When the world closed… something magical opened!
In the vibrant and imaginative new children’s book When the World Closed, Finley and Tate build a seemingly ordinary blanket fort in their living room. But once inside the fort, their day becomes anything but ordinary! Soon, they are whisked away on an inspiring adventure that helps them feel less alone even though they are still stuck at home.
When the World Closed empowers children to navigate their feelings and reignite their imaginations during the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. This dynamic author-illustrator team captures the present times with the emotional depth and hope children need and deserve.
Parents, educators, and caregivers are encouraged to use this book as a starting point for positive conversations with their children about the difficulties they are facing during these unprecedented times.
Scroll down to learn more and read our expert reviews!
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About This Book
Learn and Develop
When the World Closed was written to enrich social emotional development in children. It is supported by current psychological and educational evidence and best practices.
We encourage you to ask your child follow up questions as you read: How does the story make you feel? Have you felt like Finley or Tate recently? Do you want to build a blanket fort with me?
Read with Me
This is a read-with-me style picture book. We recommend encouraging your child to read the words they know aloud, and to read to them the words they don’t know yet.
Early school aged children between the ages of 5 and 9 are often well suited to this type of book. We encourage you to use what you know about your individual child to adjust how you read with or to them - and to have fun!
Explore the World
The vivid original watercolor images in this picture book are designed to showcase the emotional depth of children and the vibrant diversity of the world. Our characters explore many countries, cities, and landscapes throughout the story, but there is certainly a lot of world left for them to discover!
There are many hidden details on our pages, so have your child be on the lookout!
Talking to children about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic shutdowns is hard
Start by reading When the World Closed together to help make difficult conversations about the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns easier.
What Experts Are Saying about When the World Closed
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“This book really captured the perspective of children in this pandemic and all of the worry and confusion they are experiencing. I love the emphasis on feelings, and caring for others, as well as the sense of common humanity. Even though we are isolated with our families, we are going through this with everyone around the world.”
— Sarah Rosenstein, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
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“Children will learn a lot while they have fun reading and being inspired by this story! The take-home message of this book gives me some serious goosebumps! And the pictures totally bring the story to life! It is wonderful how the book brings different cultures from around the world into the story, making it even more relevant to current times.”
— Ms. James, M.Ed., K-4 Educator
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“This book is absolutely amazing. The author did such a good job tackling such a difficult situation and putting it in a kid friendly way. It will help so many kids validate the strange emotions they are having during this difficult time. Teachers especially will love this book because there are so many great follow up activities they can do with it.”
— Mrs. Sullivan, M.Ed., K-4 Literacy Specialist
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“My daughter loved this book and so did her whole class! She read it to her class, across two days; one day on Zoom and one day in person. They had great discussions about how the pandemic is impacting them. The whole class loved it.”
— MaryEllen McKenna, Mother of Elementary School Student
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“This book is amazing; the way it simultaneously celebrates diversity / individuality and community / togetherness is perfect for our Kids’ Club curriculum. I know our kids will enjoy the story and my guess is that it will spark a lively discussion afterward!”
— Kristen McClintock, Executive Director, The Gray House, Inc.
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“This author is really fantastic! As a teacher, I couldn’t wait to read each page with expressiveness and excitement as we journeyed through the blanket fort! I took the suggestion in the author’s notes to split the book across two days for my students. It was really well done. Plus I absolutely love the illustrations and the scenes!”
— Ellen F.M., Preschool Teacher
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“I loved reading the book When the World Closed. I thought the book was amazing. I would recommend this book to my friends because your book connects to everyone. In the book, I could connect to one of the settings because I’m Brazilian.”
— Yan D., 3rd Grader
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“I really love the book When the World Closed. I think the book helps kids to understand what is going on in the world. I connect with Finley because at first I didn’t know what was happening, and Finlay was confused just like I was. This is a book I would recommend because it helps us feel less alone.”
— Isla T., 3rd Grader
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“I thought the book When the World Closed was amazing and lovely! I would recommend the book to my friends because you told me that I am not alone. In the book, I could connect to how Finley is feeling about COVID. I found the book interesting because you showed that things are starting to get better. I am happy that I got a chance to read this book.”
— Maria C., 3rd Grader
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