Children of military families were forced to wear masks and stay socially distanced Tuesday at the White House as First Lady Jill Biden read them a children’s book.
Biden welcomed a second-grade class from Malcolm Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland for a Christmas event at the White House that included a Donkey Hodie puppet show sing-a-long, appearances from the Wild Kratts stars, and assorted characters from PBS shows.
The children were brought into the White House room wearing masks, as the coronavirus pandemic continues, and ordered to sit on paper stars set out on the carpet, separating them from each other.
The first lady entered the room without a mask spoke to the children for a few minutes before sitting down next to the fireplace to read them a story.
U.S. first lady Jill Biden smiles after she read her book Don’t Forget, God Bless our Troops to a second-grade class from Malcolm Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland, in the State Dining Room of the White House November 29, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The book, “Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops,” is a book she wrote herself, inspired by her granddaughter Natalie.
In the story, written by Jill Biden, a young girl Natalie comforts her brother “Hunter” while her father is deployed overseas.
The children’s book she wrote was inspired by her granddaughter Natalie and Hunter, children of Biden’s son Beau Biden.
U.S. first lady Jill Biden reads her book Don’t Forget, God Bless our Troops to a second-grade class from Malcolm Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland, in the State Dining Room of the White House November 29, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
At no point was Jill Biden spotted wearing a mask during the event.