Looking for mindful gifts for kids that supports literacy and emotional intelligence?
- Reeta Dhar
- Feb 12
- 4 min read
What is your earliest memory of hearing the term emotional intelligence? Or mental health? Or indeed, phrases like wellbeing, self-regulation, resilience, cognitive reframing or even meditation?
I consider myself fairly modern and well educated. Yet, I had never come across these concepts until I was well into my twenties. By then I had experienced my fair share of ups and downs, and somehow managed to stumble my way through it all. I was however, often embarrassed at how I responded or reacted to stressful situations, and couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on ...
When I finally discovered meditation and teachings about the "inner subjective nature of experience" that things finally began to make sense. The practice of meditation helped me gain insight into the nature of thoughts, emotions and feelings; the mind-body connection became palpable.
Tools like meditation and mindfulness also became the channel through which I learnt to self-regulate myself during periods of high stress. I am glad to say that I no longer embarrass myself nearly as often!
The glaring gap in our education
Why we were not taught or told about these critical life skills when this knowledge and understanding had existed for thousands of years, in both Eastern and Western cultures, is beyond me...
This became the drive and motivation for Darren and I to start working on the Willow the Wonderer series: Our goal was to introduce these concepts in an age-appropriate way to young children so they could grow up with at least some awareness of these critical concepts.
A more evolved education system
The wonderful thing of course is that our education systems has evolved with the times, with the curriculum from early primary years now including 'Social Emotional Learning' (SEL) outcomes that address critical aspects of emotional intelligence.
So, what can you do as a parent, grandparent or carer to support the formal education that your children are receiving in the area or prepare them for formal study and instruction around emotional intelligence?
Tell them stories that plants the seeds of this wisdom: Willow the Wonderer just happens to be the perfect vehicle for this.
Willow the Wonderer: Mindful picture books to support education and emotional intelligence
The Willow the Wonderer picture book series is a collection of five stories that progressively support the development of not only literacy, but also emotional intelligence in children through a "story-first" approach: We use the medium of melodic stories and beautiful illustrations that engages the attention and imagination of young readers to teach and inspire.
The stories invite them to go on an adventure where they discover the wisdom and wonders of our world. In the process they learn and develop critical:
Educational skills e.g. Literacy, numeracy, visual literacy, STEM, astronomy, figurative language, creative writing and vocabulary.
Emotional intelligence skills e.g. Inner experience of emotions, slowing down and mindfulness, belonging and connection, resilience, impermanence, meta-cognitiion and cognitive reframing.
Book-by-Book overview of Education and Emotional Intelligence outcomes of Willow the Wonderer
Here's a breakdown of the story and the educational (learning goals) and emotional intelligence (wisdom) skills that each book helps develop. These are also very much aligned and complement the formal education curriculum in Australia and most developed nations.
Book 1: Willow the Wonderer
The Story: Willow wakes up with a big question: 'Where is happiness?' He sets off on an epic quest through vibrant landscapes, searching high and low—only to find it in the most unexpected place.
The Wisdom: An introduction to inner happiness and self-reliance.
Learning Goals: Early Numeracy (Counting), Phonics and Visual Literacy.
Book 2: Honey Time
The Story: Bursting with a million ideas, Willow decides to go 'hard and fast', creating an almighty ruckus until the Queen Bee intervenes! Trapped in a blob of honey, Willow is forced to do something he’s never done before: Nothing.
The Wisdom: A sweet lesson in mindfulness and the art of slowing down.
Learning Goals: Phonics, Colour Recognition and Emotional Regulation.
Book 3: Space Odyssey
The Story: Feeling like he doesn't quite fit in, Willow looks to the stars for answers. Beamed into space, he witnesses the beauty and fragility of Earth from above, experiencing a profound 'Overview Effect'.
The Wisdom: Discovering belonging and the interconnectedness of all life.
Learning Goals: STEM (Astronomy), Science-Literacy and Vocabulary.
Book 4: The Gift
The Story: Lost among high mountain peaks, Willow meets a mysterious Fox. She guides him through the steep trails and frightening cliffs. As fear takes hold, Fox shares a profound wisdom—all things come to pass. Will it be enough for Willow to keep going?
The Wisdom: Building resilience, grit, and the courage to navigate change and loss.
Learning Goals: Figurative Language (Similes & Metaphors) and Vocabulary.
Book 5: Inner Worlds
The Story: When a menacing grey cloud of negative thoughts begins to follow him, Willow does what few dare to: he steps inside. What follows is a surreal adventure through the mechanics of his own mind.
The Wisdom: Understanding the nature of thoughts and emotions, including power of positive thinking.
Learning Goals: Cognitive Reframing, Mental Wellbeing and Self-Regulation techniques.
Looking for a meaningful gift for kids?
Willow the Wonderer is uniquely effective because it utilises a story-first approach that invites inquiry and discovery, rather than preaching themes to children.
So if you are looking for a meaningful gift for kids that helps them grow into level-headed adults, give Willow the Wonderer books a go.
There are a range of formats and bundles available in our store, to suit most needs, preferences and price points. For those who are strapped for cash, we also offer free eBooks on our site.
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