And the People Stayed Home is a hopeful picture book about humanity's capacity for growth and healing. Written by retired teacher Kitty O'Meara, the text is an optimistic anthem about the 2020 coronavirus pandemic based on her viral Internet poem originally titled "In the Time of Pandemic." The bright, colorful illustrations by Stefano Di Cristofaro and Paul Pereda depict people of all ages from around the world as they find, through their grief, new paths to art, love and healing and growing together even as they are physically kept apart.
For those seeking solace in difficult times or a hopeful 2020 narrative for young ones, And the People Stayed Home is an uplifting perspective on the resilience of the human spirit and the healing potential we have to change our world for the better. --Jennifer Oleinik, freelance writer and editor