I look around, and think people were taught wrong on purpose. Here's another opinion :

When considering how certain elements of children’s books affect a child’s reaction to a serious topic, critics often focus on character framing and the author’s choice to feature either a protagonist or antagonist. However, this approach fails to capture the entire story. With COVID-19 and more authors highlighting the virus itself as a main character, it is imperative that they consider whether they are using a gain or loss-framed message, as certain pairings could have disastrous results for spreading the message of safety. This paper will focus on the implications of each form of message framing for picture books surrounding COVID-19, specifically highlighting the differences between Hello by Manuela Molina Cruz and The Virus-Stopping Champion by Hilary Rogers. It will compare the portrayal of the virus as a friendly figure in Hello with the choice to center around a child in The Virus-Stopping Champion, as well as how the use of a gain-framed approach played into each. The paper will conclude by explaining how, despite using drastically different approaches, both authors were able to successfully convey their points while walking a fine line between scaring children too much or making them overly interested in the virus and not taking the proper safety precautions.

https://pitjournal.unc.edu/2022/12/16/character-framing-in-covid-19-storybooks-training-the-next-generation-of-superheroes/