©Inter-Agency Standing Committee

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the rhythm of life, and changes can easily affect children physically and psychologically. Such as the news from TV and broadcast, unstable working and school schedule. During this period, parents need to help their children navigate the stress.

 Today, we want to share a storybook with you – “My Hero is You 2021: how kids can hope with COVID-19!” draws on the daily realities of millions of children since their lives were affected by the pandemic. The story is aimed primarily at children aged 6-11 years – tells the story of a magical creature named “Ario” who travels around the world to help children find hope for the future and feel the simple happiness in life.

“My Hero is You 2021” invited 5000 children, parents, caregivers and teachers from around the world to describe the challenges they continue to face in the second year of the pandemic. The ‘My Hero is You’ series is a project of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, a unique collaboration of United Nations agencies, national and international nongovernmental organizations and international agencies providing mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings.

With new and old friends together, Ario talked about the fear, frustration and worry experienced by children during the pandemic, and discussed how they can overcome the fear, sadness, anger and sadness.

Download “My Hero is You” here.