The Sewing Lesson (Deana Sobel Lederman)

The mysterious humming noise and the light coming from the living room are keeping the young protagonist of this story awake. To understand what is going on, she reaches the room where her mother is and realizes that she's busy sewing protective masks. She also finds out that from now on all essential workers and all those who have to commute to go to work, must wear a mask. Once the young lady's reluctance is won, and she resolves to wear a colorful mask made by her mother, she asks her to teach her how to sew. She wants to make a mask for her grandfather, who, touched by her gesture, hugs her tight as he walks in after his tiring shift at the hospital.

Deana Sobel Lederman is a cartoonist and illustrator who lives in San Diego, California with her husband and two young sons. She is the author of Rainbows, Masks and Ice Cream, a series of three stories for children about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the webcomic Philip the Sea Lion. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Barron's, The Hairpin, the Brooklyn Public Library, Gallery New World Stages in Manhattan, and the New York City Department of Education's publications. As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Deana was the staff editorial cartoonist for The Daily Californian. She earned national recognition for her editorial cartoons and was a finalist for both the John Locher Memorial Award and the Society of Professional Journalism Mark of Excellence Awards. Her comic strip, Roomies, based on the lives of Deana and her six college roommates, was a finalist for MTV U's Strips contest. In 2008, she received a JD from UC Berkeley School of Law, where she concentrated in copyright and patent law.