I uderstand you and offer you my help
Cognitive empathy
| Author | Tatjana Gjurković, Tea Knežević |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jelena Brezovec |
| Original Title | Razumijem te i nudim ti pomoć |
| ISBN | 978-953-8008-87-0 |
| Format | softcover |
| Pages | 24 |
| Size | 22x22 cm |
| Age range | Early learning (2 – 6), Beginning readers (5 – 7) |
| Category | Empathy |
|---|---|
| Tag | Empathy series |
WRITTEN BY EXPERTS IN CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
Enni and Evan often play together at the city playground. One afternoon Evan was not careful, so he fell and hurt his knee. Eni approached him and told him that it was nothing. She wanted to give him a hug because then the pain would go away faster. But Evan was still not ready for help and advice at that moment, and he refused Enni’s hug. Enni was sad and confused but then, a little bee taught her what to do. What Evan needed at that moment was for Enni to listen to him and show him that she really understood and felt him.
When we think about empathy, our first conception may be its emotional component. But many people, when faced with an uncomfortable feeling of a person dear to them, also react with their thoughts, i.e., they want to understand the source of the emotional pain and offer very specific advice and solutions.
That type of empathy is called cognitive empathy, and it is very important to us because it helps us to better understand the perspective of another. With cognitive empathy, we express the capacity for logical reasoning regarding another’s state, but we remain rational and focused on the next steps or solution, because we are not significantly emotionally aroused.
Experts mostly describe empathy as a partly inherited trait and partly the result of nurture, upbringing and early life experiences. They also agree that upbringing focused on empathy should start from the earliest age. Children learn from adults, they observe us and react to our direct incentives, so it is of great importance to give empathy an important role in children’s upbringing.
In this picture book, children will meet an empathetic little girl Enni, and her friend Evan, who fell and hurt his knee. In the heat of the game, Enni didn’t pay attention to his pain and thought one short hug would solve the problem. But Evan rejected her and pushed her away. He needed something else. First, he needed Enni to be with him for a moment, without offering him ideas of how to solve his problem.
At the end of the book, you can find advice for parents and caregivers with guidelines on how to act when child’s emotional empathy is too strong or too overwhelming, or when child’s emotional empathy is not felt or expressed enough.
Author: Tatjana Gjurković
Tatjana Gjurković has a master’s degree in psychology, she is certified psychotherapist, certified child play therapist (RPT), Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA), Teacher and Supervisor of Transactional Analysis (TSTA). She works individually with children and adults and holds educational programs for specialists in fields of child play therapy and transaction analysis. She is author of a book “Play Therapy with children” and 28 therapeutic picture books. She continuously promotes the importance of mental health in children and adults through Centar Proventus which she co-founded with her colleague Tea Knežević.
Author: Tea Knežević
Tea Knežević has master’s degree in psychology, she is certified psychotherapist, certified child play therapist (RPT) and Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA). She provides play therapy with children, psychotherapy with adults, parent consultations, and conducts numerous training courses for professionals in Centar Proventus which she co-founded with her colleague Tatjana Gjurković. She has written 28 picture books with therapeutic stories for children. In addition, she is the author of several manuals related to psychological resilience, gifted children, and anger management.
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.
