Help children understand themselves better with the SPARK Frienz Self-Awareness SEL Pack (Vol. 1)! This thoughtful collection encourages learners to recognize their emotions, strengths, and positive mindset — essential foundations for personal growth and emotional intelligence.
Featuring three in...
Help children understand themselves better with the SPARK Frienz Self-Awareness SEL Pack (Vol. 1)! This thoughtful collection encourages learners to recognize their emotions, strengths, and positive mindset — essential foundations for personal growth and emotional intelligence.
Featuring three inspiring storybooks — Persist and Resist to Give Up: A Story About Resilience, Stick with Being Optimistic, and Appreciate the Things We Have for Our Daily Life — children explore how self-awareness builds confidence and emotional balance. Through engaging narratives, they learn to bounce back from challenges, stay positive, and express gratitude in everyday experiences.
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any matter,
stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any
means - Electronic, Mechanical, Photocopy, Recording, or
otherwise without written permission of the copyright owner
‘except for the use of quotation in a book review.
Our stories are crafted to help children learn and
grow. Each book focuses on important values, skills, or
behaviors. The stories use fictional characters to
support our children in gaining basic knowledge and
references to improve their awareness of the topic.
The positive messages in our stories play a crucial role
in shaping and developing the characters of our
children.
Recommended:
7 years old & above: Self-Reading
6 years old & below: With Teachers/Parents guidance
EDUFRIENZ
Stick it Being
‚Optimis js’
Characters
{ It was summer. Rain was taking care of her
‘> garden. The hot sun was hurting her flowers, and
she worried they would not grow well.
4 “Rain! Lunch is ready!" Mum shouted from inside À
*. the house.
"| am coming!" Rain replied, putting aside her .
{ tools, and headed into her house to join her .”
7 family for lunch.
‘2 "How are the flowers, Rain?" Mum asked as Rain
took her seat at the table.
"They are doing okay, but | am having trouble :
with the heat,” Rain explained.
! "Yes, it is heating up out there” Mum
“acknowledged.
3 "Mum, do you think the heat will cause my
flowers to wilt faster?" Rain asked, she sounded
worried.
Tm byt ists
E ee
. "It is hard to say for sure. You will need to keep a À
“close eye on them. Are you tired of caring for ‘
them in this weather?" Mum asked.
2, Rain said she was trying hard but might not keep
it up if the weather did not help.
=
oe =
4 "Keep going, Rain! Gardening is tricky, but your .“
“hard work will be worth it. Stay optimistic,"Mom °;
‘cheered.
; "| talk to my flowers while watering them, hoping z
‘they will bloom despite the bad weather,” Rain‘
said. "But it feels like | am losing the fight.”
à Mum agreed, saying, "Being positive is L
{, important. Believe in the positive outcome of ;'
your efforts, even when faced with challenges. us
; Imagine starting something new, thinking you will
“> fail. Would you give it your all?"
"No, Mum! | want to see my flowers grow after all 4
my work | put into them,” Rain said firmly.
"Right! Stay determined and optimistic, Rain.
| With dedication and a good attitude, you can
beat any challenge,” Mum encouraged her.
"Yes, Mum, it was not always easy at the |
beginning. Just like when | started with the
flowers, | saw my efforts working out,” Rain said
proudly.
> After talking with her mom, Rain understood *,
that staying optimistic could help her overcome ;'
challenges.
¿ Rain excitedly returned to her flowers, and she
‘= quickly went upstairs to take her hat and
protect herself from the hot sun.
\ After a while, Rain is sweating in the garden when ?
“she sees Ace walking towards her house.
{ "Hey, Rain! What are you doing outside in this hot á
*, weather." Ace greeted her. 5
2 "We got a bit down when we lost to some younger ¿
“kids on the court," Ace replied with a sigh.
Me lost to some younger
kids on the court.
"Lam sorry to hear that. Where is Ping?" Rain 4
À said.
» "Well, Ping was feeling sad, too, so he decided to é
2 head home early,” Ace replied. \
“Oh no! He must be feeling down. Just wait for me
“to finish up with the gardening!" Rain exclaimed.
"Gardening? It has been hot lately! Will your ‘
plants wilt soon? Ace remarked.
[Nam optimistic
hey wll not wt.
Gardening? It has been
hot recently!
23 am optimistic they would not wilt because | am ‘
attending to them." Rain replied confidently.
.¿ "The sun is scorching. Are you not worried? Ace
“asked again.
=
> "I believe my plants will grow well,” Rain replied
' confidently.
"Wow, Rain, you are so keen about your :
gardening} If only we had the same attitude when ¿|
+ Ping and | play basketball against others,” Ace \°
} commented. F
5 ‘Listen, Ace, | understand you and Ping are sad
after the loss. But remember, every game has a
winner and a loser. It is only a game," Rain said
Every game has a
inner and a loser.
\ "Each loss can also be a lesson. You can always ,
* use it as an opportunity to improve. Just stay q
{, optimistic and work harder,” Rain continued,
“trying to comfort Ace.
“Rain asked Ace to wait as she went inside her <
home to freshen up quickly. They planned to <
visit Ping at his home later.
After a while, both Ace and Rain arrive at Ping's
house and press the doorbell.
4 "Ding Dong,” Ping came to his door.
"Hey Ping, how was your day?" Rain asked with i
concern.
“| do not know. | am having a bad day. It must be B
because of the heat,” Ping replied.
2, "Oh, come on! Let us get right into it. You are
having a bad day because we lost to the younger
kids in the match," Ace said.
(Oh Come ont Let us
get ight into it
* “Look, | am sorry, | did not get the ball back to ‘
‘, you sooner. We would have won the game before
= the last second,” Ping replied.
‘ "Hey Ping, you and Ace are great basketball
players at our school. But remember, that does ;
not mean you will keep banning every time.” Rain *
said honestly.
Hey Ping, You and Ace are |
great bosetbal player.
4 Rain and Ace's words made Ping think differently. À
Ping felt they were right, and he could do it, too.
' “I certainly can and will do better. Your words
motivate me. This loss is a good reminder to :
work on some areas | neglected. Thank you so "
much, my dear friends,” Ping said with
appreciation.
‘ Ping began to pack his gear and grab his a
= basketball. 4
"Let us go, Ace. Let us go and work on our
-’ weaknesses. We will focus on what we need to
improve,” Ping said.
Let us go, Ace
Let us go and worl
“ "Good idea! Rain, can you come and watch us? |
would like to use your feedback to improve.” Ace *,
2 invited Rain.
“Remember, optimism is not a quick way to solve
E problems. It is a way of thinking that helps us
stay positive, boost our efforts, and build :
confidence. It would be best if you always have a *,
plan for working out your problems, "Rain
repeated.
Remember, optimism is
not a quick way to
solve problems.
Being optimistic means thinking good things
will happen. It is like having a sunshine feeling
inside, even when it is cloudy outside. When you
are optimistic, you believe in yourself and your
abilities. This helps you keep trying, even when
things get tough.
So, the next time you face a challenge,
remember to stay positive. Believe in yourself
and keep trying. With a little bit of optimism,
you can achieve great things!
Questions & Answers )
4 We hope you had fun reading the story! Now, let us 3
see how much you remember and how you can use í
¿ what you learned in your everyday life with these à
>) questions.
+ These questions are made to help you learn more, :
: and they follow the stages of Bloom's Taxonomy, :
3 like Remembering, Understanding, Applying,
</ Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.
Remembering:
What did Rain do to combat the scorching heat
while gardening?
Understanding:
Why did Rain believe her plants wouldn't wilt
despite the hot weather?
"| Questions & Answers )
j Applying:
How can Rain's approach to gardening be
applied to Ace and Ping's situation after losing
the basketball game?
Analyzing:
What made Rain stay optimistic about her
gardening despite the hot weather?
Evaluating:
Why do you think Rain's advice helps Ace and
Ping to want to work on their weakness?
Creating:
What do you think you can start to be
optimistic about?
EDUFRIENZ
Persist:and Resist to Give) up)
A Story about
Shine
Rain
Characters
Shine's Mum
The children returned from their holiday break
feeling happy.
“Hey, Ace!” Rain called out to her friend.
“How are you, Rain?" replied Ace.
“When did you guys arrive?" Shine asked,
pausing her half-coloured drawing.
"You are so good at drawing, Shine. Did you take
art classes?" asked Rain.
You are so good
at drawing, Shine.
"| tried during the break, but | got bored and
quit," Shine admitted.
“| thought you liked drawing. Why did you get
bored?" Rain asked.
"| just did not enjoy it after a while,” Shine
explained.
During the class break, the SPARK frienz sat
and chatted.
My mother got me a
500-piece jigsaw puzzle.
"My mother got me a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle.
It was tough,” Ace shared with his friends.
“She encouraged me not to give up and to
spend more time on it. | finally completed it
after a week," Ace recalled.
Everyone smiled at Ace, happy for him, and
gave him a thumbs-up for what he had done.
"My mother always says that resilience is a
great quality” Kit added.
“What do you think resilience is?" Ping asked.
“Resilience is never giving up, continuing to do
your task even when it is hard,” Kit explained.
Persisting means
never giving up...
“| want to be resilient,” Shine said guiltily, “but |
gave up when things felt wrong and boring”.
Ace told his friends, "We can learn to be strong
when things get hard by facing challenges."
"My brother and | tried to build a treehouse
once. It was a big job, but we did not give up. We
found new ways to build and fix it," Ping shared
his experience.
When the final bell rang, it was time to head
home.
Shine wanted to get home quickly to tell her
mother about her day.
entered.
"Hi Sweetie, how was your day at school?" her
mum asked as Shine looked sad.
Hi Sweetie, how was IN
your day at school?
ol >
| MES
+
8.8
io
a
S
Shine is the youngest in the family, and
everyone gives in to what she wants.
She told her mum, "My friends talked about
resilience today, and each shared what they have
done. | felt like there was nothing | could do," Shine
said sadly.
Shine continued, "Why can | not try harder? |
always give up easily,"
“Sweetie, you need to learn to be patient and
understand that things might not always go as
planned,” Mum said.
Sweetie, you need to
learn to be pa
She looked at Shine and continued, "If you feel like
you have given up too easily before, it is good to
reflect on your actions and try harder next
time.”
"Welcome, Ace. | am glad you are here,” Shine said.
Ace noticed dead plants near the window. "What
happened to your plants, Shine?" he asked.
“Oh, | forgot to water them," Shine frowned.
“| noticed you seemed sad during our break. Are
you okay?" Ace was worried.
"1 felt down after our discussion in class; | felt like
| am not resilient,” Shine confided in Ace.
"| gave up on a toy car project and tried getting
plants instead, thinking it would be easier. But |
forgot about them too,” Shine said, crying.
Do not feel sad, Shine.
"Do not feel sad, Shine,” Ace said, trying to make
her feel better.
are hard and facing problems without giving
up." Ace explained.
“Do you remember when you rescued that injured
bird? It was bleeding, but you insisted on saving
it," Ace recalled.
Ace reminded Shine that she had once solved
Pings puzzle when nobody could. They smiled,
remembering those happy moments.
Shine told herself she could start practicing
resilience.
“Ace and Shine started to work on their
assignments and talked about the problems they
were having.
As the sun set, both got tired after working hard.
Ace stood up and suggested, “Let us finish the
assignment tomorrow. | am tired.”
“You can go home. | promise to finish the rest
today.” Shine said confidently.
With a smile, Ace left the house.
The next day, during lunch, SPARK frienz heard
about an upcoming art competition. They turned
to Shine, knowing her talent in drawing.
“This is your chance to challenge yourself, Shine!"
Ace encouraged.
"| love your sketches! You must join the
competition!" Rain added.
“| will! 1 will do my best!" Shine told everyone
confidently.
Shine quickly ate lunch and then went to take the
competition s form.
Shine had six days to practice before the
competition.
EDUERIENZ
While everyone else listened during science class,
Ping saw Shine carefully drawing in her notebook.
“Shine wants to win that championship, huh, Ace?"
Ping commented.
"Yeah, she seems serious now. Remember how she
used to give up so easily?” Ace said.
After school ended, Shine went home and
continued drawing.
“Phew, that was hard! But | would not give up!"
Shine said to herself, holding her pencil tightly.
Shine's friends were surprised to see her finished
drawings the next day.
"Hey, guys, what do you think?" Shine asked,
showing her drawings to her friends.
"Wow, Shine! You have improved!" Ace praised.
"Yeah, you are pretty good!" Ping added.
Her friends admired her artwork and showered
Wow, Shine! You have
improved!
DAY
row
her with praise.
¢
Shine wanted to do even better for the
competition. She knew she needed to keep
practicing hard and not give up.
"Do you think Shine is too serious, Ace? | am a
little worried about her,” Rain asked.
"Do not worry. It is all about resilience. It makes
you stronger every day and helps you reach
higher goals. As Shine's best friends, we must
stand by her and have faith in her!" Ace said.
“| agree. If Shine enjoys what she is doing and
works towards doing her best in the art
competition, there is nothing to worry about!" Kit
added.
Shine practiced drawing very hard during every
break time with her friends.
The week before the competition, Shine
practiced until evening, drawing better than ever.
She proudly showed her work to her mother.
“Wow, dear! Did you do this all by yourself?"
Shine's mum asked in surprise.
“Yes, Mum! Do you think it is good enough for next
Monday?" Shine asked
Yes, dear! | can see how
Do you think it is hard you have worked.
good enc a iz
"Yes, dear! | can see how hard you have worked.
Remember, always do your best, even if you do not
win," Shine’s mum replied.
tn eps tr
Shine decided to improve her artwork, saying, “I
will work on this over the weekend. | will skip my
usual playtime and work on th
On Saturday, Shine got up early and felt excited
to work on her art. She told her family she
planned to spend the weekend practicing at
home. She stayed in her room all day, drawing.
Monday arrived quickly, and it was time for the
competition.
With confidence, Shine sat in the competition hall
and started drawing. She wanted to do her best.
When they announced the winners, Shine felt
excited. She had worked hard for the
competition, even though she had stopped taking
her drawing class. She was determined to keep
going, no matter what obstacles came her way.
Finally, all the judges gave Shine's drawing five
stars. She is the winner of the competition!
The other friends were super excited to hear
that Shine won. They cheered loudly for her.
"| am proud of Shine. She kept trying, never gave
up, and wanted to win. She worked so hard, just
like she promised,” Ace said.
* Yonooool! = M greai job!
ey: dl
“Shine is great. If she decides to do something,
she can do it," Rain said, admiring her.
=z
E
=
o
cry
a
\S
Resilience is about not giving up, even when
things are hard. It means learning from
mistakes and improving. Shine did not let a
mistake stop her. She learned from it and won
the drawing competition because she kept
trying.
Questions & Answers )
We hope you had fun reading the story! Now, let us
see how much you remember and how you can use
what you learned in your everyday life with these
questions.
These questions are made to help you learn more,
and they follow the stages of Bloom's Taxonomy,
like Remembering, Understanding, Applying,
Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.
Remembering:
What did Rain ask Shine about?
Understanding:
Why did Shine stop her drawing class?
Applying:
How did Ace show resilience when he tried to
finish a 500-piece puzzle?
Questions & Answers
Analyzing:
What made Shine feel sad? How did Ace make
her feel better?
Evaluating:
How do you think Shine's friends made her feel
more confident and stronger while preparing
for the art competition?
Creating:
What are the things you will do to be more
resilient?
2 x bd Sa Dy
(ThejThingsiwelHavelini0ugbailyllige)
PEER
Ga Bs i
PA E ° A
E i
N
Eo- |
+
== nun nun nn nun Q Qu 0 0 2
It was Saturday evening; Kit and her mum were
preparing dinner.
Kit noticed that Mum bandaged her hands.
“lam fine, sweetie! I got scalded while | was
cooking last night." Kif's mum replied.
During the meal, Kit noticed the chicken was not
well-cooked.
Kit knew her mum must leave home early the
following day and would return at noon.
Kit is thinking about preparing lunch for her
mum. She appreciates how her mum has worked
so hard to take good care of her.
lunch today. How should | get started?" Kit said
to herself.
She started to look around and found that there
was chicken soup from last night's dinner.
"| can boil two eggs and cook some noodles. |
should boil some carrots, too." Kit smiled.
Kit put on an apron and boiled water to prepare
the eggs and carrots.
After a while, Kit saw Rain walking by, and they
waved.
Come right in!
house.
Rain saw Kit wearing an apron and asked, “Are
you cooking?"
"Yes! My mum accidentally burnt herself the
other night. | decided to cook a simple meal for
her to show my appreciation.” Kit told Rain.
| decided to cook
a simple meal for her..
"It is good that you show your appreciation to
your mum! | am sure she will be happy when she
sees your efforts!” Rain replied.
"| have finished the chores and my homework. |
thought | would come and see you, as you were
looking worried yesterday," Rain replied.
I thought I would
come and see you.
"Thank you. | appreciate you making the effort
to visit me. | was worried for my mum as she has
been coughing," Kit answered.
"Is she better now?" Rain expresses her concern.
"She is getting better now. She said she has been
busy at work.” Kit informed Rain.
She is getting
"My mum always helps her co-workers. She
always tells me she appreciates how they guided
her when she first joined.” Rain told Kit what her
mum taught her about showing appreciation to
others to build friendships.
“While | have much less than Shine, | am happy
with what my mum provided for me,” Kit told
Lam happy with what
my mum provided me.
Rain.
Shine used to buy new things. While she has
much more than most others, she continues to
do so.
Ping advised Shine to stop the habit and start
appreciating the things she had.
“Ping was right; it helped Shine think about what
she had. Shine changed her bad habits and
appreciated what her parents have for her."
Rain remembered.
“Have you cooked for your family before?” Kit
asked Rain.
Have you cocked for
your family before?
“Once, when my mum told me to help. She asked
if | could cook rice and prepare a simple soup.”
Rain told Kit.
“Were your two younger sisters happy with your
cooking?” Kit was curious.
"My family enjoyed my cooking. They expressed
their appreciation; | was so happy,” Rain said
excitedly.
| | Were your tue younger
sister happy.
My family enjoyed
my cooking,
<<)
Rain continued, "These happy feelings lasted for
a week. Kit, it feels good to be appreciated by
others, especially your loved ones. We must not
take anyone for granted and express our
gratitude and appreciation whenever possible.”
It feels good to
be appreciated..
>
“lam very grateful to my mother. She is a single
mother, and | appreciate whatever she does for
me. While | cannot help much with money, | help
out at home and study hard,” Kit replied.
You are doing
a great job, kit!
"You are doing a great job, Kit! Your mum will also
appreciate your thoughts on this meal!” Rain
said.
“| think she will.
Her appreciation is my new
motivation. | want to learn to cook more dishes
to become the best cook in our group,” Kit
smiled.
1 will practice and
compete with you
Her appreciation
is my new motivation.
“| will practice and compete with you for the
best cook. Do you think our friends want to
compete, too? We can have a competition,” Rain
said.
Rain and Kit started to discuss what they
wanted to learn. They reminded each other to
consider the food's cost, too.
“Rain, how do you feel about having so much
responsibility? You are always helping at home
and caring for your younger sisters. We have our
difficulties with schoolwork, too," Kit asked Rain.
How do you feel about
having so much responsibility?
"My sisters often turn to me for help; I find it
difficult to plan my time well. | need to find time
to have fun, too.” Rain answered Kit.
I need to find time
to have fun, too.
"My mum and | make a point to appreciate one
another for the simplest things we do,” Kit said.
“That is correct. Appreciation is not only for
important issues. It can be for anything
everyone does. We should always express our
appreciation with our hearts." Rain reminded.
It was time for Rain to get home, and she said
goodbye to Kit.
Kits mum arrived home at noon. She looked
happy and smiling as she walked into the house.
“Mum, you looked happy! Anything happened?”
Kit asked Mum.
“Sorry, Kit. | came late. Can you wait?” Mum
went into the kitchen.
Lunch can be
served soon.
“Lunch can be served soon. | have added eggs
and noodles to the chicken soup!” Kit said as she
showed her mum her first attempt at cooking.
"Oh, my sweetie, you cooked this by yourself. It
smells nice." Mum replied.
Kit nodded and asked, "Mum, why do you look so
happy today?”
Oh, my sweetie,
"| spoke to my boss. He is going to give me more
pay because he appreciates my hard work.
He will give me
Kit asked. "Great news, Mum. Will you have more
money soon? Is it common to use money to show
appreciation?"
"For appreciation, we usually do not use money
to thank others. For work, it is different." Mum
answered.
We usually do not
use money to thank...
Mum continued,” My boss knows that | am
working hard as a single mother, and money is
important to me.” Mum explained slowly.
"Oh, is this considered a reward? He sees your
efforts and wants to reward you by working hard
for him." Kit asked.
Oh, is that considered |
a reward?
“Haha, you can say that. Doing more for others
can be a form of appreciation,” Mum explained.
Kit and Mum started to have lunch while they
continued to talk.
Mum was happy that Kit had cooked for her. She
feels it is one of the best meals, as Kit prepares
it with love.
I |
Mum, | wll help
you cook again.
“Mum, | will help you cook again. You can have
your rest.” Kit told her mother.
It was a happy day for Kit and her Mum. They
feel appreciative for what they have done for
one another.
We must learn to appreciate what we have
and the people around us every day.
Appreciation is an important skill that can
help us improve our social connections and
relationship building. We can create positive
feelings for ourselves and others when we show
appreciation. Most people are happy
whenever they see someone else showing
appreciation.
Questions & Answers
We hope you had fun reading the story! Now, let us
see how much you remember and how you can use
what you learned in your everyday life with these
questions.
These questions are made to help you learn more,
and they follow the stages of Bloom's Taxonomy,
like Remembering, Understanding, Applying,
Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.
Remembering:
What did Kit do to show appreciation for her
mum?
Understanding:
Why did Kit want to cook for her mum?
Applying:
How can you practice appreciation in your daily
life?
Questions & Answers
Analyzing:
Why do you think Rain's happy feeling lasted for a
week when her family appreciated her cooking?
Evaluating:
Do you think Kifs mother appreciated Kit for
cooking lunch? Why or why not?
Creating:
What will you start to do to appreciate your
parents more?
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