Overview

He got their planet to bow at his feet. But the strength of snot minions can only go so far... Evil COVID wants to rule the universe. Tired of life barreling through space stuck in the nose of an intergalactic bat, the villainous monarch longs to issue orders to more than his boring band of boogers. So when their blind ride flaps them towards the perfect target, COVID tugs on beastly nose hairs and rides the sneeze all the way to Earth's billions of unsuspecting humans. Sending the globe spinning into a pandemic panic, COVID is thrilled with his spectacular invasion's monstrous mayhem. But when the lowly humans don masks and fight back to wash him from their home, COVID is suddenly injected with a terrible fear that his cruel reign will soon be coming to an end. With humanity in his clutches, can the vile virus keep his corona-crown? Designed to be wickedly playful, this poetry book for kids is sure to leave adults snickering too. And amid the silliness lies useful lessons for young ones to stay safe and healthy, now and in the future. (One dollar for every purchase will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross for COVID-19 relief.) The Germ Who Would be King is a helpful and fun children's picture book. If you or your child like friendly advice for keeping clean, characters you love to hate, and laugh-out-loud rhymes, then you'll be in giggle-fits over Jennifer Tremblay's hilarious retelling.

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9781777437176

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Kerri McNeil 5.0 out of 5 stars A must have to commemorate the year of Covid Reviewed in Canada on January 26, 2021 Verified Purchase I've come to absolutely love this author! I have to say that this is her best book yet! Hilarious illustrations, well thought out story and totally on point! A must have read/funny summary of Covid. I would have given this a million stars if I could. Helpful Report abuse Glenoran1 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellently done Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2021A gentle way of explaining this pandemic to the younger set, and offering encouragement for the future. Marvelous cartooning, and quite entertaining.

"Synopsis: The Germ Who Would be King is an absurd, humorous poem about the global 2020/2021 pandemic starring the Covid - 19 cartoon character and his booger minions as they try to take over the world. The poem ends in hope and triumph as the vaccine becomes available and the earth kicks him out. Excerpt: Upload Excerpt (pdf format) Review Reviews Spinning a zany and energetic narrative, Tremblay (Freddie's Gift and The Sprightly Carrot's Dream) introduces a coronavirus germ who aspires to rule the world. The ambitious virus, abetted by ""boogers,"" finds himself bored sitting on his throne inside the nose of an intergalactic bat. Seeking adventure, and eager to infect billions, he heads to Earth to find a human host. Soon enough, the pandemic hits humanity with all-too-familiar consequences: Hospitals and morgues operate beyond capacity, economies collapse, political leaders evade blame, and the media struggles with misinformation and hearsay. However, with the introduction of vaccines and a commitment to exercising the necessary safety measures, the virus gets sent packing with a ""prickled bum."" Tremblay employs amusing rhymes (farty/party, obscene/vaccine) and catchy action verbs (tickled, wheeze) while underscoring the pandemic's enormity and urgency. Her imaginative pairing of the intergalactic expeditions of a vile virus and a continuing global epidemic creates opportunity for careful hilarity, and her comic yet cluttered illustrations offer vivid colors and satiric detail, such as the Earth itself lamenting that COVID hit right when humanity was finally starting to take climate change seriously. The risk, of course, is that some will find the humor grim and insensitive, for adults and young readers alike, especially the provocative depiction of souls chatting as they depart dead bodies inside the morgue. Tremblay peppers the busy illustrations with interesting factoids, such as Canadian Oil being cheaper than water in 2020. Her choice to let the antagonist drive this campy, eccentric plot offers a welcome respite from hero narratives. The playful storytelling never strikes a consistent tone and message, and parents will want to sample the potentially upsetting material before passing it along to young readers, but, despite missteps, The Germ Who Would Be King exhibits some ghoulish charm and wit. Takeaway: This satiric, booger-y picture book dares to find gallows humor (and even some hope) in the pandemic Great for fans of: Samantha Harris and Devon Scott's Why We Stay Home, Christina van Deventer and Bragi Thor Valsson's LOVE/HATE: A COVID-19 Picture Book For Adults."

Author Information

Jennifer Tremblay lives in Calgary, Alberta near the Rocky Mountains with her 3 young children (aka the pirates), husband, and the rotten cat. When she's not wrangling pirates and rotten cats, Jennifer works part time as a geologist. She writes, illustrates, runs, bikes, and skis with her remaining time.

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