הכנסת אורחים

Reading Together

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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.

Towards welcoming Shabbat

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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

Where Are The Animals?

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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.

And Now - A Turtle!

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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”.

Pinterest

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– Pinterest – Crafts, songs and other activities on the “The Shabbat In The Forest” book page in Sifriyat Pijama on Pinterest

Reading and hugging

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While reading a story, you can hug each time a new animal joins the group.  You can also play the hugging game: move away from each other, count “three, four,” and then run to each other, and hug!

It’s crowded but that doesn’t matter!

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Invite the rest of the family to sit together with you on the couch, on the carpet or on a mattress. You can also include dolls or pets. Sit close together, then further away, and check: how pleasant is the closeness?

What sound do I make?

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How does a dog bark? How does a cat meow? and how does a cow moo? –  Toddlers can join can join in to the animals in the story.

Would you like to bring another animal in? And what sound would that animal make?

Sing about cabbage

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“I sat on a cabbage” is a song that you can sing, add movements to, dance to and clap your hands to.

The song will upload when you scan the code:

QR – I Sat On a Cabbage – Scan the code and sing together!

Pinterest

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Pinterest – Crafts, songs and activities on the “I Sat On a Cabbage” book page in Sifriyat Pijama’s Pinterest site.

Discussion

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This story prompts a discussion about neighbors and relationships: You may enjoy asking one another which neighbors you know, and come up with an activity that would help you get to know a family that lives nearby better. You, parents, are welcome to share stories about the neighbors living near your childhood home: Who were they, and what did you do together?

Pleased to meet you – Getting to know your neighbors

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You could, perhaps, prepare something together to give to your neighbors: It could be something to eat, a drawing, or a letter that you could leave by the door. You could even just visit them and ask them how they are doing. And the simplest suggestion of all: Smile when you see your neighbors, and say: “Hi, how are you?” and “Have a great day!”

Fun at home

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The characters in this book do lots of fun things at Yael’s house! You could look at the illustrations, choose an activity that interests you, and do it yourself, or with the rest of your family.

A home of your own

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The children in this book make a building out of boxes. You can do the same! Find different-sized boxes and build a home from them for yourselves or your toys. Don’t forget to invite your neighbors over to visit!

Pinterest

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Pinterest – Pinterest – Doors, neighbors, and arts & crafts are on the Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door page on the PJLibrary Pinterest.ּ

A childhood song – The Little Bunny [HaShafan HaKatan]

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This book was inspired by the well-known children’s song The Little Bunny [HaShafan HaKatan] by Binyamin Caspi. You may want to ask your child which children’s song this story reminds them of, and then sing and dance together.

Do you have any other favorite children’s songs? You could create a family songbook, and select one to sing together from time to time. You too may be inspired to write a story about it.

Where are you in this story?

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Reading both words and illustrations – You may enjoy taking turns reading this book to one another: you can read the words to your child, and then have them tell you the story using the illustrations.

Our table – draw an empty table and choose who to invite over: it can be family and friends, real or imaginary, favorite toys, or characters in books. What would you serve your guests? What do you think would happen when they all meet one another?

Inviting people round

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Having a friend visit us is exciting. You may want to prepare for the visit together and discuss how to welcome this friend, how to pass the time together when they get here, and what to do if each of you prefers to do something else.

Kind words in our family

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The bunny’s friends thank him, and he uses kind words when speaking to them, like “please”, “so glad you came over”, and “bon appetit!”. When you sit together for a family meal, you could take turns saying kind words to each other: the first begins by giving the one on their right a compliment; the second compliments the third, and so on. The compliment can be about something nice they had done, a good quality they have, having behaved pleasantly, or any other positive thing you can think of. If you look for it, you’ll be sure to find it…

פינטרסט

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suggestions for game cards and arts & crafts can be found on the PJLibrary Pinterest page.

Proposed Family Activities:

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• You may want to act out the story using puppets, and invite each character to explain how they ended up being friends.

• There are two illustrations of the house in the final pages of the book. You may want to ask your child if they can spot the difference between them. What’s been added to the second illustration?

• Is there a teacup, piece of furniture, or photograph that’s been in your family for a long time? Perhaps there is an interesting story associated with this item. If so, you may enjoy sharing it with your child.

• Your child may like to draw your home and loved ones. Together, you can make a frame for their drawing, and hang it up on the wall.

• Have new neighbors come to your neighborhood recently? Perhaps you know new Olim who have arrived in Israel not too long ago? You may want to make a greeting card for them in the spirit of this book, and print the word “welcome!” on it.

• Where does your family originate from? Perhaps you could open an atlas, and show your child the journey made by your family on their way to Israel. You may want to tell your child about your own childhood home, and show them photographs of homes in which you have lived over the years.

Activities You Can Do at Home

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• Flip through the pages of the book together and ask your children to tell you the story in their own words, using the illustrations as guides.You may also choose dolls or stuffed animals to represent Aliza and her friends, and enact the story together.

• Everyone feels lazy at times. You can discuss this together: when do we find it hard to do things? Maybe it’s when we first get out of bed in the morning, or when we have to do chores we don’t like?

• Sometimes young children are actually mature enough to perform certain tasks by themselves, but they don’t do sobecause they’reaccustomed to getting help. You and your children could brainstorm about which tasks you tend to do for them—and then choose one task that they can now do all by themselves. Be sure to give them positive feedback when they show you how independent they can be!

• Who are Aliza the duck’s friends? Who are your children’s friends? And who are your friends? Think of the things that Aliza and her friends enjoy doing together, and then share how you spend time with your friends, and have your children tell you what they like to do with their own friends.

• You could bake a cake together and invite friends over for a tea party, just as Aliza the duck and her friends do at the end of the story.

• If you know the fable: “The Grasshopper and the Ant,” you could tell it to your children.

We hope you enjoy reading and discussing together this book!

Family Activities:

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1. If you carefully follow the text and illustrations of the story, you will surely note the different paths taken by the words and the pictures. Read the story again with your child. Each time you arrive at the sentence “Meanwhile, Hannah Banana rushed on her way…” ask your children to describe what they see in the picture. Is Hannah Banana really rushing? What does she do and whom does she meet along the way to Granny’s house?
2. Did you notice the cat who accompanies Hannah Banana on her way to Granny’s house? You can ask your child to point out the cat on each page, and ask them how they think Granny will greet him when he arrives at her house.
3. You can play the finger game “One Little Piggy” with your child. According to the story, who “had none” at the end of the rhyme?
4. Hannah Banana’s Granny Cooked Porridge is actually two stories that happen at the same time. You can act out the stories with your child. First ask your child to be Hannah Banana on her way to grandmother’s house, while you pretend to be Granny. Then you can change roles. If other family members or friends are with you, they can be included in the skit as well and take on the roles of the neighbors.
5. “To each his own”: At the end of the story we discover that Hannah Banana doesn’t even like porridge! You can ask your children if they believe this, and discuss which foods they like in particular and what they don’t really like.
6. You can explain to your children that “Hannah Banana” is a nickname. Do your children have a nickname or a special name that only some people use when addressing them? If so, do they like their nickname?

Here is a simple recipe for delicious, sweet porridge:

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Ingredients: 1 cup water, 2 cups milk, 3-4 tablespoons semolina, 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, butter

Preparation: Cook the water, milk, semolina and sugar over a low flame, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil.  The porridge is ready when the mixture is boiling and the semolina is cooked.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and add a dab of butter. Bon Appetite!

Activities You Can Do at Home: 

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• “Who is respected? Those who respect their fellow creatures” (Pirkei Avot 4:1).The wedding guests learn an important lesson from Marco about treating people with respect. In keeping with the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” you could talk with your children about external and internal qualities. Together, you might discuss traits and characteristics of the different members of your family, emphasizing the importance of treating every person with respect regardless of how he or she looks or is dressed.
• You might flip through the book together and compare the illustrations where Marco is simply dressed to those where he is wearing his elegant silk coat. Does “Marco remain Marco”?
• While reading the story, you could linger over the page where Marco “feeds” his coat food from the wedding feast. Does this illustration make your children laugh? Do you find it funny? You could ask your children why they think Marco decided to put food in his coat pockets.
• The story describes how the Jews of North Africa used to celebrate joyful life cycle occasions. You could talk with your children about weddings and other celebrations in your community today. How do you dress for them? What foods do you eat? Are there any special songs and dances associated with these events? Have your children ever taken part in a wedding or other life cycle celebration? See if you can find photographs from past happy occasions, and recall details from a wedding or other celebration in which you took part.
• You could dramatize the tale using puppets or stuffed animals, or put on a skit based on the story. Make sure to find appropriate costumes: some ragged outfits, dark make-up, fancy wedding clothes, an elegant coat, and so on.

• “When you eat the labor of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you” (Psalm 128:2). Marco works as a coal-seller—a job that barely paid enough to eat, and one that no longer exists. You could tell your children about coal, how people used to heat their homes with it, and how the job of coal-seller was regarded in society. Then you can ask your children what jobs or professions they know. If you like, you could tell them about the work that you do. What do you love about your work? What gives you satisfaction?

Family Activities

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Colored words are woven into the text of the story.  Show your child the colored words and try to guess why the designer chose these colors. Who do the pink words describe? Which colors depict the words for “cake” and “strawberries”? Ask your child to help “read” the story with you by joining in with the colored words that they can identify.

“How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together” – Sometimes, sitting alongside strangers (on the bus, at the playground, on line at the supermarket) can turn into a pleasant example of “brethren dwelling together”. You can think back to situations when you met new people in such a setting, who helped you pass the time. For instance, perhaps someone helped you lower the stroller down a flight of stairs or offered your child a snack while waiting for the doctor.  Perhaps there were children who shared the swings at the playground.  All these help illustrate the positive side of “brethren dwelling together”.

The two grandmothers both love Avigail.  You might suggest that your child draw a picture of Avigail, surrounded by all those who love her.  They can then draw a picture of themselves and all those who love them!

Tsila and Gila’s car goes through tunnels and over bridges.  Together with your child, you can create a make-believe track for the car within your home, “set out for your journey” and stop to pick up passengers along the side of the road who need help. Remember: In Tsila and Gila’s car, only the cake is not fastened in with a seat belt.  Be sure all your passengers are strapped in when riding in the car!

Does your child like to travel? Ask your child about journeys he or she has taken, real or imagined: Where did they go, who joined them, what happened along the way? We invite you to send your stories and drawings to the Sifriyat Pijama website: www.pjisrael.org.

Did you ever set out for a journey, get lost, and find yourselves in a new and surprising place? This is a good opportunity to tell your children about your adventure. Be sure to describe about any disappointment or frustration your felt when you lost your way, and then the positive experience you had at the end.

“This too is for the best”: A sudden halt brings an end to the comfortable trip.  All the drivers and passengers are disappointed with the traffic jam. If you go through the book, you can discover unpleasant situations that turned into happy occurrences.

Not everyone likes changes in plans. Do you have a special way to help yourselves and your child to accept changes?  “Chutes and Ladders” is a board game in which surprises can cause set-backs (when going down a chute), but also be pleasing (when climbing up a ladder).  You can create your own game “On the way to the birthday party”, along the lines of Chutes and Ladders. The chutes will appear whenever there is a delay in the journey, and the ladders will represent the happy surprises on the way.

One way to provide encouragement when things doing go as expected is to make a “This Too Is For The Best” sign.  You can write the proverb and invite your child to decorate it.  Be sure to hang the sign in a visible spot in the house, to remind you that even unexpected things can turn out for the best.

The cute puppy found a welcoming home, and Avigail received a perky gift for her birthday! You can make finger puppets of Avigail and the dog: Draw or copy the characters from the book onto a piece of paper, and attach them to your fingers by stapling together the edges of the reverse side of the paper. The puppy can share his adventures in the car with Avigail, and she can tell him how she passed the time while waiting for her grandmothers to arrive.

All’s well that ends well: The granddaughter and her two grandmothers celebrate her birthday with tea and cake (and the puppy enjoys himself too, in his own way).  You too can make a small tea party and invite over friends who want to share in experiencing “how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together”.  Be sure to sing together in Hebrew “Hineh ma tov u-ma na’im shevet achim gam yachad”.

Activities to do at home

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• At the start of the story, Grandpa is sad and lonely, but the guests who come to visit him cheer him up. Are your children always happy when their friends visit? Discuss what gives them pleasure and what might be hard for them whenthey entertain guests.
• “A Person’s giving eases his way” – Grandpa’s circle of happiness grows wider and wider as each guest arrives. Even the illustrations in this book bring this point home. Together with your child, you can leaf through the pages of the book and notice how the small circle grows—and how, at the end of the story, it shrinks back down to its original size.
• Turn the story into a play, using toys and dolls. Together with your children, decide which doll will play Grandpa and which dolls will play the guests who come to visit. Tell the story in your own words. You can also continue the story yourselves, imagining what happens after the guests say good-bye to Grandpa and return home.
• Grandpa enjoys a visit from his grandchildren: “For no particular reason, on a weekday, my granddaughter comes over to eat.” Talk with your children about who visits your family, and what you like to do together with them. Do you have set times for such visits, or special customs for entertainingguests? Maybe there’s a special dish you serve to your guests, fancy plates and glasses you use, or a designated room you use to entertain your visitors?
• Many children love to help preparefor entertaining guests. You can work together on hand-made invitations, fold napkins for the table, or draw a welcome sign for the front door.
• Hospitality in Abraham’s tent: After reading the book, you could tell your children the biblical story of Abraham and then suggest they make their own “tent” by spreading a blanket over some chairs. They can sit in the tent and receive their friends as their guests—playing together and serving them a snack they’ve prepared themselves.
• Just like Grandpa in the story, you too can make soup and serve it to your guests. Maybe your children will also want to invite some of their friends who haven’t visited your home before?

                            Grandpa’s Soup Recipe:

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Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, mashed

4 carrots

3 squash (zucchini or marrow)

Vegetable oil

3 potatoes

2 cups cubed pumpkin

1 bunch of celery

1 bunch of parsley or coriander

Salt, pepper, turmeric

Directions:

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a pot with a littleoil on medium low heat until golden.
2. Cut the squash, potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin into cubes and add to the pot. Stir.
3. Chop the parsley (or coriander) and the celery and add them to the pot. Stir.
4. Add seasonings and stir.Continue stirring until all the vegetables have been cooked and softened a bit.
5. Add boiling water – twice the volume of the vegetables – and cook till the vegetables are completely soft.
6. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Bon Appetit – Bete’avon!