Alex Avendaño last saw the group of kids she supervises at her Toronto church two weeks ago.

Then coronavirus arrived in Canada, and they have been social distancing ever since.

It has been difficult for the Toronto resident, who describes herself as a “loud extrovert.” But she knew it was even tougher for the youngsters.

She heard from her friends, many of them parents, about what their children were saying.

“Their kids were starting to get really confused, and they got really sad wondering where their friends were,” she said.

“For me, that’s just completely heartbreaking.”

So Alex, 30, who’s a communications strategist, called her sister, Jan Avendaño, 34, an illustrator.

The two had always dreamed of creating a children’s book together but were always too busy.

Alex knew now was the time.

“Even if only 100 kids read it, it would have been worth it. So I was like, ‘let’s just do it.’”

They went to work. Alex wrote the story; Jan illustrated the pages.

Seven days later, the pair had finished the book and created a website where families could read it for free.

They called it, “The Big Alone.”

The story begins by describing how many people felt in recent weeks as cities across the world went into lockdown.

“Shout, shout shout,” reads one page. “But nobody hears,” the next page says.

The book depicts — to use grown-up words — solidarity and community using illustrations and a few simple words. It’s meant for children five years of age and up, Alex said.

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Jan drew people in their homes. They appear alone, yet, together with everyone else who is also staying at home.

“The Big Alone has started to grow! You are not on your own in The Big Alone,” the story reads.

The Avendaño sisters asked friends and family to help them translate the words. So far it has been translated into eight languages, including Tagalog, the language Alex and Jan’s parents speak. It has been read in more than 30 countries by more than 2,000 people.

Their father did the translation. “I was half joking to all of our friends and family ... my dad is such a joker I don’t actually know what he translated it to,” said Alex, who explained she was never taught Tagalog.

“Hopefully he did it correctly.”

The Philippines, where Tagalog is commonly spoken, has been one of the countries hardest hit by coronavirus. The book is also available in Italian — Alex said they tried to translate the book into languages that would help kids in countries where lockdowns have been most strict.

The pair worked on the book from their separate homes, Alex in the Annex neighbourhood and Jan in Parkdale. They both also continued their day jobs.

Alex said it would not have been possible for her without her husband doing all the housework. “He walked the dog, he did the laundry, he did the dishes,” she said. “This would not have been possible otherwise.”

It was an empowering experience, Alex said.

“Now is the time for women to be coming together to do things in the world,” she said.

“My sister is actually the one who taught me how to read — and throughout our entire life the corner stone that has always brought us together has always been books.”

They’ve always loved kids books, Alex said. “For us, there is so much magic in kids books.”