ספרים רבים מתארים אתגרים מחיי היום-יום של הפעוטות: הקושי לחלוק, הקושי להיפרד, אתגר המעבר מיום ללילה, ועוד רבים אחרים. כאשר מזהים שהפעוט מתמודד עם אתגר, כדאי לבחור ספר שעוסק בנושא ולקרוא יחד. הספר מזמין לשתף בתחושות ובחוויות.
אפשר לשוחח על הדברים שמשותפים לכל בני הבית לעומת הדברים ששייכים לכל אחד בנפרד. למשל: “לכל אחד יש מברשת שיניים משלו – איך נראית מברשת השיניים שלך?”, “הבית הוא של כולנו ביחד, מי גר בבית שלנו?”
תוכלו להמחיז את הספר בעזרת בובות של חיות וליהנות יחד: החליפו ביניכם את הבובות בהתאם לשיר, ובמשפט החוזר “אז תכף נהיה שותפים בכל הדברים היפים” תוכלו להחזיק ביחד בבובה, ולהדגים מה זו שותפות.
חתול, יונה, צב, כלבלב וגוזל – כולם בספר אחד! אפשר להתבונן באיורים, לבחור יחד חיה, לחקות את הקול שלה ולהתנהג כמוה לפי התיאור שבספר. למשל אם בוחרים בצב “עם בית שלם על הגב” – אפשר להניח כרית על הגב וללכת על ארבע. ואיך מכשכש הכלבלב עם הכתם בזנב?
You can find something to like in every book: The drama, the characters, or maybe the illustrations or interesting words. After reading the book, try asking the children what they liked about the story, and share what you, the parents, enjoyed. You can even tell each other which books you especially like and why.
Peetz and Morchella are spending time together. She’s growing vegetables and he’s nurturing them. In the meantime, they are chatting, singing, and simply enjoying their time together. You can ask the children what they like doing with friends. What do they do together? As parents, this is a good opportunity to reminisce with your children and share your experiences and memories with childhood friends.
Cabbage? Kohlrabi? – Thirteen types of edible vegetables appear in the book. Can you find them all? You may want to eat your favorite vegetables or try new vegetables.
So, who are you, Morchella? If you scan the code, you’ll learn about the morchellas that sprout up in Israel each winter. Do you want to learn more? Go to the library together or surf the internet and look for information on morchellas and other mushrooms.
You can grow vegetables, even if you don’t have a plot of land. Try taking a cut carrot top, cloves of garlic, or the bottoms of lettuce or celery, and soak them in a transparent container with water. Wait patiently, add more water if needed, and little by little, you will see leaves and roots sprout. You can cut them off and eat them, or plant them in a flowerpot, and wait for new vegetables to grow. Don’t forget to water them!
Children identify with the characters in this book, and acquire a better understanding of others who are not the same as them, thereby developing empathy and adaptability to new situations. While reading, you may want to focus on the characters’ facial expressions and ask: How do you think they feel? And why?
You could discuss and ask: With whom and what do you like to play? In your opinion, what should we do when we each want to play a different game? Which solutions can we suggest?
Sitting, jumping, or perhaps bending down? Take turns choosing a page in the book, and showing the others a movement or posture similar to that of the characters depicted on it. The other players can then imitate the movement or posture, and look for the right page in the book. Did you find it? Then it is now time for the next player to choose a page.
Write down the names of games you like to play together on separate notes: Ball, hide-and-seek, or maybe catch? Put all the notes in a box, and choose one at random each day. What does it say? Would you like to play this game together? If not, you can always take another note out of the box, or add a new note suggesting a new game to the box.
Toddlers like to be part of the story: Repeating words and sounds found in the book, or dramatizing the actions taken by the different characters. It is their way of identifying with the story, enriching their emotional worlds, and acquiring vocabulary and concepts. That is why, when reading together, you could “play” the trumpet, “beat” on a drum using your hands, and pretend you’re a choir conductor.
Gilly finds a job that suits her as the conductor of the orchestra. Following her decision, you too can discuss your toddlers’ roles at home: What can they do and what do they want to do? Pick up their toys? Sweep the floor? Help set the table for dinner?
Almost any item can become a musical instrument: You could clap together to the rhythm of the song, or collect any instruments, rattles, and utensils you can find. A pot with spoons can be a drum, a used roll of paper towels can be a trumpet. You could even try to tap various materials to find out what kinds sounds tapping wood makes? And what about tapping the floor? Or metal? You may enjoy picking one of your favorite songs and playing it together.
Are your toddlers conductors? While listening to your favorite music together, you could hold a small stick and “conduct”. Perhaps you could dance to the music, acting out the various instruments, and switch roles from time to time.
Your children’s favorite stuffed animals and other toy animals can also be part of the story: Add or omit one each time as you act the story out together.
The Boy Who Wouldn’t Sleep Alone
שְׁמִירָה
Playing a game of ‘Who is sleeping under the blanket?’
Ask your toddlers to close their eyes, and hide a stuffed or other toy animal under the blanket. When they open their eyes, you, parents, can give them hints as to the identity of the hidden animal, until your toddlers guess what it is. Does it bark? Does it hop around and eat carrots? You could also switch roles, letting your toddlers give you, parents, hints about who is hiding there, underneath the blanket.
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?
How does yearning feel? Have you ever missed someone? Who? – This book is an opportunity for a discussion during which you, parents, can share your own experiences of missing someone and waiting for their return.
Pupik misses his father, and Ohad knows exactly how he feels. They share their feelings, and think of things they could do while missing someone. You may want to scan this QR code to watch them, and get some good advice for times when you miss others.
Does it feel like time is standing still while you are missing someone who is away? – You may want to make a box filled with items that could make time go by faster, and make you forget about that person’s absence for a while. How about putting some photos of the two of you in it, materials with which to make a gift or a drawing for them, which you could give to them upon their return?
A minute can go by very quickly, or it can almost stand still. Would you like to try? – Set your timer for one minute, choose an activity, and do it for a full minute: Hopping on one leg, sitting still, finding items beginning with the letter G – Which activity helped time pass by faster? And which activity made it go by extra slowly?
We recommend reading the book on your own, before reading it together as a family. Familiarizing yourself with the book in advance will help you read it afterwards at the pace and sequence suitable for your children. Enjoy reading this book together!
Have you ever had to wait for something? Perhaps you could share that experience, and tell each other about anticipation. You could also come up with ideas together of what you could do while waiting, or tell each other what you chose to do in those instances while you waited. What happened in the end?
Look at the final illustrations in this book. Can you find any indications for the birthday party the wolf had almost missed? And which presents did the bunny get? And what was special about the wolf’s gift?
Leaf through this book and decide the order of play. Take turns looking at the illustration you have each selected and acting out the depicted wolf’s motion: Is it going up in the elevator? Or walking on all fours? The other players will have to guess what the wolf is doing.
Have you ever lost anything you found important? How did you feel and what did you do? Perhaps you’ve found someone else’s lost item… This book invites children as well as parents to share their childhood experiences of losing and finding lost items.
Shabi and Uzza from the Israeli children’s television show Parpar Nechmad are also returning lost items to their owners. Scan the code to watch the video.
Pick an item and take turns hiding it and having the other players look for it. You can help each other by giving clues such as “hot and cold” or a treasure map. Did you find it? Now it’s someone else’s turn – hide, search and find.
There are lost ads on the first few pages of the book. You may enjoy looking for amusing and surprising ones together to share with the rest of your family. Among them is one found ad – are you able to locate it?
Do you also have little friends visiting your home? Are they imaginary friends, or maybe a beloved doll? It is worthwhile to talk about it with the toddlers and hear what do they like doing with the little friend. You can “bring in” the little friend to join and read the story.
The story is slightly longer than usual, and in order to arouse interest and curiosity it is recommended telling it in a variety of voices: a voice for Dad, a voice for Yaeli and a different voice for Mom and for Elik Belik. You can look together at the illustrations and invite the toddlers to participate in the identification of details and repeat the words “Elik Belik”.
Where’s the doll? On the table? maybe underneath it? And where’s the ball? You can hide various objects, look for them and then say: “The ball is on the chair”, “The ball is under the bed”. You can also hide yourselves and look for each other.
Dad has big shoes, Mom’s shoes – they are less big, Yaeli has little shoes, and Elik Belik’s? Tiny shoes! Go on a journey throughout the house, collect items of the same type and arrange them from the smallest to the biggest.
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!
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?
You may enjoy sitting comfortably, looking at the tender illustrations, and identifying the various ways in which Bear helps his friends. Perhaps you could ask your child to tell you the story by the sequence of illustrations, or imagine what story Bear was going to tell his friends before winter came along. You may also enjoy inventing another Bear story, and illustrating it together.
Bear is a good friend, who realizes what his friends need, and helps them. You may want to remind one another how you have helped each other throughout the day. You could choose a family member, neighbor or kindergarten friend, and think together about something they may need a hand with, and how to lend it to them.
Have you ever forgotten what you wanted to say? You could play charades together. Try to remind one another of shared experiences using familiar songs, hand gestures, or drawings.
You may want to allocate a corner of your child’s bedroom to serve as a winter corner for their stuffed animals. Perhaps you would enjoy using pillows and blankets to make burrows or caves for comfy, cozy hibernation.
Bear turns his experience into a story to tell his friends. You may enjoy making a little book together entitled The Day we have had, and fill it with drawings of the experiences you had today. You could read the book together before bedtime.
Is your child always asking for one more story during bedtime? You could place a small box or basket by their bed, containing some of their favorite books, for your child to look at on their own after saying good night. You may want to go through the basket every once in a while, and select new books with which to fill it together.
You may enjoy taking a walk in your neighborhood together, collecting colorful fallen leaves, and making prints out of them: place a piece of paper over a leaf, and color over it using red, orange and brown crayons. Hang your leaf prints around the house.
ספרי ילדים הם מראה וחלון לעולמם של ילדים. אפשר למצוא בהם את רגעי הקסם שבילדות וגם את רגעי הקושי. הקריאה בספרים שגיבורי הסיפור בהם נתקלים בשאלות ובאתגרים מאפשרת לילדים ללמוד מהם ולקבל מהם השראה ועידוד. כאשר קוראים יחד כדאי לחשוב כיצד הספר קשור לעולמם של הילדים ולשתף באירועים דומים מילדותכם. הקריאה המשותפת היא בסיס לשיחה ולחיבור ומייצרת הרגשת קִרבה, לאירועי הספר וזה לזה.
קרמר החתול אוהב לשחק במשחקים של חתולים, וגם אתם יכולים! בכל סבב אחד מבני המשפחה בוחר לקפוץ, להתגלגל, ליילל או להרים זנב, וכל השאר מצטרפים. תוכלו להביט באיורים ולקבל רעיונות חתוליים. ..
כאשר מביטים באיורים בספר מגלים כל מיני חיות: כאלה שמכירים מהסביבה הקרובה וכאלה שפוגשים פחות. חפשו את בעלי החיים באיורים; ואם יש חיה שמסקרנת אתכם, תוכלו לחפש עליה מידע במרשתת.
מאיר שלו [2023-1948] היה סופר ועיתונאי, כתב למבוגרים ולילדים. שלו נולד בנהלל וקיבל השראה לכתיבתו מהנופים, מבעלי החיים ומהאנשים של עמק יזרעאל. הושפע גם מסיפורי התנ”ך, שעליהם למד מאביו הסופר והמחנך יצחק שלו. שלו נחשב אחד הסופרים הישראלים הנקראים ביותר, למבוגרים ולילדים כאחד. מספרי הילדים האהובים שכתב הטרקטור בארגז החול ואבא עושה בושות.
יוסי אבולעפיה [נולד ב־1946] מאייר, קריקטוריסט, אנימטור וכותב ספרי ילדים. זכה בפרסים רבים על יצירותיו. אבולעפיה אייר את רוב ספריו של מאיר שלו. איוריו מרובים פרטים ועם זאת קלילים, מחויכים ואוהבי אדם וטבע.
Children love to play “make believe”. They enjoy pretending that they are grown up: “Driving” a car, making mud “cakes”, or playing with an imaginary friend. You can play this game with your child using a prop, such as a doll, pot, or toy car, and ask: Where are we going? What are we cooking together? What is the doll saying?
Ron sees Shluli in the puddle, but, in fact, it is his own reflection in the water. You could also play a game of “mirror” in which two players face one another and take turns pulling a face, moving their head or leg, and having the other imitate them.
Are there any puddles outside yet? How about pulling on your boots, getting dressed warmly, and heading outside to jump into puddles? If that’s not possible, you can always make a “puddle” from rope or paper, and jump in and out as much as you like.
The Gift of Nothing 
Partners 
Morchella in the Garden 
The Two of Us 
Bella and Zouzou 
The Wolf Will not Come 
Found 
Bear has a Story to Tell 
Kramer the Cat Goes into the Forest 
Sheluli 
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
מִשְׂחָק
חֵקֶר
יְצִירָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
מִשְׂחָק
כְּלָלִי
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
מִשְׂחָק
סִרְטוֹנִים
חֵקֶר
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
מִשְׂחָק
מִשְׂחָק
הַשְׁרָאָה
כְּלָלִי
שִׂיחָה
שֵׁמַע
מִשְׂחָק
כְּלָלִי
סִרְטוֹנִים
שֵׁמַע
הַמְחָשָׁה
מִשְׂחָק
הַשְׁרָאָה
שִׂיחָה
יְצִירָה
מִשְׂחָק
שִׁלּוּב הַסֵּפֶר
סִרְטוֹנִים
שִׂיחָה
שִׂיחָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
יְצִירָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
מִשְׂחָק
מִשְׂחָק
הַעֲשָׁרָה
קְרִיאָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
מִשְׂחָק
מִשְׂחָק
הַעֲשָׁרָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
קְרִיאָה
מִשְׂחָק
כְּלָלִי
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
מִשְׂחָק
סִרְטוֹנִים
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
מִשְׂחָק
כְּלָלִי
מִשְׂחָק
כְּלָלִי
יְצִירָה
כְּלָלִי
יְצִירָה
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
מִשְׂחָק
הַעֲשָׁרָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
הַעֲשָׁרָה
שִׂיחָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
מִשְׂחָק
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
