Talking Treasure: Stories to Help Build Emotional Intelligence and Resilience in Young Children

Stories help us make sense of the world, give us hope when we feel down, give us wonder and excitement when our lives seem ordinary, and help us find fairness in a world that sometimes seems unfair. The ten stories in this book are timeless―and each one is followed by a “Parent and Teacher EQ Guide” to help children explore their inner thoughts and feelings. The guide includes questions and comments to provide insights about the meaning of the story and raises relevant psychological issues, help children think about how the story applies to their lives and sharpen their emotional intelligence, and d escribes activities children can do so the themes of the story are not only heard but also experienced.

Dr Vered Hankin, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and internationally acclaimed storyteller. As both psychologist and storyteller, Vered lectures and performs nationally and internationally in venues as diverse as academic conferences, theaters, charitable organizations, and radio and television. She has been named “the leading storyteller of her generation” (Howard Schwartz, The Jewish Week). Her publications include stories and essays in On the Fringes: An Anthology of Young Jewish Women's Writings (SUNY Press, 2003), The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents (Norton Press, 2000), and interviews in such publications as Response and New Voices. Vered's CD recording, The Day the Rabbi Disappeared: Jewish Holiday Tales of Magic, based on Howard Schwartz's National Jewish Book Award–winning collection, was produced by Broadway producer Shari Upbin. The CD received the prestigious Award of Excellence from the Film Advisory Board, as well as The Gold Award from NAPPA (National Association of Parenting Publication Awards). In addition, Vered joined celebrities Jerry Stiller, Leonard Nimoy, and Henry Winkler in an internationally aired radio show and audio CD of children's folktales, One People: Many Stories. In addition to her storytelling escapades, Vered is a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University, USA. She is also founder and director of MBSR Chicago, an organization devoted to mindfulness interventions for chronic illness. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Jeremy Kaufman, and their two children, Jonah and Coral.

Devorah Omer was born on Kibbutz Maoz Haim in 1932. She completed her studies in 1952 and became a teacher. In addition to writing and adapting more than 100 books for children and youth, she has written plays, radio scripts, a novel for adults, and personal columns in several children's magazines. One of the most prolific and popular children's writers in Israel, Devorah has received many awards, including the Yatziv Prize (1959), the Lamdan Prize (1967, 1981), the Ministry of Education Prize (1973), the Prime Minister's Prize (1979), an Andersen International Honor Citation (1986), the Ze'ev Prize (1981, 1991), the Janusz Korczak Medal (1987), the Hadassah Prize (2002), the Ministry of Education Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2005), and the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2006).

Dr Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., is a professor and the director of clinical training in the Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, USA; academic director of Rutgers' Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships Program (engage.rutgers.edu); coordinator of Rutgers' Internship Program in Applied, School, and Community Psychology; past president of the international Society for Community Research and Action/Division of Community Psychology (27) of APA; director of Rutgers' Social-Emotional Learning Lab; coordinator of Improving School Climate for Academic and Life Success at Rutgers' Center for Applied Psychology; and founding member of the leadership team for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (www.CASEL.org). He has been elected as a fellow in five divisions of the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists. Dr. Elias is a past winner of the Lela Rowland Prevention Award, the Ernest McMahon Class of 1930 Award for service to New Jersey, and the American Psychological Association/Society for Community Research and Action's Distinguished Contribution to Practice and Ethnic Minority Mentoring awards. He lectures nationally and internationally, has been featured on numerous television and radio programs, and is frequently sought out as an expert for articles in magazines and newspapers. He has written an award-winning weekly parenting column, most recently for the Sunday Newark Star-Ledger's Family Accent section. His books include Research Press's Social Decision Making/Social Problem Solving curricula for elementary and middle school students, Emotionally Intelligent Parenting (Random House, 2000), Bullying, Peer Harassment, and Victimization in the Schools: The Next Generation of Prevention (Haworth, 2003), (Research Press, 2006), The Educator's Guide to Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement: Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom (Corwin, 2006), Bullying, Victimization, and Peer Harassment: A Handbook of Prevention and Intervention (Taylor & Francis, 2007), Urban Dreams: Stories of Hope, Character, and Resilience (Hamilton Books, 2008,), and School Climate: Building Safe, Supportive and Engaging Classrooms and Schools. (National Professional Resources, 2011). He writes a blog on social-emotional and character development for the George Lucas Educational Foundation at www.edutopia.org.

Amiram Raviv, Ph.D., is a school and clinical psychologist. He is dean of the School of Psychology at The Center for Academic Studies at Or Yehuda Israel and professor emeritus at the Psychology Department, Tel Aviv University, Israel where he has served as department chair. Amiram is co-author of the Hebrew books Crisis and Change in the Life of the Child and His/Her Family, The Israeli Parents' Guide, and Grandparenting Today, as well as co-editor of Peace, Conflict and War: International Perspectives on the Development of Their Understanding by Children and Adolescents, published in English. He has also published over 100 articles and chapters in professional journals and books. In addition to his academic pursuits, he has been active in various areas of primary prevention, serving as consultant for a number of parenting websites and children's books. The latter include the best-selling books Pyramid of Blocks and The Kiss That Got Lost, written by award-winning Israeli author Devorah Omer. Recently, Amiram and Maurice Elias collaborated in the development of and commentary for Devorah Omer's Voice of the Heart, an Israeli storybook promoting emotional intelligence. Amiram has also written and served as consultant for numerous enrichment programs for toddlers and kindergarten-age children, as well as guidance literature for parents, for a total of 20 books and three book series. He served for more than 15 years as a consultant for the Israeli Educational Television Network on various programs providing counseling to parents. He is married, with two daughters and five grandchildren.