YOU’RE A AN ACTIVITY & COLOURING BOOK

Written by TAMARA ROBERT Illustrated by MAX POPE Cover Design by SPENCER WATSON Layout & Design by TROY PYNN Edited by KATIE MAYERSON The text of this activity and colouring book is based on a wellness tool called Passport to Health developed by the Teen Talk program of Klinic Community Health, and adapted to suit younger children. See teentalk.ca for more information. We would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of the City of Toronto through its Community Safety Investment funding.

A Unison Health and Community Services Publication

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/4.0/

Dear Parents/Caregivers This is an interactive story book for you and your child. As you go through the story and follow the prompts (written in parentheses) you can create a story with your child, about your child. As you will notice, the pages are not in colour. This will allow your child to colour the pages with images that represent themselves, their families and the world around them. There are also activities that allow them to define who they are, what they like about themselves and what they need during a difficult time. The book is meant to foster awareness and resilience. It may also open up conversation between you and your child about some of the difficult times they have gone through and what has been helpful to them. You can work through the book slowly or all at once. Some children will want to take their time with each page, answering the questions and colouring carefully. Others will want to fill it out quickly so they can hear the whole story. Follow your child’s lead. You can remind them that once the book is complete, they can reread it again and again. They may also want to change some of the answers as they get older. There is no right or wrong way to use the book. It is all up to you and your child. Enjoy and have fun creating a very special story about a very special person.

Let’s make a story together! Would you like to do that? And let’s make the story all about…

YOU!

Won’t that be fun? Not only is the story all about you, In this very special story, you are a superhero! Did you know that you are a superhero? A superhero is someone who is very special. Someone who has great strengths and talents. Someone the world couldn’t live without! Does that sound like you? It does to me!

But first things first! Every superhero has a superhero name. We need to come up with your superhero name! (Choose from the lists below or make up your own Example: The Blue Unicorn)

Wonder Super The Amazing The Fantastic The Fabulous The Magical The Magnificent The Blue The Green The Purple The Red

Butterfly Lightening Unicorn Storm Beetle Pickle Juice Laser Flyer Magician Volcano Fire Blazer

And what does every superhero have? A cape, of course! What does your cape look like? What colour is it? Does it have any special shapes or symbols on it? Does it glitter or shine? Or does it sparkle and glow in the dark?

Can you colour your superhero cape?

Good job, that is a great cape! Okay, so let’s make a story about your superhero self! Once upon a time there was a little girl/boy/person named

(insert child’s name)

You have a very special secret:

YOU ARE A SUPERHERO! And your superhero name is:

(insert superhero name)

And

(insert superhero name)

has the best magical cape ever.

(insert superhero name)

is amazing!

Now we all know that superheroes have special strengths and talents. Let’s find out more about yours! What are three things you like about yourself? (help your child choose qualities such as: I’m friendly, funny, smart, fast, etc.)

Oh wow, those are great things to like about yourself!

Can you draw or colour those things here?

Let’s find out more about your superhero strengths and talents. What are three things you’re good at?

(help your child name activities such as: riding my bike, swimming, colouring, being a good friend, helping with chores, video games, etc.)

You are really good at those things! A real superhero!

Can you draw or colour those things here?

Now when

(insert superhero name)

needs

someone to talk to, because even superheroes need someone to talk to, (insert superhero name)

has 3 special people to turn to. Who are those three special people?

Oh, those are great people to talk to! Good for you for having so many people you can turn to!

Can you draw or colour those special people here?

Now, are you ready for the best part of the story? Sometimes, superheroes can get sad or angry. Do you sometimes get sad or angry? Yes, we can all feel mad or sad sometimes. One of your super powers is knowing what to do when you feel angry or blue to help yourself feel better again. Do you know what those things are? (help your child list things that help them soothe, such as: playing video games, hugging mommy, talking to my older brother, riding my bike, etc.)

Those are wonderful things to do when you feel blue!

Can you draw or colour those three great things you can do to help yourself feel better?

Can you remember those things the next time you feel hurt, angry or upset? And if you don’t remember, can you ask me or one of your special people for help? Thanks for all your hard work today and thanks for all the great drawing and colouring you did!

You helped me create a great story about an amazing person…

YOU!

Children’s Mental Health Supports in Toronto Unison Health and Community Services offers free counseling as well as help accessing other practical supports. unisonhcs.org Lawrence Heights – (416) 787-1676 Keele-Rogers – (416) 653-5400 Bathurst-Finch – (647) 436-0385 Jane-Trethewey – (416) 645-7575 If you are not in the Unison catchment, please call 211 to find your nearest community health centre and ask them about free counselling and other supports. Yorktown Child and Family Centre at Yorktown Family Services offers free mental health services for infants, children and youth (aged birth to 18) and their families. yorktownfamilyservices.com (416) 394-2424 Child Development Institute provides a range of programs and services to support children under 12 and their families. childdevelop.ca (416) 603-1827 The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre provides mental health counselling and treatment services to infants, children, and youth (aged birth to 17.) hincksdellcrest.org Sheppard Site (northwest Toronto) – (416) 633-0515 Jarvis Site (downtown Toronto) – (416) 924-1164

Online Resources responseandrecoveryproject.ca In the Child-Specific Resources section of the Response and Recovery Project website, you will find useful links around trauma and resilience. You can also download our Parent and Caregiver Support Package, as well as other resources for supporting the children and youth you care for. You may also want to check out the Healing Resources and Caregiver Resources sections, because you also deserve to feel healed and whole. As a parent/caregiver, it is extremely important that you are well taken care of so that you can best care for your child or children.