Happily Ever Resilient - by Stephanie Goloway (Paperback)

About the Book

"In Happily Ever Resilient, Dr. Stephanie Goloway uses current trauma research and beloved multicultural variants of classic children's fairytales to create joyful, playful learning experiences for young children"--

Book Synopsis

All children deserve the tools to fight off whatever dragons they encounter and move happily through life.

In Happily Ever Resilient Dr. Stephanie Goloway uses current trauma research and beloved multicultural variants of classic children's fairytales to create joyful, playful learning experiences for young children.

Part one of the book covers why using fairytales in early childhood classrooms supports resilience and literacy in all children, especially important for children who have experienced trauma and toxic stress, including those living with family substance use disorders. Part two covers how to do this. Each chapter includes

Story Magic: information about the fairytale and its multicultural variants, how the story connects with the protective factors of resilience, and suggestions for storytelling and storyacting

Caring Magic: activities that help children make connections with each other and adults in their lives, related to the story

Doing Magic: suggestions for adapting classroom learning centers to support children's engagement with both the fairytale and resilience, along with projects that promote initiative and executive functions

Superpower Magic: activities, songs, and games related to the story that foster self-regulation as well as ways the story can be used to support calm, integrated transitions and routines

By tapping into the extraordinary magic of fairytales early childhood educators can create the ordinary magic of resilience.

Review Quotes

Happily Ever Resilient is a delightful exploration of the connections between science and storytelling. Goloway beautifully connects our scientific understanding of resilience to the messages embedded in classic fairy tales. The book provides creative, actionable ways for early childhood care providers to use these stories to foster the elements of resilience in young children. Goloway's approach acknowledges the ever-increasing curricular demands placed on early childhood care providers, and gives educators a myriad of ways to consider infusing these stories into various elements of their practice. Goloway's passion for the power of fairy tales inspires readers to become resilient heroes and to creatively share these tales to strengthen resilience in the next generation.

--Sara Langworthy, PhD, Author of Bridging the Relationship Gap: Connecting with Children Facing Adversity

Happily Ever Resilient reminds educators of the importance of fairy tales and how these fairy tales teach important life lessons. Each chapter of the book provides essential information on building caring and positive interactions that help children develop resilience. However, my favorite parts of the book are the practical resources, activities, and ideas that educators of any age or grade level can utilize to build a program's curriculum. This book brings back the magic of childhood. Let the magic begin!

--Debra L. Lawrence, President, American Association for Promoting the Child's Right to Play; Associate Professor, Delaware County Community College

Here is a wonderful argument and multiple examples of how traditional stories, fairy tales (as in this book), myths, and folklore provide road maps for emotional and intellectual development. In Happily Ever Resilient, Stephanie Goloway gives teachers a detailed template of activities to release the power of story time. While directed at early childhood educators, Goloway's explanations and examples will provide inspiration to any adult for building their own imaginative and educational interactions harnessing the power of play. Particularly in these very stress-filled times, this book reaffirms how the old stories become new again as each child sets off on their own life journey, meeting monsters, coming to crossroads, and summoning the magic powers of resilience.

--Gerald Fierst, author and storyteller

In Happily Ever Resilient, Stephanie Goloway masterfully connects the hopeful, healing message of resilience with storytelling. She beautifully shows how stories that engage children's imaginations can also provide a foundation to strengthen key protective factors that promote children's resilience. Teachers who want to better understand how the ordinary magic of resilience can come alive in the classroom should start by reading this important new resource.

--Susan Damico, MA, Director, Devereux Center for Resilient Children

Sometimes a book comes along that from the moment you lay eyes on it makes your heart flutter. Happy Ever Resilient is one such treat. Exploring fairytales, resilience, and the work of Vivian Gussin Paley, it offers a blueprint on how to get the most out of these powerful components in your classroom. The book is rich in practical ideas alongside an abundance of information on why fairytales connect with us at such a visceral level. Follow the breadcrumbs and you will uncover the magic.

--Trisha Lee, founder and artistic director, MakeBelieve Arts and Helicopter Stories

This book takes well known fairy tales to help children grow and deepen their resilience. Brilliantly crafted, here's a treasure trove of fun and simple activities, such as play, the arts, movement, and storytelling to make a real difference in children's lives.

--Jerry Moe, MA, Emeritus National Director of Children's Programs, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

What a creative but practical book for early childhood educators! Goloway not only examines the ways trauma affects young children but presents developmentally appropriate approaches to promote resilience into child-centered, literacy-rich curricula through fairy tales and storytelling. Goloway also offers activities that support children to act on their ideas, persist in problem-solving, and supports their agency in activities. Other supporting information and additional resources are presented. It is a timely book!

--Dr. Don Yarosz, Department of Early Childhood Education, Walden University

With a woosh of her wand and a trail of glitter, Stephanie Goloway transforms the classic fairy tales all children have grown up hearing into tools for learning and emotional support. Using both research and whimsy, the author shows educators how to make these well-loved stories resources for helping young children recover from trauma, amass the protective factors that lead to healthy development, and become shining examples of the resilience that all children need. Here's the magic you've been looking for.

--Laura J. Colker, EdD, co-author of Trauma & Young Children: Teaching Strategies to Support & Empower; Making Lemonade: Teaching Young Children to Think Optimistically; and The Creative Curriculum for Preschool.

About the Author

Stephanie Goloway is a lifelong advocate for the power of the imagination, play, and storytelling. She is a professor emeritus of early education and child development at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Goloway holds an EdD in Early Childhood from Walden University.