Books have the power to bring a positive perspective to a child. To build empathy and emotional intelligence in them, it is essential to make the right selection of books. One such book is Loris Opens Up His Heart by author Dagmara Sitek.
What is the Story of the Book?
The book is based on a real-life story. The story depicts the emotional journey of a boy named Loris, who spent his childhood in foster homes. The story shows how he started changing emotionally after he got the support of his foster siblings.
Dagmara Sitek has beautifully shared the challenges faced by a foster child. The book not only helps in raising awareness about the struggles of foster care but also encourages children to tackle the tough situations. On her website Courage Tales, she has shared the insights and reviews of the book.
How To Build Emotional Intelligence in Children Through the Book?
For children, learning through storybooks is one of the best emotional intelligence activities. This is a good book to introduce your children to various feelings like sadness, fear, hope, and love. Here are some of the key points of the books that can help your children:
- Identifying Emotions: In the story, Loris experiences teasing, motivation, and affection. From Loris’s story, children will understand the value of every emotion.
- Empathy Building: Loris started feeling good when his foster siblings Cam and Inaya showed empathy towards him. Your children will also understand how being empathetic can make a positive change in someone’s life.
- Emotional Strength: With Loris’s story, children will get to know how they can use their emotions to express themselves in a better way.
- Problem-Solving Approach: In the story of Loris, he started facing challenges positively with the support of people. After reading the book, children will understand how they can use their strengths in solving a problem.
- Importance of Relationship: Loris gained the strength to face problems after he started feeling accepted. With this, children will understand the value of various relationships in their lives. They will start realizing the importance of family, friends, and their loved ones.
Who Will Benefit More From This Book?
Loris Opens Up His Heart is a perfect book for every child who is struggling in their lives, for parents who want to build emotional intelligence in their children, and for all those who believe in the power of healing. Let’s discuss this one by one.
- Children Navigating Transitions: While reading the story, the children who are shifting to a new house, new school, new city, or new family will relate to Loris. They can feel the emotions of hope, worry, and anger. Loris’s story will encourage them to believe in themselves and their loved ones. They will become more empathetic towards other children as well.
- Parents/Teachers Who Want to Build Emotional Intelligence: This is a perfect book for those parents and teachers who want to build emotional intelligence in their children. While reading the story aloud, they can ask several questions to the children, like if you were in the palace of Loris, how you would have reacted or how you would have helped Loris in such a situation. Based on the story of the book, you can also organize a role-play activity with your children or students.
- People Who Believe in the Power of Healing: For all those who believe that healing has the power to overcome every problem and every situation, Loris Opens Up His Heart is a must-have book for you. The story is the best example of how a few small gestures can make the life of a person better.
Conclusion
Dagmara Sitek, with her award-winning book Loris Opens Up His Heart, has shared the heartfelt struggles of a foster child and how empathy and courage changed his life for the better.