On 9 April, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC MHPSS RG) announced the publication of ‘My Hero is You!”, an illustrated storybook aimed at helping 6-11 year-old children to understand the COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-chaired by the World Health Organization, the IASC MHPSS RG brings together over 50 organizations working in the humanitarian sector, including United Nations agencies, national and international nongovernmental organisations and international agencies providing mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings. The book is designed to address key themes that were identified through a survey of over 1,700 children, parents and caregivers from 104 countries, which was aimed at assessing the mental health and psychosocial needs of children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My Hero is You!”, which will be released in over 30 different languages, tells the story of Ario, a magical creature who comes to the aid of a young girl called Sara. The book explains how children can protect themselves, their families and friends from COVID-19, and how to manage some of the tricky emotions that can arise whilst they navigate life at home during the rapidly-evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Central to the story is the concept that every child – irrespective of age, socioeconomic circumstance or gender - can be their own hero, by observing social distancing and hand hygiene measures.
The book was written and illustrated by Helen Patuck, and is available via this link as an online text or as an audiobook: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/09-04-2020-children-s-story-book-released-to-help-children-and-young-people-cope-with-covid-19
