Description
The mysterious humming noise and the light coming from the living room are keeping the young protagonist of this story awake. To understand what is going on, she reaches the room where her mother is and realizes she’s busy sewing protective masks. She also finds out that from now on all essential workers and all those who have to commute to go to work must wear a mask. Once the young lady’s reluctance is won, and she resolves to wear a colorful mask made by her mother, she asks her mother to teach her how to sew. She wants to make a mask for her grandfather, who, touched by her gesture, hugs her tight as he walks in after his tiring shift at the hospital.
About the Author
Deana Sobel Lederman is a cartoonist and illustrator who lives in San Diego, California with her husband and two young sons. She is the author of Rainbows, Masks and Ice Cream, a series of three stories for children about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the webcomic Philip the Sea Lion. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Barron’s, The Hairpin, the Brooklyn Public Library, Gallery New World Stages in Manhattan, and the New York City Department of Education’s publications. As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Deana was the staff editorial cartoonist for The Daily Californian. She earned national recognition for her editorial cartoons and was a finalist for both the John Locher Memorial Award and the Society of Professional Journalism Mark of Excellence Awards. Her comic strip, Roomies, based on the lives of Deana and her six college roommates, was a finalist for MTV U’s Strips contest. In 2008, she received a JD from UC Berkeley School of Law, where she concentrated in copyright and patent law.
Fabrice Jaumont –
Conceived during the “Great Pause,” Deana Sobel Lederman’s Rainbows, Masks, and Ice Cream trilogy brought us joy and a brilliant way to talk to our children about the virus. To be able to read these stories in our home language also meant they felt closer to our heart.
– Dr. Fabrice Jaumont, Author and Educator.
Robin Cogan –
This is a gentle story for families with young children who may be fearful of wearing masks during COVID19. The author/illustrator crafted a tale that reframes how we can explain COVID19 to our children. There are life lessons to be learned for children and grownups in The Sewing Lesson.
– Robin Cogan, School Nurse
Alexa Ingram –
I could not share Noah Henry fast enough with my teachers and friends. Deana took unprecedented events and circumstances and portrayed them through the eyes of a child in a way I never could have done as a mom or an educator.
– Alexa Ingram, School District Administrator & Mama
Victoria Roberts –
Deana Sobel Lederman has the gift of writing for children with warmth and clarity and charm. Her drawings are the perfect counterpoint
to her writing and in their simplicity bring to mind Jean de Brunhoff.
– Victoria Roberts, New Yorker Cartoonist
Sam Gross –
The drawings are exquisite.
– Sam Gross, New Yorker Cartoonist