Local Author’s Message Resonates Across Continents

South African-born therapeutic children’s author Eleni Theodorou is cultivating a culture of compassion with a multi-sensory adventure centered around her children’s book, Noko The Knight, about true friendship, forgiveness and compassion in the heart of the South African bushveld. Noko, a young crested porcupine, hears that he is about to become a big brother and doesn’t quite know how to deal with his mixed feelings. Theodorou, with her background in psychology and brain-based assessment, engages and educates children and their families about how to successfully navigate the effective expression of children’s budding emotions. She states, “The aim of my tale is to open communication within families and to increase the awareness around the importance of emotional intelligence beyond the classroom and onto the boardroom.”

Theodorou emphasizes, “It is imperative that we are able to accurately label our emotions and communicate them in an respectful and constructive manner, whether young or mature. The stressors families and educators are faced with these days have been fiercely intensified, and it is therefore important that we help our children manage their emotions effectively. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, one out of every four students reports being bullied during the school year, shining a spotlight on the need for a creative approach to dealing with unskilled social behavior such as bullying.”