New children's book helps kids cope with COVID-19 pandemic

When a pandemic sweeps the globe, it's impossible for adults to fully understand what's happening. So how can they possibly explain it to their kids?

A new book that's been released in partnership with 50 different humanitarian organizations, among them the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Red Cross and Save the Children, is aiming to help.

Written by illustrator and author Helen Patuck, My Hero Is You is based on feedback from 1,700 children, parents and caregivers in 104 countries who weighed in on the questions kids have been asking during the COVID-19 crisis.

The story's main hero is Sarah, whose mom is the best scientist in the world, but even she doesn't know how to cure coronavirus. The mom tells the daughter that she really needs her to stay safe because children are special and they can help in the fight.

Still, Sarah feels helpfulness, and says she doesn't feel like a hero — but then a magical creature appears.

"He tells her that he's come from her heart. And he basically asks her, 'Now that she's got this magical creature, what does she want to do?'" says Patuck in an interview with q host Tom Power.

"And she wants to go around the world and tell kids everything she knows, and learn from them about what they know about how they can best take care of themselves," she says.

"That's when we start introducing hand-washing, distancing, and some basic coping techniques for how to deal with stress."

'Very difficult realities'

My Hero Is You also doesn't shy away from the darker realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the kids surveyed asked about whether people can die from the coronavirus, and Patuck worked with psychologists to determine the best way to handle the response.

"We had Leslie Snider from the Ebola response working with us to really create and craft a really good way for children to learn about how people can die from the coronavirus," says Patuck.

"And it's followed up with a segment about a technique called Safe Place. I think that's my favourite part of the story. It's the idea of how to couch some of these very difficult realities of the global pandemic in some form of psychosocial support."

In a statement, WHO general director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said international organizations understand how hard it can be for kids when their worlds get upended.

"Previous humanitarian emergencies have shown us how vital it is to address the fears and anxiety of young people when life as they know it gets turned upside down," he said.

"We hope that this beautifully-illustrated book, which takes children on a journey across time zones and continents, will help them to understand what they can do to stay positive and keep safe during the coronavirus outbreak."

The United Nations Refugee Agency also emphasized how important it is to involve everyone in the COVID-19 fight.

"This is an important resource for children around the world with a strong message of inclusion at its heart — that this pandemic can only be beaten if everyone is included in its prevention and response," wrote commissioner Filippo Grandi of My Hero is You, which is available for free in 23 languages.

"Children, including those who are refugees, displaced and stateless, can help too. No-one is protected unless we are all protected."

'A safe place and a refuge'

So what can children's stories provide at a time like this? Patuck says that question is at the heart of the organization she started, Kitabna, which provides books to refugee children in Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Jordan.

"Children's books really offer a safe place and a refuge. They create a space outside of normality where children can go, where they can imagine," who recommends that kids read My Hero Is You with a parent.

"And I think in this pandemic, they really offer the chance to children to understand and grapple with this on their own time, on their own terms, in their own minds, and with a parent by their side."

She says it's also a good way to introduce the idea of honouring heroes, both large and small.

"We have those real-life heroes," says Patuck, referring to health-care workers and others at the front line, "but we also have these heroes in our own lives — the parents who are taking care of their kids, the kids who are taking care of their parents," she says.

"And I think we all need to remember this isn't necessarily a passive process. We can all take part. We can all be a hero to each other — even if that's just making sure you're reaching out to your friends and being caring and loving."

My Hero Is You can be downloaded for free here.

Written by Jennifer Van Evra; interview produced by Vanessa Nigro.