כל סוף הוא התחלה חדשה! התחלה חדשה יכולה להלהיב ולרגש, אך לרוב היא מלווה בסיום של מצב מוכר ובטוח, בפרידה, באתגר או בהסתגלות מדורגת. סיפורים על התחלה חדשה חושפים בפנינו קשת רגשות רחבה ויכולים לסייע לילדים הזקוקים לכך, תוך הזדהות רגשית עם הדמויות ועם המתרחש איתן בסיפור.
You can share experiences from your own transitions with your child, or recall a shared transition together. You can ask the children how they think the girl felt when she first arrived at the short house, how they would have felt in her shoes, and what they would have told her had they met her.
Take a short walk near your home, during the day or in the evening, try to be as quiet as you can and notice – Do we see any animals around? Can we hear any special sounds? What is the difference between the animals we see and hear in daytime, and those who come out at night?
Draw a house together, taking turns to add details to your drawing. Let your imagination and creativity run wild, anything is possible in this house. Perhaps the windows in your house will be star-shaped? Maybe the door will be made out of flowers? You can even have a waterslide sticking out of the roof! When you finish, you can imagine what it will be like to live in this new house you have created.
Books written from the protagonist’s point of view invite us to take a closer look at the way others experience the world.
A glimpse into the world of others can make us identify with their feelings and emotions, discover that there are others who experience things the way we do, and cultivate empathy as well as sensitivity toward others.
What would you have said to Nino had you met her during her first few days in Israel? How would you have spoken to her? How would you have cheered her up? Have you ever encountered difficulties communicating with someone? Have you ever felt that no one understands you? What other ways are there to communicate when words are not enough?
Scan the code to hear the story on the “Sifriyat Pijama” podcast. Did you know this podcast helps children from immigrant families listen to books when at home.
What is the view from your window? How would you describe it to a friend who lives in another country? You can look out your window at home and describe what you see in words, movement or art.
Try listening to a children’s song in another language together. You can move to the rhythm of the music, guess what the song is about, or make up your own lyrics.
Reading books from a young age contributes greatly to toddlers’ development. Starting to read slowly and gradually is recommended. At first, toddlers may be allowed to connect to the book in their own way: Touch it, open and close it, look at the illustrations, and become curious. Later, you can read: Read a little each day, patiently and calmly. Some toddlers will prefer to be read a single page, get familiar with it until – hey – books have become their friends!
We can make interesting discoveries if we only pay a little attention. You may enjoy discussing what you see as you walk or take a drive: “Here is a red car!” “I see clouds. What do you see?” You can also share experiences with your toddler: “On my way to work today, I saw a lady walking her dog. What did you see on your way or back from daycare?”
Like the boy in the book, all toddlers enjoy rituals that generate a fixed routine, calm them down, and help them start their day feeling good and happy. You can also have your own morning ritual. For example, you can encourage your toddler to say good-bye a beloved stuffed toy: “Teddy, Teddy, I’m going to Kindergarten, goodbye!”, while you parents reply on behalf of the bear: “Goodbye! See you later! Have a safe journey!”
Many animals appear in the book. You can look at them together, and state their names, make the relevant sounds, and mimic their movements: Crow like a rooster, hop like a bunny, or gallop and neigh like a horse. You can also look at the illustrations on the final page, cover one of the animals each time, make the relevant sound or mimic its movements, and have your toddler guess which animal it is.
How do we turn books into friends? Reading from a young age contributes greatly to toddlers’ development. We suggest starting slowly, gradually, and age-appropriately: Some toddlers will want to touch the book, open and close it, or even “taste” it. You can then read a little, patiently and enjoyably. You can start by reading one page, and, as you get used to it, add more pages, until, hey – books have become friends!
While reading, you can emphasize the words good morning using a special voice and welcoming gesture. Invite toddlers to join in, follow the story, and take an active part in the reading. You can create your own good morning greetings: “Good morning kitchen chair!” “Good morning tree on our street!”, “Good morning, Bobby the dog!”
For toddlers, everything can be a teachable moment. Time spent together going to or from daycare provides an opportunity to observe what attracts toddlers’ attention: Is it ants walking in a row? A large truck? Or perhaps a flock of birds?
Look together and let the toddler find: Where is the bird? Is it on additional pages? Who accompanies the child to kindergarten? How do we get to kindergarten – by bicycle, walking or some other way? Who wears a hat and where is the dog?
Look at the last page and ask: “What are the children in kindergarten doing? What do you like to do at the nursery?”
Ask: Where to, where to? And each time choose a different place: To… The bath, the balcony, or to… The playground? Go together to the place you’ve chosen, hug each other and then say aloud: Where to, where to? To… the next place!
This book is based on a true story. Perhaps your child could read it with a member of an older generation, such as a grandparent, uncle or aunt. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if by doing so, you will learn some family stories you had not heard before? It may be advisable to make an audio, video or hand-written record of them!
You may enjoy leafing through the book together and pointing out signs of the time that have been incorporated into the illustrations. Perhaps you could look for old photographs of family members at home, and focus on the clothes, hair styles, and various objects they had back in their homelands.
Where has your family come from? How many generations has your family been living in Israel? You may want to open an atlas, place some tracing or parchment paper on top of the world map, and draw arrows on it to mark the journey made by your family before coming to Israel. You could also use online software, such as Google Maps, to take a virtual tour of your family members’ homelands.
Do you also have a personal or family dream? It may be fun for each member of your family to write down their dream on a piece of paper, insert it into an empty bottle, and seal it with a cork or top. You can return to your bottles in a year, and check whether the dreams you wrote came true.
The new olim in this book have different customs, languages, and clothes. Sometimes, different customs, clothes, and traditions can be found within the same family. How about teaching your children some words in their grandparents’ mother tongue? Or reminding one another of your special family traditions and songs.
The two new olim in the book sing a liturgic song together, originating in Psalms and found in the Hallel prayer:
“בצאת ישראל ממצרים בית יעקב מעם לועז…”
Do you know the tune to this song? How about singing it together? You could also look up other tunes online at www.zemereshet.co.il.
You can flip through the book together with your children, looking at OraAyal’s heartwarming illustrations and pointing out each of the occasions on which the blanket helped Maya. You might ask your children what they think made the blanket change its size as the story went along.
Like Maya, many children have a “lovey” (rag, blanket, pacifier, stuffed animal, or doll) that they take with them everywhere. Talk with your children about the strong attachment Maya feels for her “Blankie,” and share your own experiences: When you were young, did you have a favorite object to which you were particularly attached? Do your children have one? Perhaps you, too, want to embark on a “journey” with the item and do some growing with its support.
Maya really wants to be four years old already. You could ask your children if there are things “big kids” do that “little kids” don’t. Together you could make an illustrated listof your children’s achievements and capabilities: things they know how to do today andcouldn’t do a year ago, and what they would like to be able to do when they are older.
You might discuss special occasions throughout the year: holidays, the first or last day of school, important events in the life of your family. How do you mark all these occasions? Do you recite the Shehehiyanublessing, and if so – when?
How does your family celebrate birthdays? Maya’s story underlines the point that maturity is measured not only by how old you are, but also by your actions. After reading the story, you might add a new custom to your family birthday celebrations—one that will give your children a chance to display their new-found maturity. You could suggest that they choose a toy, an item of clothing, or a doll or stuffed animal that they no longer need “because they’re big,” and give it away to a younger child.
You could also hold a birthday party for one of your children’s dolls or stuffed animals – plan the party, make decorations, sing songs… everything you do for a birthday!
Young children’s perception of time is not yet fully developed, and many children, like Maya, ask, “When will…?” Working together, you could design a weekly calendar showing all the days of the week, and then mark each passing day with a small picture or sticker.
The Tall House and the Short House 
My Window is Here 
A Young Boy Went to Kindergarten 
Good Morning! 
Where to, Where to? To kindergarten! 
Barefoot in the Sand 
Journey to Age Four 
