May 1, 2020
Publishers and nonprofits have been providing new books with age-appropriate information about the coronavirus pandemic to housebound children free of charge. One example is My Hero Is You, a new illustrated book by Helen Patuck. In the book, a girl named Sara lies in bed at night, feeling scared and helpless. She misses seeing friends and going to school. As she drifts off, a dragon appears, and they fly all over the world together on a shared mission: teaching children how to keep themselves and their families safe from the novel coronavirus. The book, geared toward 6- to 11-year-olds, was developed in collaboration with multiple humanitarian organizations, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and Save the Children. To create a story that explores children’s questions and fears about the epidemic, Patuck, an author and illustrator, drew on a survey of 1,700 children, parents, and teachers in 104 countries. This title and others are being made available as downloads in multiple languages and through free e-reading platforms such as Worldreader. The group’s growing collection of coronavirus-themed titles includes picture books about the importance of hand washing, illustrated stories and a graphic novel about children trying to cope during the pandemic, as well as straightforward reference materials about COVID-19.