In the end, it is an act of mutual comfort, similar to the Italians who serenaded each other from their balconies early in the pandemic, but also a cry to reclaim shared public spaces and stem the migration to a digital, virtual world.

“In the last three months, everything has gone online, —work, contacts, shopping,” said Garcia. “This is an act of resistance in the face of this ferocious digitalization we are experiencing.”

Rogelio Morales listened to the stories from the window of his grandmother’s apartment. Since March, the 9-year-old has spent much of his time playing video games. “The only thing I go out for is to walk my dog,” he said. “It’s a little boring. I miss school.”

“It’s nice,” Rogelio said of the storytelling. “If we have something to do, or if we’re very frustrated, we can relax a little.”

Luna Gonzalez, came with her mother, Tatiana Vega, to listen to the stories from a safe distance, both wearing face masks.

“I imagine the characters, I imagine what the animals are like,” said Luna, who used the opportunity to go out to dress up in her finest. “Sometimes we go out, because I get bored at home.”

Garcia calls his project “De la Casa a la Plaza” (“From the house to the plaza”) — a reference to the town squares where historically Mexicans have gathered to socialize and share.