This winter has been the pits for our family. It seems each holiday or long weekend has been spent cooped up with one of us recovering from the flu or a cold bug. The other day through social media I discovered MIIIA*Mia’s 口罩小衛兵, a printable book about germs and preventing illness by wearing face masks. Her social media post has since been shared almost 8,000 times in just 4 days! Incredible! You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram and please visit her blog.
Wearing a face mask to prevent sickness is common practice in Taiwan. When my kids attended preschool in Taipei they were required to wear a mask if the teacher suspected they were getting sick. Schools in Taiwan and many children’s facilities take great care to prevent transmission of illness. Upon arrival at school each day, or prior to entering an indoor playground, children’s temperatures were taken. In many places even the adults temperatures are checked! If someone has a temperature or suspected to be sick, they are not permitted to enter. I wish our schools in the U.S. were this diligent!
In the U.S. it’s still scary to see a person wearing a face mask in public. This book, 口罩小衛兵, has adorable illustrations and teaches children about germs, how illnesses are transmitted, and how you can protect yourself and others by wearing a face mask. I hope sharing this book can make it less scary for everyone. Prevention is everything! The author, Mia Lin is a mom and illustrator from Taiwan. I love Mia’s book so much that I reached out to her and got her consent* to translate her work into English and add Zhuyin and Pinyin. All versions are available below for free.
Printable Book Versions
Book Instructions
Print and trim the pages
Fold in half, print facing inward
Arrange pages in the correct order
Glue together using a glue stick
Tape along the spine of the book
Fold the cover and glue to the book
Do not glue the spine
This allows the book to be flexible
Carefully cut out the face masks
Fold and glue the masks together
Glue the tabs to the area indicated by “A” and “B”
Before the glue sets, adjust the mask as needed
The mask should cover both faces
The book is done!
If you enjoyed this post, please share with everyone! Remember, you can follow Mia lin on Facebook and Instagram and please visit her blog.
*Mia Lin owns the copyright to all printables on this page. Please do not alter the book or illustrations as they are her original work.
Illness Prevention Tips
- According to the California department of health, “Face masks are most useful for preventing disease spread when they are worn by people who have symptoms.”
- A face mask should be worn with the colored side out. The colored side repels moisture.
- Change your face mask every 2 hours. The inside of the mask collects moisture when you exhale. Moisture can allow transmission of bacteria and viruses.
- WASH HANDS! I cannot believe how many people I see still do not wash their hands, especially before eating!
- Don’t share food with your kids. I was always getting sick because I would eat the kids leftovers, not wanting to waste food. Our nanny suggested I stop this bad habit and now I don’t get sick every time they do.
This blog is lifesaver, thank for uploading so much stuff, this is awesome