Hocus Focus
The story about attention and concentration
| Author | Tamara Vučković |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jelena Brezovec |
| Original Title | Hokus Fokus |
| ISBN | 978-953-385-050-4 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 32 |
| Size | 22x25 cm |
| Age range | Beginning readers (5 – 7), Young readers (6 – 10) |
| Category | Socioemotional learning |
|---|---|
| Tag | Socioemotional skills and competencies |
Hocus was a curious boy, the great admirer of experiments and an inventor of new ideas. But he had one problem – he often couldn’t finish what he started and his thoughts would jump from task to task, from idea to idea. That is why one day he decided, he will invent – Focus! It will help him complete all his ideas and tasks.
Hocus and Focus became inseparable, our Hocus was served very well by his Focus and this story would have a happy ending if one day Focus had not stop working! How Hocus lived without Focus, find out in this imaginative story.
Hocus Focus is part of a series of picture books on the development of socio-emotional competencies in children. It is a story about attention and concentration, or the ability of a child to devote focused attention to a specific task or activity for a certain period of time. It’s a very important skill that can be practiced and is crucial for successful learning, problem solving and facing challenges, as well as for better social interaction with peers. Hocus and Focus will teach children how to improve their attention and stay persistent and present when it matters.
In the age of screens and excessive digital stimulation, it is very difficult for children to maintain attention and concentration on a task for a longer period of time. Attention and concentration are developed, like other skills, through focused activities. However, the prerequisite is presence and self-awareness, or focused attention.
Experts recommend the following activities for practicing attention: playing board games, walking in nature, reading or listening to music, playing music, putting together puzzles or models, drawing, sports activities, daydreaming, boredom and rest from all external stimuli.
Author: Tamara Vučković
Tamara Vučković has a master’s degree in English and had worked as a teacher in a primary school for almost two decades. Her special area of interest is the emotional intelligence of children, mindfulness and socio-emotional competencies. She is author of many children’s books and runs “Happiness Training Room”, where she practices socio-emotional competencies with children that will help them grow into happy and contented people. She holds training courses for parents, educators and professional associates on the topic of quality child education.
Illustrator: Jelena Brezovec
Jelena Brezovec has a master’s degree in social studies. For a long time, drawing was just a hobby, until 2008 when she became a co-founder of the publishing house Evenio and decided to study digital illustration, with the focus on children’s illustration. So far, she has illustrated more than 40 picture books and many other publications. She is the winner of the Grigor Vitez “Bird” Award, a special praise from the children’s jury. She has illustrated the most popular children’s book series in Croatia – Mrljek & Prljek. Her illustrations have been part of many exhibitions throughout Croatia. She lives and works in Varaždin, Croatia.
