In 'The Little Ouch,' Arlington Teacher Eases Kids' Vaccine Fear

ARLINGTON, MA — A new children's book by a Medford resident shows kids they don't have to be afraid of shots. In "The Little Ouch," Katherine Picarde draws on her own experiences as a child to help kids overcome their fear of vaccines.

"The main character, Penelope, is based on me as a kid," Picarde said. "I was super fearful of getting shots, and a lot of the antics she pulled and phrases she says are things I'd say as a kid."

The book's Dec. 1 release, in the middle of flu season and at the start of Massachusetts's rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, ended up being "impeccable" timing, Picarde said. She started writing "The Little Ouch" over two years ago, but its release was delayed by the start of the pandemic.

Picarde, a first grade teacher in Arlington, now juggles doing her own marketing and sales for the book with developing in-person and virtual lesson plans every week. The Arlington Public Schools adopted a hybrid learning model, and teachers are "really feeling the stress of it all," Picarde said.

"It's been a lot of work releasing the book, but it's also been so much fun," she added.

The first-time author has found that Penelope's experience strikes a chord with kids.

"One of the coolest parts of it is hearing from parents whose kids have the book," Picarde said. "[I've heard] So many heartwarming stories about how Penelope and her story has supported and inspired their child."