Book burning stunt decried
In the wake of a demo by anti-vaxxers and Covid-19 deniers on Monday night, which harked back to darker times, notable animator and children’s book illustrator Panagiotis Rappas expressed his sorrow at the burning of a copy of a children’s book that was distributed in schools outlining the dangers of the coronavirus and offering safety advice.
The book, titled “No! You Will Not Get in Our Nose,” is a collaboration between Rappas and acclaimed children’s book author Eugenios Trivizas. They offered it to the Health Ministry on a nonprofit basis.
Apart from the book, the demonstrators in the town of Halkida on the island of Evia also burnt masks and rapid test kits.
“It is terrible where things can lead,” Rappas told Kathimerini.
“Parents who handcuff teachers and now parents who burn books – all this saddens me,” said the award-winning illustrator, who has extensive experience in the production of children’s animation films in Greece and abroad.
The book was written during the first wave of the pandemic and before the creation of the vaccines, when the initial restrictions on mobility were imposed.Its distribution in schools and kindergarten began in March.
The book tells of a planet of “terrible” omnivorous anteaters who want to take over the Earth because they see humans from afar like ants.
Their leader sends a battalion of viruses led by General Covid-19 to get into the noses of children and adults. However, they fail, especially the children, remained vigilant at home reading books and avoided the viruses and illness.
