‘Oaky and the Virus’ helps children understand lockdown

As part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, Athol Williams, and his artist wife Taryn Lock have given the seventh book in their acclaimed Oaky children’s book series a focus on the virus.

“This book is extra special because it contributes to our national response to fight the virus,” said Williams, an award-winning author.

In the book, titled Oaky and the Virus, Oaky and his sister Oaket discuss the reasons for staying home during the lockdown and how they can have fun while doing so.

Lock explained why she enjoyed illustrating this book.

“It is a fun story and it is rewarding knowing that it will help children understand the lockdown and what they can do to stay safe.”

The book includes the Oaky Virus Song, which children can sing while washing their hands.

Theart Press, the publisher of the Oaky series, has made this book available at no cost and it can be downloaded from their website or from the Oaky Facebook page.

As with the other Oaky books, the book has a set of questions at the back that parents can discuss with their children.

Williams remarked: “It is our hope that parents and guardians use this opportunity to engage with children about matters relating to the virus but also to help ensure that children are reading accurately and doing so with comprehension.”

The book is available in English with plans afoot to translate it into other South African languages.

The first six Oaky books have been hugely popular with children under the age of 10.

Theart Press has distributed more than 165,000 Oaky books — through the NGO Read to Rise, run by Lock — to children in under-resourced communities in SA.

Read to Rise visits primary school classrooms to create excitement about reading and distributes the Oaky books.

“Read to Rise currently has a campaign to raise funds for care packs for 20,000 children in Mitchells Plain and Soweto.

“Each pack will include an Oaky and the Virus book, Oaky activity books, a bar of soap, cloth mask, juice and packet of crisps.

“Once the lockdown is lifted, we will visit schools to hand out the packs and conduct our school literacy programmes,” Lock said.

To sponsor a care pack for a child for only R100, click here.

For more information, e-mail Lock at taryn@readtorise.co.za.

In addition to the Oaky series, Williams is also the author of tween novel A Girl Called H and his inspirational autobiography, Pushing Boulders, which tells the remarkable story of how, having grown up on the Cape Flats, he became the first person globally to earn five Master's degrees from five of the world’s top universities, including Harvard and Oxford.

Issued by: UCT Communication and Marketing Department