3/9/20
Two new digital books to help children and families learn more about Coronavirus are now available through the medium of Welsh, thanks to Cardiff Hubs & Libraries service and the Council’s Bilingual Cardiff team.

Librarians from the service facilitated a collaboration between the books’ publishers and the Bilingual Cardiff team, which translates more than 12 million words into Welsh each year, to ensure children and families across Wales can enjoy the books in Welsh, as well as English.

The picture books, featuring the character Dr Dog, have been produced by illustrator Lydia Monks and Professor James G Logan from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

The first book, Dr Dog, was published to create a friendly face who can educate and reassure young children about the Coronavirus outbreak while the second book, Dr Dog Explains Back to School, is aimed at supporting children to adjust to going back to school after the long period of home learning. Written in clear, child-friendly  language for young readers, the book contains simple, trustworthy information about the pandemic, advice for children about how to stay safe, and reassurance for families about returning to school.

Both titles are now available to download, read online or print out for free on Cardiff Libraries online catalogue here: https://wales.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/card_en

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “Cardiff Hubs & Libraries Service is committed to providing a wide range of resources for customers in both English and Welsh. We’re really pleased to have been able to facilitate this collaboration between the books’ publishers and our own Bilingual Cardiff team, who do a fantastic job promoting the Welsh language in the city and supporting our teams to ensure we can deliver services to residents in both English and Welsh.

“This partnership will ensure that not only children and families in Cardiff can access this helpful resource in Welsh, but libraries across Wales will also be able to offer this book bilingually to their customers too.

“We hope our young readers will find the book enjoyable and reassuring, answering any questions they may have about this strange period, and helping them prepare for the full return to school over the coming weeks. We are grateful to Lydia Monks and Professor James G Logan for working with us to make this happen.”

Professor James Logan said, “For many young people in the UK, the coronavirus pandemic is a time of uncertainty, confusion and anxiety, with lots of misinformation online. As a parent myself, I felt there was a bit of a gap when it came to support for giving accurate information to children in an engaging way that didn’t scare them.”

Lydia Monks said, “It’s a strange time for children, parents and teachers, and lots of us are worried about starting back at school. We hope Dr Dog will reassure little ones, and will help explain what might be different about this new school term. Some things might be a bit different, but it will be lovely for everyone to see all their friends again. Dr Dog is waving, and wishing you all luck!”

A wide range of children’s books are available to borrow from Cardiff Libraries and Hubs, via the click and collect service. Library members can call our Library Line on 029 2087 1071, option 2 to request a selection of books, or specific titles if available, for collection at one of the city’s hubs and libraries, that are currently open. Titles can also be ordered online at https://wales.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/card_en, which also provides access to a wide range of digital resources including e-books, audio e-books and e-magazines to download for free.

For more information about the Dr Dogs books visit https://www.lydiamonks.com/dr-dog/