Whether teaching resilience in the face of adversity or giving lessons on navigating the realities of the pandemic, this group of books can help children face fears and anxieties.

Noah Henry: A Rainbow Story; Masks!; The Sewing Lesson All written and illustrated by Deana Sobel Lederman (TBR Books, 24-30 pp.)

Kudos to Deana Sobel Lederman for creating this welcome trio of charming paperbacks to reach out to the very youngest readers dealing with the safety restrictions of the pandemic. Recently translated into Hebrew, with simple, appealing illustrations, they stress the importance of masks and the joy of sharing. Noah Henry cannot be with his friends in school right now but finds a way to reach out to them to brighten his day; in Masks!, a group of young animals cover their faces before going about their day; and a young girl learns how to sew a mask for health care workers, including her grandfather, in The Sewing Lesson.

Worse and Worse on Noah’s Ark By Leslie Kimmelman. Illustrated by Vivian Mineker (Apples & Honey, 32 pp.)

Noah builds an ark despite Mrs. Noah and their sons’ objections (in Yiddish, for some reason). Sure enough, things do get “worse and worse.” An apt metaphor for sheltering in place, everyone is packed together—seasick monkeys, quarreling peacocks and smelly skunks grumpily watching as torrential rain falls. But the group learns to cooperate, making everything “better and better.”

Gloria Goldreich’s newest book is The Paris Children.