It's springtime on the farm, and Farmer Falgu needs to take his eggs to the market. His daughter Eila wants to come, but he tells her that she must stay home. Upon his return, they have a discussion about why it is necessary to stay home, as much as possible, in order to protect themselves and others from the spread of an unnamed illness. Farmer Falgu uses the example of a game of hide-and-seek, in which the illness might seek one out, he also confirms that it is important not to bring harm to others. In the end, Eila decides that it will be fun to stay home and play with her father and mother...

I have thus far read three of the four picture-books about Farmer Falgu and his travels - Farmer Falgu Goes on a Trip, Farmer Falgu Goes to the Market and Farmer Falgu Goes to the Kumbh Mela - and have enjoyed them all. So it is that when I discovered that author Chitra Soundar and illustrator Kanika Nair had created a special fifth story about the character, centered on the recent Covid-19 lockdowns, I immediately sought it out. The intent here is clear: to explain to children why staying at home during this time is important. There is an afterword giving steps that children can take - washing hands, social distancing, etc. On the whole, I found the book engaging, particularly when I accessed the audio version, with narration by Vaishnavi Viswanath.

Farmer Falgu Stays Home is available for free in both ebook and audiobook format, on the Karadi Tales website, HERE. I read both versions, and enjoyed them. Recommended to Farmer Falgu fans, and to anyone looking for engaging children's stories about the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Addendum: For parents looking for online resources and ebooks for children addressing this crisis, the New York City School Library System has put together a list of free titles available worldwide, which can be found here:
https://nycdoe.libguides.com/COVID-19ebooks/free ( )