Goodnight Rona A Pandemic Parody by Stacey Russo
In the house that felt more like a room, tucked away in a bed, is a little chinchilla watching his tablet. “Goodnight room, goodnight zoom”. And to all the familiar things in this pandemic room- hand sanitizers and masks, electronics, home self-care- the chinchillas say goodnight. This book includes a list of free Covid-19 resources and a portion of the proceeds are being donated to charities including the International Rescue Committee and Lola’s Children’s Fund.
GOODNIGHT RONA A Pandemic Parody is a cleverly designed twist on the popular household Children‘s Book GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown. With artistry, rhyme, and content that reflects the style of the original book, author Stacey Russo does a terrific job of memorializing many characteristics of the 2020 COVID19 pandemic in a way that is fun and entertaining!
I especially love that since my kids are young enough that they will likely remember little to nothing of life during COVID19. Knowing I have a resource like this to reflect on the experiences of pandemic life in 2020 seems so valuable to me!
Technical Praise for GOODNIGHT RONA
It can take a lot to parody a popular book and still manage to capture aspects of a quality children’s book. As a certified educator I appreciate the way Russo managed to keep a strong rhyme while incorporating ‘Corona’-associated content such as Zoom meetings and a tribute to relevant women like Greta Thunberg and the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The rhyme also helps to push the reader forward through the pages with continued interest; a trait that some parodies are lacking.
The artwork is also enjoyably familiar and really well done! Children and Adults alike will not only see the nod towards the original GOODNIGHT MOON, but they can easily find recognizable items within the simple and bright illustrations. From discarded masks to toilet paper pyramids, you can spend plenty of time identifying what have become well-known items across the pages that have a strong cultural association with the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Author Inspiration:
I got the chance to speak with Russo about what motivated and inspired her to bring GOODNIGHT RONA to life! She shared with me how she typically runs after school enrichment classes but Corona had her needing to switch gears to something else.
“Writing this book was a creative outlet for me- a way to take back a sad situation and find some humor in it. What’s in that book is my life right now- and how many of us are living- trying to work at home with children to take care of, online meetings, home self care, too much electronics, (and) wanting to get back to normal.”
Stacey Russo- Author GOODNIGHT RONA
Where to find it?
You can purchase your own copy of GOODNIGHT RONA A pandemic parody here on Amazon. Available in Paperback and digital formats, this is a brilliant addition to your library and a fantastic way to look back on living through the COVID19 global pandemic.
Have you read GOODNIGHT RONA A Pandemic Parody? What did you think? What other favorite parody books have you seen?