain the world's current pandemic and any other virus for that matter.  The illustrations were simple yet fun. I did enjoy the toilet paper hoarding reference! I thought the references to the children being able to play their part and become heroes was a great touch!

This would be a great addition to any child's or school library!

"Staying Home" is a children's book, geared towards kids ages 6-10, about a family of magical deer who must stay home to combat a virus in their community. The deer children learn how important it is to stay away from friends, help out at home, wash their hands, mask, socially distance and make sacrifices for the greater good.

This is a wonderful book to read elementary aged children (and maybe some adults!)  during this time.
It provides concrete information about virus and virus spread, and staying safe, in a fun and informative way.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a free review.

A family of magical deer learn about a virus that is spreading quickly and do their part to stop the spread by staying hone and social distancing.

A lovely book to read with children in the current times to help them understand what is going on in the world and how they can help 

Told with care and some humour this was a fabulous shared read with lots of discussions along the way

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. It's a nice idea to have a fun way to get these things across to kids. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

This cute picture book is designed to help children cope with the pandemic, but it is unique in its focus on fantasy creatures and its avoidance of directly mentioning COVID-19. I thought that it was cute and creative, and enjoyed the joke about people hoarding toilet paper. I also appreciate how the book emphasizes the importance of protecting others, recognizing that even though this isn't something that anyone wanted or chose, people can grow in character as they navigate this challenge.

The illustrations are adorable, and even though the ending is somewhat abrupt, I enjoyed this book and think that families might find it helpful, especially when their children are interested in fantasy and would get more out of an imaginative book than one which simply describes their daily reality. I also appreciate how this book acknowledges the sadness and loss associated with COVID-19, validating children's emotions while still encouraging them to make the most of where they are right now.

This is actually a very sweet book to help children what is currently happening in the world. Personally I would have liked more illustrations but then that’s me. I love the bit to explain to children that some sacrifices can be hard and lead to change.  Love the little adult jokes in the illustrations with the loo rolls. Overall , I would be happy to use this as a learning tool.

This was a really cute story and perfect for reading with my daughter at the moment!

As everyone in the world knows at the time of me writing this review (December 2020) we are in the way of the Covid-19 pandemic. My daughter is only three but will chant the mantra - Hands-Face-Space whenever she sees the logo, she is used to seeing people wearing masks and staying apart and that we need to do it to be safe for all.

The book was great for me to read with her to talk a little about why there are some things that we can't do at the moment and that it is not just us either - great to read with younger ones to get them to understand a little more about what is going on - she loved the story and was cheering on the Guardians too!

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

This is a fun children's book with beautiful graphics that show a cute family of deer who are staying at home in order to stop a virus which is spreading in their local community.  My daughter loved this book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where to start with this gem of a book! 
How cute and so relevant in 2020!
This is adorable the pictures are beautiful and the story resonates with everyone young, small , old any age.
This story about the family living in the pandemic is right on que if you want to explain the virus to younger kids who have all the questions this is perfect.
Broke down so you can understand it better and simplified so they will understand it’s important to keep doing what we doing. 
I can’t wait for bed time to read to the kids who are always wanting to wash their hands when they come home so they don’t bring the virus here. 
Thank you BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a very simple and cute way to help children understand the covid issues and give them a way to process it. I thought it was well written and illustrated beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

This is a fantastic book for discussing viruses and social distancing with children. Honestly if more adults read and understood this, we’d be in a much better place than we are now. I laughed and I shed a tear of hope with this one. 

The illustrations were super cute and I loved the fantasy elements. The text is easily digestible and will work well to help explain what’s going on in the world right now. Like some other reviewers, I also appreciated that this book doesn’t use the COVID19 phrase. I appreciated the commentary on what to do while isolating and found the text conveyed hope.

Overall, I highly recommend it to everyone.

I've read many covid-era books to help kids understand our current world. I love the unique perspective with this story making the kids superheroes for doing their part with social distancing.

Willow and Branch are young deer, the children of defenders. They aspire to one day defend the kingdom like their parents do. When one day they are told of a new threat, they are surprised to learn that the way to defeat this new enemy is not going out to war, but to stay at home!

Staying home is a sweet book for young children, to help them with the concepts of staying home during a virus, as well keeping clean, helping out with chores and understanding sacrifice. 
The illustrations are adorable. and the deer family are very sweet and likeable. I love the touch of magic tied into the little world of this story. 
I think the real world virus advice etc maybe could have done with a tad more veiling - I appreciate that it is easier to understand this way, but it made the book a little less of a story. I think this book will be great during this pandemic, but will not last beyond that. However, if it was a little less specific about viruses and social distancing, it would have lasted a lot better. 

However, as a current help book for kids in a confusing time, Staying Home is very sweet and helpful.

Joshua Burleson's Staying Home: Guardians of Social Distancing tells the story of a deer family during a pandemic.  At the base of an ancient mountain in the Kingdom of Heartwood, Willow and younger brother Branch are called away from their friends to hear urgent news from their warrior father and spell-casting mother.  A new enemy threatens the kingdom, and Buckthorn and Hazel tell their two offspring that they must use new battle tactics. They must fight the enemy by staying home.

Without mentioning COVID-19 by name, Burleson explains how to prevent the spread of the virus by staying inside and going out only for essential supplies. Hazel models correct mask wearing and social distancing when she shops.  Reenforcing the lesson, a bear illustrates what not to do when shopping.  He wears his mask on the top of his head and and adds a touch of humor by arriving at the checkout counter with a cart overflowing with toilet paper.  

Narrator Willow misses friends and wonders if the kingdom will be the same after the virus is gone but soon finds indoor activities to pass the time alone and with the family.  Learning proper sanitation protocol and helping with chores, Willow takes pride in playing a role in keeping the kingdom safe.

Ideal for children approximately 4-8, Staying Home includes simple, colorful, and charming illustrations depicting the outdoor kingdom and the indoor family life while it teaches young readers or listeners how viruses spread and how to protect oneself and others while still enjoying life.

This book is a fantastic way to inform children about social distancing and how they can play their part. It’s a simple way of explaining the current climate so that children are more informed. The characters are relatable for the audience.

‘Staying home’ by Joshua Burleson is a cute and relevant story about a family of deers who have to social distance and stay home to protect the kingdom from a virus. At the time of writing this, the UK has gone into its 3rd lockdown and so this book is very much still relevant. It’s a simple and fun way to explain to my little children what we need to do. Wonderful illustrations too.

In the Kingdom of Heartwood is a magical family of deer who keep it safe. One day the parents call in the children to explain that they have a new enemy to fight called a virus, and they cannot fight it with combat.

I applaud this effort to provide a positive message that attempts to soothe any fears children may have during a pandemic (any, it's not specific), as well as it's encouragement of social distancing. However, I felt that the way the sentences were constructed and worded was overly complex for the age being targeted.

The illustrations were attractive, and I also liked that this was in a magical kingdom rather than on 'Earth.'

Staying Home by Joshua Burleson uses a magical forest and the animals that live there to discuss the importance of social distancing.  This is done in a manner easily understood by young children.  

I appreciated the creative way that can inform while not overwhelming or scaring kids.  Unfortunately, the times we live in make this book a necessity currently. 

The illustrations a whimsical and draw even the youngest reader in.  My almost four year old did not have the attention span to sit still for the longer text included in each page.  However, by paraphrasing and pointing to the excellent pictures the message was conveyed clearly.  My older son liked the idea of being a super hero guardian for staying home!

As a mother of two children with Autism I appreciate this type of book.  It falls in a category called social stories to help children who need a little extra exposure understand new situations.  All children fall into this category, as we face the uncertainty of living in a world changed by COVID 19.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Books Go Social in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley.  The opinions shared in this review are my own.

This book was extremely cute and adorable. I think it is relatable to kids and would be useful for them to understand the reason we need to stay home. The character names are a little weird.

I think books that help explain the Covid Virus to Children are Terrific! This book speaks to children in a way they can easily understand and uses a Kingdom and Fairy Tale to tell the story. I think this would really appeal to children and their families. I would definitely recommend this book.

I saw this come by on Netgalley and was curious on how children's fiction deals with the pandemic and social distancing. I read this purely out of curiosity, and I won't be publishing this review anywhere else.

First thing I want to mention is that I absolutely loved the drawing style! The cartoons were so fun and the drawing style fit the story amazingly.

The story itself is well written and a great example on how you can talk to your children about social distancing without making it overly complex and maybe even a little fun. Which kid doesn't want to read about a magical place which has the same problems as we do?

It was a great novel and I'm sure kids are gonna love it! 5 stars from me!

Engaging images.  This book tackles the hard topic of needing to stay home to help defeat the virus.  While the book does not come out and call it “COVID-19”, it is clear that that is what has come to the forest.  Definitely a great conversation starter.

This book is a wonderful resource to help to explain what the coronavirus is, how we can help to prevent to the spread and what life might look like. This book follows a family with warrior parents in a kingdom where a virus has taken over and everyone is no longer able to live their normal lives. It explains what the virus is, how to reduce the spread and exactly why it is important to socially distance, stay home, wear masks and wash your hands. It also validates that staying home is not easy, it is going to be challenging and it is a sacrifice that we make for the greater good.