Explicar el coronavirus y sus consecuencias a niños de lengua española: un análisis metafórico de cuentos infantiles

Abstract

In 2020, (not only) the Spanish-speaking world was strongly affected by the coronavirus. High mortality rates, confinement and closed (nursery) schools make it necessary to explain the situation to children. One possibility of explaining the pandemic is the creation and use of children’s stories. Already at the beginning of the crisis, several people and organizations published stories online that aimed at familiarizing children with the virus. Titles like Hello, I am a virus, cousin of the flu and the common cold or Warrior of health against the coronavirus reveal the use of metaphorical concepts like the virus is a person, the virus is a member of a family of other viruses or the actual situation is war. Metaphors can help explain complex and abstract and at the same time terrifying situations to children. The study analyses and discusses the metaphors used in children’s stories created and published in the spring of 2020, taking into consideration not only the textual dimension, but also the relationship between texts and images. It aims at identifying recurring concepts that at the beginning of the crisis are considered adequate to explain Covid-19 to children and to remove their fear.