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 read a single page, get familiar with and used to it, until – hey – books have become friends!
We can make interesting discoveries if we only pay attention. You may enjoy discussing what you see on your way as you walk or drive: “Here is a red car!” “I see clouds, and what do you see?” You could also share and exchange experiences with your toddler: “On my way to work, I saw a lady walking her dog. What did you see today on your way to daycare or back?”
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 could also have your own morning ritual each day. For instance, you could encourage your toddler to bid a beloved stuffed toy farewell: “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 could 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 could 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.
אוהבים לשמוע את אותו השיר שוב ושוב ולהצטרף לפזמון החוזר? – כך גם פעוטות. הם מאזינים למקצבי השירים, לומדים להכיר את המילים ואת החרוזים ומצפים בהתרגשות לחלקים שהם כבר מכירים. והכי חשוב – פעוטות אוהבים לשיר שירים שהם מכירים כי זה פשוט כיף!
תוכלו ללוות את השיר בתנועות. למשל בשיר “בוא אלי פרפר נחמד” אפשר להזמין את הפרפר בתנועת “בוא”, לעופף עם הידיים ולטפוח על כף היד של הפעוט. ואיזו תנועה תתאימו לקוף המתפוצץ מצחוק? או לדב העולה בסולם?
בספר תפגשו בעלי חיים שונים, חלקם מוכרים לפעוטות וחלקם חדשים ומלהיבים. כשאתם פוגשים בבעל חיים בסביבתכם הקרובה תוכלו להפנות את תשומת ליבם של הפעוטות למיוחד בבעל החיים – “לציפור יש מקור”, “הנמלים הולכות בשיירה” או “לחילזון בית על הגב”.
כשקוראים ספר שירים אפשר להתמקד בכל פעם בשיר אחד, לקרוא אותו מספר פעמים או לשיר אם יש לו מנגינה. כדאי להביט יחד באיורים ולראות לאן נמשכת תשומת הלב של הפעוט או הפעוטה. מדי פעם אפשר לשלב שיר נוסף מהספר ולראות אילו תגובות הוא מעורר והאם הוא מהנה ומסקרן.
Toddlers “read the illustrations”. Looking at illustrations teaches toddlers to pay attention to detail, while exposing them to art. You could occasionally ask questions related to the illustration, such as: Where’s the fly? What is the chameleon doing?
While reading, you may want to draw your toddlers’ attention to the main color that appears in the text and illustration. Even if your toddlers do not know the name of these colors yet, they would be delighted to look at the colorful illustrations.
Would you like to have a chameleon that changes its color? Please scan the QR code, print the drawing of the chameleon out on a transparency, and see how it can become colorful, spotted, or even checkered.
Do you have a red ball? What else is red at your house? You may enjoy saying the name of a color, and looking for items of this color together around the house: A cucumber, houseplant, and what other green item can you find?
“I crawl on all fours and change colors like a… chameleon!” take turns deciding on an animal which the parents act out and the toddlers follow suit: “We’re lions, let’s roar!”, “We’re puppies, let’s bark and wag our tails!”
Gali and Gaya love doing stuff together, but also separately. You may want to discuss and discover what your toddlers like to do together with a sibling, friend or you, their parents, and what they prefer doing on their own.
Would you like to play with Gali and Gaya, and dramatize the story? Please scan the QR code, print out two adorable ducks, cut them out, and act the story out with them…!
Like Gali and Gaya, you too could walk together. How about making a trail at home, and marking it with a piece of rope or various items. Next, walk along it in single file, one behind the other, or perhaps together, side by side. You can also take turns being in the lead and exclaiming: “Follow me!”
A sheep, frog or butterfly? You may enjoy looking at the illustrations in this book together, and discovering the various animals. You could make the sound that each oft them makes, or move like them: Flying like a butterfly, buzzing like a bee, or… What else?
Having read this book, you may enjoy a discussion about why, you think, Uncle Simha (Hebrew for joy) is named so. What about the things he does or says that make you smile?
Would you like to hear a story? Go ahead and scan the QR code to listen to the book My Uncle Simha. You may enjoy listening to it together while turning the pages whenever you like.
Which songs make you happy? Perhaps you could make a playlist of all the songs that make your family happy, and sing along together. You could even sing in funny voices – a high-pitched voice, the deepest of basses, or a whisper – adding some dance moves for greater delight.
Take turns asking a question while the other players try to come up with a “confused” response. For example: What’s your favorite drink? Tea with a touch of mustard! What do you do when it rains? Wear sunscreen! What sound do birds make? Where should we go on our next trip?
You can encourage the toddlers to actively join in reading the story. They can complete rhyming words, accompany the conversation between the animals with facial expressions and proper hand gestures, and make the sounds of the animals appearing in the story.
You can ask the toddlers: What do you like to do on Shabbat? If the family has special preparations for Shabbat, it is worthwhile to tell and share them with the toddler
The book features a bee, a turtle, an ant, a chicken, a cow and a rabbit. Ask the toddlers to identify the various animals in the illustrations in the book and accompany each animal with its unique voice or add other characteristic detail: the bee hums, the rabbit bounces, the turtle crawls slowly, and the cow is mooing.
How to make a turtle with the palm of your hand? Close the palm to a fist and hide the thumb inside. Call the turtle out, take out the thumb and wave it hello. You can create a bunch of turtles with all the palms present at home You can also be a turtle yourself and walk slowly on all fours. Are you tired? Get inside to rest in your “home”.
Stories Anat Especially Likes 
And the Cat 
A Little Boy Went to Kindergarten 
All Kinds of Animals and Me 
My Uncle Simha 
Little Peanut 
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
שִׁלּוּב הַסֵּפֶר
שִׁלּוּב הַסֵּפֶר
הַעֲשָׁרָה
מִשְׂחָק
כְּלָלִי
קִשּׁוּר
כְּלָלִי
קְרִיאָה
קְרִיאָה
קְרִיאָה
יְצִירָה
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
מִשְׂחָק
הַשְׁרָאָה
שִׂיחָה
יְצִירָה
מִשְׂחָק
שִׁלּוּב הַסֵּפֶר
סִרְטוֹנִים
שִׂיחָה
כְּלָלִי
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
מִשְׂחָק
הַעֲשָׁרָה
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
חֵקֶר
הַמְחָשָׁה
סִרְטוֹנִים
