Illustrations are an integral part of books, completing details that are not always found in the text itself. For instance, the building blocks Taylor uses only appear in the illustrations. Did you discover any other details through the illustrations? Sometimes, it’s worth trying to read a story “over again” using the illustrations and seeing what else we can discover about.
Sometimes, things we put a lot of time and effort into fall apart or fail. We can discuss that by asking – Has anything similar to what happened to Taylor ever happened to you? How did you feel? When you’re upset or frustrated – what helpscheer you up? Which of the animals in the book would you have called out to for help?
Listening exercises can help us sharpen our senses and notice new things: Try speaking to one another while sitting back-to-back, and then face-to-face. How did you feel each time? Another exercise is: Close your eyes for one minute, be completely silent and still, and try only to listen to the sounds around you. When the time is up, tell the others what you heard.
What does the ostrich look like when it buries its head in the sand? What does the elephant do with its trunk when it remembers? And what does the bear look like when it is angry? Try mimicking each of the animals in the book by copying its movements, sounds and suggested solutions.
Books that describe familiar experiences in children’s lives are an opportunity for a glimpse into their world. While reading, you should pay attention to what the children notice most, the questions they ask, and the characters with which they identify. Sometimes, books make it easier to discuss things that happen in real life.
Discuss with and ask the children: how do you think Birt felt when Shu joined their game? Have you ever played with a friend and had another person ask to join in? Have you ever asked to join other children?
Good friends can make a simple box into a palace, boat, or spaceship. You can suggest inviting one or several friends over for some joint arts & crafts time. Perhaps they will discover what else a box can turn into – with a little imagination, a pair of scissors, some markers, but most importantly – lots of togetherness.
Playacting is a great way of learning about the experience of others while expressing feelings and sensations. You can act this story out with the help of various family members or toys. Take turns playing each role, so that you can experience the story from the different characters’ perspectives.
Children enjoy looking at illustrations and noticing details that do not necessarily appear in the story itself. While reading, you should join them, look at the book together, and discover how the illustrations add fun and amusement to the written text and shared reading experience.
Have you ever joined an activity without knowing its outcome in advance? Try remembering such shared moments together with the children – a family trip to an unknown destination or preparing a new unfamiliar dish together.
Is it something round? Something green? Something fluffy? You can enjoy a family game of clues – you can each think of an object and have the other family members guess it by asking descriptive questions. Can you find out what this “something” is?
The characters in this book are friends who enjoy watching the sunset on the beach together. You can also go to the beach, park or even the street to enjoy the beauty of the sky as the sun disappears. You should also take some paper and crayons along to draw a sunset of your own, or any other beautiful thing that can be admired simply by taking a look around you.
This is a special book about a special family, in which one brother is visually impaired or blind. The narrating brother is well aware of the challenges in his family and the restrictions required of him at home, yet chooses to see the world in a positive light. We suggest that you, parents, read the book before reading it together to adapt the reading and discussion to this book’s unique contents.
Do you think the child in this story is lucky? Why? What makes you lucky? You can share with one another, parents and children, the good things in your shared life as a family. You can create a regular ritual during which, once a week, family members share the positive things that they experienced that past week.
How do blind children experience life? Scan the code to watch an episode of “I’m sorry for asking” about blind children. Following the video, you can discuss what makes our lives similar to or different from that of the children depicted in the video.
Rereading can reveal new and surprising things. We recommend reading the book twice, looking at the illustrations and searching for clues about Hagay’s visual disability: What about the words and illustrations hints at this family’s challenge? Did you notice it the first time you read the book?
Hagay knows how to tell made-up stories. You can try it too! How about choosing two items and using them to tell a made-up story: a brush and a rug, a bottle and a stuffed cat, a hat and a window – what can happen to them in the made-up story you will come up with together?
Simachi’s Big Day is a long book. We therefore recommend reading it in two parts, pausing at the point where Simachi wonders why her brother, Avram, is dressed in his best clothes, and reading the rest the next day.
In this book, Grandma is recalling her childhood memories. This is your chance, as parents, to share special moments from your own childhoods too. Talk about the things you did, those you never thought you would do, or the relationship between you and your siblings. Ask your children: Can they recall special things they did and, looking back, surprised them because they made them discover their own abilities?
Avram and Nemi play a game by walking with a pineapple on their head and seeing who lasts longer without dropping it. You can also play a similar game: choose an item that you can put on your head – a pillow, toy or box, and find out: Which of you can walk while keeping it on your head? And how far?
The book describes many seaside activities: the fish moving, rowing, swimming, bringing fishnets in, sailing or flying a flag on the boat’s flagpole. You can choose one of these activities, and mime it. Your family will need to guess which activity you meant, and look for it among the book’s illustrations. Good luck!
Books containing very few words allow us to tell an emotional and experiential story as we follow the main character in the book: What is he feeling? What is he thinking about? When is he sad and when does he get a new idea? You can look at the illustrations, get to know the main character and his experiences, link them to your own lives and, most of all, add something of yours to this experience that is being described in so few words and in heartwarming illustrations.
Did Mooch only give Earl an empty box for a gift? You can discuss gifts that cannot be put into boxes: Which free gifts can you give one another? A hug? A drawing? How about warm loving words?
You can also have your own box of nothing. Take a box or paper bag, decorate it with paper, drawings, stickers and decorations. Whenever you are bored, open the box and use your imagination to decide what is in it: Maybe it contains an imaginary ball that you can pretend to toss between you, or an imaginary story that you have made up together, or any other invention with which you can come up.
Have you tried reading a book using a bird’s voice? Perhaps you happen to own a red book? Scan the code and you can play a game that encourages reading using the books you have at home. You can even get a certificate at the end of it!
What happens when we do nothing? You should take a few minutes to sit quietly and listen. What can you hear? What can you see? What can you feel with your body? You can share your experience with your family and think together: Does nothing really happen when we do nothing?
What are the three things you would have taken with you when leaving Egypt? And who can leap like a frog from the second plague? Scan the code and you will be able to print out an amusing card game that will enhance your Seder Night experience.
You can hide the afikomen or any small item and ask family members to look for it. Is it in the kitchen? Under the couch? Perhaps in the closet? In the next round, the one who found the item will hide an item of his or her choice, while the others go looking for it… Good luck!
This book offers parents the opportunity to tell their children about their childhood Seder Night experiences: Did you hide the afikomen? And who found it? What did you like about Pesach as children? And what do you like about it now – parents and children?
A small frog is visiting for Seder Night wearing an ancient Egyptian headdress. Can you look through the illustrations and find it? Why does it appear in the illustrations, in your opinion?
Like many toddlers, Berale also asks Grandma – “What are we going to do now?”. Among the surprises Grandma keeps in her basket is a book that they can read whenever they want. A book is a world unto itself that can be taken anywhere quite easily. You can also keep a book in your bag, and enjoy it while waiting for a doctor’s appointment, relaxing in the park, or taking a long car ride.
You can discuss your toddler’s relationship with Grandpa, Grandma, or other significant family members and ask – What do you enjoy doing together? Are there any special activities that you only do with your grandparents or uncles and aunts? Are there any special items that only they have at home?
Grandma’s stories make Berale laugh because they are made-up, and unusual things can happen in our imaginations. Try making up your own story, like “The Hippo that Fell into a Soup Bowl”, “The Lion Who Was Afraid of Being Left Alone at Night”, or any other idea that comes to mind. You can start with an object you see around you, and take it from there.
Do you know the fingerplay that accompanies the nursery rhyme “Round and Round the Garden”? Or the Israeli version “Savta Bishla Dasya” (“Grandma made some porridge”)? You can play a similar game by bending your fingers inwards and leaving your thumb out to create a ‘snail’. Your toddler’s upturned palm can be the bowl. Now say: “Grandma and Berale baked a cake. They added flour, they added sugar, they added eggs…” while touching your toddler’s upturned palm with your thumb as you name each ingredient. You can take turns being Berale and the mixing bowl.
Toddlers need physical contact. That is why you should sit close to one another while reading, hug, touch, and look into each other’s eyes every once in a while. That way your toddlers will experience story time as a warm and relaxing activity that makes them feel loved and safe.
You can ask your toddlers – do you like tickling games? Which of the games that we play together do you enjoy? What would you have liked us to play? In relation to the mother’s telephone call in this book, you can also ask – how did Gan-Yah feel when her mother went to answer her phone? How do you feel when you have to wait?
You can play the same game they play in the book: Your toddler or another family member can hide under a blanket and become a hill. You can tickle the hill, feel it and search – where’s the hill’s foot? Where is its head?
*Some children are hypersensitive to touch or tickles, and therefore, it is important to remind players before the game that one can say “stop” at any point, just like they do in the book.
There are many body movements in this book. You too can jump, dance, roll or lift your legs up in the air just like the hill does. You can look at the illustrations and copy Gan-Yah’s movements too.
Many books describe toddlers’ daily challenges: difficulty sharing, difficulty parting, the challenging transition from daytime to nighttime, and many more. When identifying a challenge with which your toddler is struggling, choosing a book on the subject and reading it together can be a good idea. Books invite us to share our feelings and experiences, and can offer empathy, encouragement and coping ideas.
Lea Naor was born in 1935 in Herzliya. She has written books, plays, screenplays and children’s poetry, and has also translated many books into English, such as the Dr. Seuss series. Her books and translations have won her many awards.
You can discuss the things that are shared by all family members as opposed to those that belong to each of you separately. For instance: “We each have our own toothbrush – what does your toothbrush look like?”, “We all share this house together, who lives in our house?”
You can dramatize this book using stuffed animals and have fun together: Swap the toys between you along with the song, and in the refrain az tekhef nihye shutafim bekhol hadvarim hayafim (“so soon we will share all the beautiful things”), you can hold the toy together, and demonstrate sharing.
A cat, a dove, a turtle, a puppy and a young bird – all in one book! You can look at the illustrations, choose an animal together, imitate the sound it makes and act just like it according to the description found in this book. For example, if you choose the turtle “with its entire house on its back” – you can place a cushion on your back and walk on all fours. And how does the puppy with the spot wag its tail?
Many books for toddlers have a recurring phrase that helps them follow the storyline and play a part in the reading. To emphasize the recurring phrase while reading this book, you can use a special voice, add a hand gesture, or change your reading pace. When the familiar phrase comes up, your toddlers will be delighted to join you.
Ora Ayal [1946-2011] was a children’s writer and illustrator. She illustrated over 70 books, among them Miriam Roth’s well-known books, as well as writing some herself, such as A Girl Alone and One Dark Night.
Visits are a significant part of a toddler’s world. We visit family and friends, and sometimes, they visit us. You can discuss and ask: Who did we visit? What did we do during our visit? Who shall we invite over to our house?
At the corner of each page there is an illustration that hints at the encounter we will see on the following page. Before you turn the page, you may want to look at the illustrated clue and guess who will be waiting for you on the following page. You can even play with real-life objects: Cover an item almost entirely, and ask your toddler what is hiding under the cover – a teddy-bear? Hat? Or purse?
The final page of the book is a story in itself, containing many illustrated details. You may enjoy looking for the many details in the illustrations that you have come across throughout the book: a dog, girl, hat or flower. You can even try to identify and name the items at Grandma’s house: Where is the kettle? What is hanging on the wall?
Following Yonatan, you can discuss and share: What can be the meaning of the phrase: “to open up your heart”? Is there an image or item that reminds you of loved ones, and make you feel like your heart is opening up and your feelings are welling up?
Thanks to the lost keys, Yonatan gets a glimpse into his father’s daily routine. And what did you do today? You can play charades, miming to one another a place you have visited or something you have done. Take turns acting out a place or action, while the rest of your family tries to guess where you have been and what you have been up to.
Yossi Abulafia’s illustrations are full of details. You may want to stop and look: Which animals can you find in the illustrations? Do they appear more than once? What are the people on the street up to? And now, look at the illustrations again: Have you discovered anything that you did not seen the first time?
Which roles does each member of your household have? Who would you want to take over from? This book could inspire you to imagine switching roles within your home: What would your child do if they were to take over from Grandpa? What would Grandpa do if he took over from Mom? And how would you be able to help one another?
What do you play in a parade? And what do musical instruments in a band sound like? You can find out all the answers to these questions and more if you listen to this book by scanning the code.
Am I a physician or a clown? Can you guess my occupation? Take turns choosing a profession and acting it out for the other players to guess. If a player’s profession is a little hard to guess, you could give them a clue.
Which character in this book would you like to take over from? You may enjoy looking through it, choosing a character you would like to replace, and share your thoughts with one another: Would you want to take over from the baker? Or play in the parade?
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 the book, and acquire a better understanding of others who are different from them, thereby developing empathy and adaptability to new situations. While reading, you can focus on the characters’ facial expressions and ask: How do you think they feel? And why?
You can 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? What 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 in the book. The other players can then imitate the movement, and look for it in the right page in the book. Did you find it? Then it is now time for the next player to choose a page.
On separate notes, write down the games you like to play together: 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.
Reading books is a wonderful way to get to know a child’s world. When reading, you may want to pause every once in a while, and allow your child to respond to the events depicted in the book: How do the characters feel? How do we, as readers, feel? Has something similar ever happened to you?
Have you ever helped to make a salad? Have you ever fallen and hurt yourself? You may enjoy recollecting together, parents and children, moments when you felt big, and managed to do something all on your own, and other incidents when all you wanted was to be hugged and comforted. This may be a good opportunity to get to know your child’s experiences, while sharing special moments with them from your own childhood.
While reading, you may enjoy looking at the illustrations and searching for interesting details: What is Matan doing? How many animals can you spot? Who is large and who is small? Where can you see a cat? And which of the illustrations is your personal favorite?
Pick up two objects and compare them – which of them is small and which is big? Now, replace one of the objects with another, and check again: Is the teaspoon big or small when compared to a bottle cap? And what happens when it is next to a broom? You can use yourselves as one of the objects and check whether you are big or small. And what happens when you stand next to other family members?
Let’s play hide and seek! We can hide our fingers in the palm of our hands, cover our nose and reveal it, hole up under a blanket, conceal ourselves behind the couch, or hide a toy behind our backs.
Reading from an early age plays a key role in toddler development; however, like anything new, the question is – how do we find the way? We suggest getting acquainted slowly and gradually; let the toddler connect to the book in their own way: Touching, opening and closing, and even “tasting” it with their mouths. Afterwards, you can read: A little each day, patiently and with pleasure. At first you could even read a single page, introducing it and getting accustomed to it, and hey presto – you have turned a book into a friend!
Hide & Seek
שְׁמִירָה
Sifriyat Pijama an opportunity to read together, at any age
You can also build a house out of a box. All you need is a large cardboard box, some free time, and a good mood. Now you can invite friends over to spend time with you in the house you have built. If you can only find a small box, don’t worry, you can turn it into a dollhouse.
Where is the best place to hide? Just like Mom and Yasmin, you too can play hide and seek, with toddlers hiding and parents looking for them. Were you able to find them? Then how about starting another round and inviting the rest of your family to join you?
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?
We recommend reading the book alone first, before reading it as a family. Prior familiarity with the book helps to read it seamlessly later, at a pace suitable for toddlers. Enjoy reading this book!
We can all help others, even toddlers. You may want to ask your toddlers how they can help others, or tell them that they are helping when it happens: “Remember when you helped me set the table?” “Look at you helping me put away the toys!”
Would you like to listen to the book Noni and his Mom Walk Homefrom Kindergarten? Please scan the QR code to find a recording of this book. You could listen to it while traveling, playing, or sitting together while turning the pages of the book.
The illustrations are part of the story, and using them, toddlers identify and recognize the plot and some of its details. You may enjoy looking at the illustrations together, and searching for the items that Nomi gives his mother: ‘Where do you see an illustration of a bag?’ and ‘Where can you find an illustration of a coat?’
Inspired by the items piling on top of mom in this book, you may want to take turns building a tower out of various items: Very carefully, one on top of the other, you can place building blocks, toys, hats, bags, and anything else you might want to add.
Stories about grandparents’ own childhoods, stories about the items they had that are no longer used, or perhaps some other story? – Following this book, you may want to sit and talk to your grandma or grandpa, and hear stories about the past from them.
Grandpa has the loudest laugh and the most interesting stories, and what are you “best” at? – Take turns talking about yourself, and saying what you do best. Next, take turns talking about the person sitting next to you, and what they’re the best at – but only the good things!
Why is everybody dancing? Because the State of Israel was established, and it’s a great reason to dance! Do you know how old Israel is now? How many years ago was it established?
Perhaps you would also like to dance together to the music, and dedicate a dance to someone or something that has happened.
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?
The poems in this book present small moments in life. Every time you read together, we recommend selecting one poem, and reading it together. Does the poem remind you of something that once happened? This may be a good opportunity for you, parents, to share a childhood experience with your child, creating closeness and intimacy with them.
When did Hagit Benziman start writing? What does she write about, and why? You may want to scan this QR code to find out more about this author and her work.
You may enjoy looking at parents’ family photo albums together, searching for special childhood moments. You could also look at early childhood photographs of the children, and share information about the moments captured. Which memories do they evoke in you?
Do you have a favorite poem among those included in this book? If so, how about acting it out together, with the grownups playing the parts of the children, and vice versa.
To make family reading enjoyable, and encourage children to read, we should choose books to which children relate and explore topics in which they are interested. Some prefer a piece of fiction, while others would want to read a story that “once was”. Whatever their favorite book may be, it would encourage them to enjoy books, while helping them to develop their imagination and creativity.
You too could look for items that remind you of past experiences: A family photo, gift you have received, or item associated with an experience you have had. Take turns introducing the object of your choice and sharing a memory relating to it.
Are you interested in making a machine of your own? You can gather some boxes, fabrics, crates and old toys to build your very own machine. You can plan what it would do and look like together, or simply build it and discover its attributes as you go along.
Many of the illustrations in this book depict machines. Perhaps you would enjoy leafing through them and finding illustrations of machines and machine parts – Can you tell what each of them does? Perhaps you could be inspired by the part you found to invent a new machine, and imagine what it is capable of doing.
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.
Following this book, you could also raise memories and tell stories that “once were” – a childhood story of yours, parents, or one told by Grandma or Grandpa about the old days.
The tree grew, as did Rebecca. And how about you? Perhaps you would enjoy watching videos and looking at photographs to see how both children and parents have grown and changed. You could even discuss the kinds of actions that your children were able or unable to do in the past.
Would you like to bake a cake? All you need are two eggs, one third of a cup of sugar, one third of a cup of oil, half a cup of fresh orange juice, a cup of flour (or substitute) and one teaspoon of baking powder. You could also add the grated zest of half an orange.
Mix all the ingredients in order and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius. Bon Appetit!
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?
All houses consist of walls, a roof, doors and windows: What’s special about your house? What makes it your home? You may want to discuss special objects and items found in your home, or the things you do there together.
How about making a house out of blankets, cardboard boxes, sticks and clothespins? And what else would you need? Decide on a location and workplan, gather the necessary items and accessories, and off you go!
Take turns announcing a topic and having all the other players try to work together to find a suitable item. For instance, when “red” is announced, all players must search the house for a red item. In the next round, another player might call out “big”, “small”, “cute”, “old”, “multicolored”, “annoying” or “wheel”, sending the other players to look for an item matching their announced topic.
As our children grow up, they experience various fears, but discussing them helps them to cope with them, while instilling in them a sense of security. Together you can choose to discuss what they find scary, and what helps them overcome their fears.
After reading this book, you may enjoy going to the playground together, and trying out the equipment together as well as separately. Perhaps you would like to invent a special course from the slide to the swing and so on that would bring joy to all of you.
“Hooray, Maayan!” Everyone calls out when Maayan is scared. How do you cheer one another on? Perhaps you could come up with family words of encouragement, find a motivating song, or a chant you all agree on that cheers you up and gives you strength.
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?
Following this book, you may want to embark on searches together with your parents, grandparents, or other relatives: What have you found? Were you surprised? Do you enjoy searching and finding?
A game for both seekers and finders.
Scan the QR code
Print out, cut out and fold according to the instructions.
Have you searched? Have you found? Would you like to play again?
This book contains both colorful and black and white illustrations. Can you figure out when the illustrations are in black and white, and when they are multicolored?
A game of “what’s missing?” Place several items in a row and look closely.
Take turns hiding one of the items while the rest of your family members have their eyes closed. Once it has been removed and hidden, the other players can open their eyes and start searching – Which item is now missing? Where was it hidden?
I’m similar to a frog but smaller. I can be found in Israel, mostly on trees, eating insects and laying eggs in the water. I’m a protected species and therefore cannot be kept in a jar, only in nature.
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.
It is worth sharing the reading of the story with the toddlers: Where is the key? What do you do with the string, and what are the crumbs for? What surprise is hiding in the small pocket?
Hide an object in a garment pocket and let the toddler guess what you hid with the sense of touch. You can provide clues, reveal a fraction of the object, and eventually disclose the item and demonstrate what it is used for.
Grandfather and the child are talking, sowing seeds, and feeding the rabbit. What do toddlers love to do with adults in the family? With grandparents and other family members?
“A key in order to open”; “A ticket to ride the train”; and what is a basket for? Or a spoon? You can walk around the house and choose items, then talk and check together what they are called and what they are used for. Matching Game –What Belongs to What – is waiting for you when you scan the code:
What can toddlers do at home? Many things! They can put glasses on the dining table, sweep with a small broom, feed the pets, and… offer cookies. It is worthwhile to talk and show what the toddler is helping with at home, and what else they want and can participate in.
The child in the story hands out cookies to other family members: grandmother, uncle, sister, cousin. Who are your family members? You can talk about family members, say their names and thier roles, such as: “Grandma Braha,” “Uncle Baruch,” use family photo, and use family photos.
You too can prepare refreshments together, such as chocolate balls, a plate of fruit, or a sliced cucumber. You can prepare “pretend” refreshments using play dough and offer to the dolls at home.
Do you know the game “Grandma made porridge”? “The child had cookies” can be played in a similar way, in which the toddler opens her, or his hand, and the parent begins to count: “The little boy/girl had cookies and gave one to Grandma (holding the thumb), and one to Uncle (holding the forefinger) etc. And so you count the fingers by allocating a family member to each one. Who will you give the last cookie to?
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?
Which perfect gift would you like to get for your birthday? How would you feel if you did not get it? Have you ever wanted something very badly but did not receive it? This book prompts us to discuss our expectations – why this specific gift? Do we really need it or are we simply jealous because we saw someone else has it? You may also want to discuss disappointments, and the things that help us cope with them.
How well do you know members of your own family, and what do you think would be the perfect gift for them – would it be something you buy or an experiential gift, such as time spent together, or perhaps a trip somewhere? How about playing a game and finding out? In each round, all participants try to guess what one participant would really like to get as a gift. Those whose guesses are the closest win… the perfect family hug.
Whoever said only cars drive round and round with a cord attached? People could too! Two of you could hold the two ends of a long cord, leading one another left, right, backwards and forwards. If you get tired, make a pit stop, and start again.
“A car with Dad is the perfect gift”. And what would you consider to be the perfect gift? What would you like to do with your father or other family members? You could fix broken items, build or assemble something, or perhaps draw, bake, plant, or dance together. In fact, you can do whatever you want, as long as you get to spend time together.
“It’s important to be considerate toward our environment” – What does being considerate mean? How can we be more considerate of one another at home, within our own family? And how can we care for our environment? You could discuss these questions with your child, and come up with suggestions on how to be more considerate of other people as well as the environment.
You’re most invited to embark on an observation on a piece of nature in your immediate surroundings: A park near your home, or field, or yard, or even a planter on your balcony. What would you discover if you sat down quietly and watched? You may want to bring a magnifying glass along with you.
What can adults learn from children? Lots of things! How to play their favorite game, engage in arts & crafts, find out more about a subject they learned about in preschool, or just share an interesting thought. And what can children learn from adults? To find out what we can learn from one another, all we have to do is sit together, and pay attention.
The sky is blue, the earth is brown, and vegetation is green. You may enjoy going outdoors and “catching colors”: Take turns to say a color, while the other players quickly find an item around them that is the same color, and point to it.
Nuri and Grandpa spend time together, and it’s nice. You may want to discuss and discover the following with your children: What do they like doing with their grandfather, grandmother, or other family members? Is there anything that they wish to learn from them? Perhaps they have a question that they wanted to ask and were too embarrassed to do so?
Which treasures can be found in Grandpa’s cave? You may want to look at the illustrations and think about how they ended up being buried in the ground, and to whom they belonged. You could also imagine what might be hidden in the ground underneath your own home.
What is a mole? Moles are rodents living in underground burrows. The shape of their bodies is suitable for living in burrows as it is long and cylindrical. The moles’ touch and hearing are evolved, and they eat plants that grow in the ground. If you want to know more, please look for information on moles online.
You could also be a mole for a day!
Make a tunnel out of sofas, bed sheets or pillows, go into it carefully and crawl out. You could also turn off all the lights at home, and use a flashlight to go left, right, backwards and forwards, overcome various obstacles and… reach your destination!
You may enjoy playing the following game and finding out what happens when we answer before we ask: One player says an answer, and the other players try to guess what the question was. for instance, the answer “My name is Nuri” will be met with the question “What’s your name?”. Which questions match answers such as “I’m five years old” or “a purple monster”?
How many rooms does your house have? And what do you do in each one? You may want to look around and think: What do we really need, and what could we forego? You could discuss your own home, or imaginary ones. You parents could tell your children about the house in which you lived when you were their age: What are the differences and similarities between your childhood home and the current one?
You can be builders too! You can build a house of Legos, cardboard boxes, pillows, or any other material. How about decorating the structure you’ve built, and asking your parents to help you write the name of the street it’s on. And who would you want to invite over to the house you’ve built?
You may enjoy looking at the illustrations and discovering the other houses that appear in them: Who is building a house? And who is carrying one on their back?
Look at the final illustration at the end of the book, where the main character is living in a single room: Which items does it contain? Would you have removed any of them, and brought in others in their stead? Which items found in your home would you have added to the room depicted in the illustration? You could take turns and have each family member pick an item in the illustration and decide whether or not they would leave it in the illustrated room, and if not, which item from your own home they would have placed there instead.
How do you get ready for bed? What helps you fall asleep? You can talk about it together and think about creating a set ritual that will engender calm, and let you share the day’s experiences and thoughts that come to mind.
Isn’t it lucky that there’s a way we can remember our thoughts and stop them from getting away? How do we do that? Keep a notebook and pencil by your bed, and just before falling asleep, before your thoughts scatter away, draw them. You can color in your drawing in the morning, because now… is time for bed.
“It’s lucky that a pot has two handles, and not five… if it did, how would we hold it?”, “It’s good that the windshield is made out of glass, not cardboard”. What do you imagine? Which things make you happy just as they are? Each member of the family can bring a certain object and talk about it: “It’s lucky that…”, “It’s good that…”.
The world is filled with melodies and sounds. Which melody do you like? Try singing a favorite melody together wile clapping your hands, moving parts of your bodies, singing, or playing instruments.
The world is also filled with diverse colors and shapes. You can draw as you listen to the music. Which shapes and colors will you choose for your drawing?
The illustrations in this book demonstrate how Itamar and the rabbit imagined one another versus what they really look like. You may want to check and compare: Do the monsters resemble the real child and rabbit? Are there any similarities between the monsters both Itamar and the rabbit had imagined?
Were you, parents, also afraid when you were younger? Perhaps you could tell your children what you were afraid of, and how you grappled with your fear. You could also listen to your children as they tell you what scares them, and together, think of ways to overcome the fear.
What does a scary monster look like? How about drawing one together, and then trying to imagine: What is the monster’s name? Who are its friends? What does it enjoy doing, and what is it afraid of? Now that you’ve gotten to know the monster, it may be worth asking yourselves whether it is still as scary as it was before.
“Jimalaya Jim! Zuzu buzu Yam Pam Puzu!” Each of the characters in this book has a magic word it uses when something scary happens. What is your magic word? You’re welcome to chose a family magic word together, and think of times when it would be appropriate to use it.
Who are your friends? What do you like doing together? You can have a conversation about this and look into these questions: Do you like sitting together with other people quietly, like the penguin? Perhaps you like running, like the tortoise? How about thinking together about how you can bring some joy to friends who need you.
Through the unique drawings in the book, you can read the story together even on the pages that have no words. Look, together, at the pages with the drawings, and tell each other what those drawings are expressing. Is there an illustration that you liked in particular?
Which drawings does the red balloon appear in? When does it disappear? You can look for it in the book, and play some games with balloons, too, like hitting a balloon between your hands, tossing it into the air and trying to prevent it from touching the floor, or inflating it , releasing the air, and seeing where it ends up.
Amos McGee takes care of his friends, and they take care of him when he’s sick. Think along with your children about how you can make a sick friend or relative happy (through a phone call, a hand-drawn card, a small gift, and more).
The family in this book is rushing to make the train and celebrate Grandpa Dov’s birthday, and yet its members remember to be considerate toward others, and care for animals and the environment. Perhaps you would like to try and discuss what being considerate means – how would you like others to be considerate of you? Who could you offer to help in your immediate surroundings or family? Which actions can you take to make the older members of your family happy?
You may enjoy playing a game called “fast or slow”: take turns to choose a certain action and tell the other players to perform it quickly or slowly. For instance, clap your hands… quickly, and now… slowly; sing a song extra slowly, and then super-fast! After you’ve played, you may want to discuss and discover what you enjoyed doing quickly, and what was more fun to do slowly.
The illustrations in this book are extremely detailed. How about choosing your favorite page, and looking for the tiny details in it? Perhaps you could take turns to ask each other whether you can spot a particular detail in the drawing: Where’s Grandpa Dov’s gift? Where’s the football? Who can find the teddy bear?
This book specifies types of plants, toys, cats, and musical instruments. Perhaps it can inspire you to take turns choosing a subject, and having the other players list as many items associated with it as they can. You could choose topics such as clothing, friends’ names, types of toys or musical instruments.
What can we do on our own? What’s better done together? You may want to discuss the things we can do with others with your child, and then come up with the things that they can do themselves. Who do they enjoy sharing experiences with? Family members? Friends? Perhaps their pet?
Can you also stand on one foot? Let’s check!
Throw a die, stand on one foot and count to the number shown on the die: One, two, and… Are you about to fall? Reach out and allow whoever is next to you to help you stay upright.
You may enjoy putting a list together of all the activities that are best done together, in collaboration with someone: Tidying up your room, making dinner, or reading your favorite book. Then, take some cards, write each activity down on a separate one, and decorate it. You could keep all the cards in a special box, pick one out every day, and ask: How about cooperating today and sweeping the house? Why don’t we engage in a family game of catch? Or how about joining forces in some other activity?
You may want to assemble a movement course at home, and complete it on one foot, two feet, all fours, or perhaps even three… Design a track on the floor using skipping rope, and take turns completing it in a different way each time: Hopping on one leg, while keeping a cushion balanced on top of your head, crawling, in pairs, with your arms crossed, because it’s easier to jump on one foot in pairs.
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?
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door!
שְׁמִירָה
Pleased to meet you – Getting to know your neighbors
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!”
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.
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!
You may want to discuss and share what you enjoy doing with grandma, grandpa, or other family members, and have the parents talk about their own childhood experiences. You could even do stuff remotely and still feel close: some suggestions for activities that bring you closer while being carried out from afar can found in the “granny’s stories” section on the PJLibrary website.
Aba’s Glasses 
Peace to the World 
The Rabbit Listened 
Best Friends 
Saba Yashka Saves the Beach 
Trees Wait for Rain 
The Speed of Sound 
Shoham’s Bangle 
Something 
How Lucky I Am 
Simachi’s Big Day 
The Gift of Nothing 
Where is the Afikomen? 
Berale Berale What’s in the Basket? 
The Hill Tickle-Tickle 
Partners 
One Bright Morning 
The Key to My Heart 
One Friend Takes Over for Another 
Morchella in the Garden 
The Two of Us 
BIG OR SMALL 
Hide & Seek 
Music 
The Boy Who Wouldn’t Sleep Alone 
Gali & Gaya (Originally: Gossie & Gertie) 
Noni and his Mom Walk Home from Kindergarten 
Grandpa Tells an Unexaggerated Story 
Bella and Zouzou 
Why Do They Always Remind Me? 
The Machine 
The Wolf Will not Come 
A Bag of Longing 
My Uncle Simha 
How to Build a House 
Up and Over 
Found 
I Like to Look For… 
Elik Belik 
Grandpa’s Pockets – For Families 
Who wants to taste? 
The Perfect Gift 
Just an Empty Field 
Nuri’s Tunnel 
One Hundred Rooms 
One Last Thing before Bed 
Itamar Meets a Rabbit 
A Sick Day for Amos McGee 
Hurry Up! 
On One Foot 
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door! 
Ronnie’s Stories: Ronnie’s Apron 
If Only 
Who Destroyed the Circus? 
Why Not? 
Extra Yarn 
The Gift 
Arie Ben Naim XXIV 
Mommy Time to Sleep 
One Hundred and Six Sweet Sparrows 
Toto & Friends: Mine! 
Not at the Exact Same Time 
A Gift for Mama 
Jo and Pepper and the Big Sleep 
Big Wolf and Little Wolf 
The Suitcase 
Tali is under the Table 
Rosie Revere, Engineer 
The Man who Loved Trees 
The Magical Letter 
A Girl all by Herself 
A Concert in the Sand 
Strictly No Elephants 
Can You Hear a Coo Coo? 
Little Hedgehog 
A Rabbit and a Cat are going on a Trip 
Friendly Shapes 
Sweet Aleph-Bet 
Behind the Door 
Bear has a Story to Tell 
It’s not Easy to be a Super Hero 
The Boots that saved Jerusalem 
A Gift of Snow 
A Street with no Name 
A Hole in the Ship 
At the Heart of the Orchard 
Good Mood Bear 
Who Wants a Piggyback? 
Kishta 
I Can do it too! 
There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon 
Amy and Louis Hebrew title: “Half A World Away” 
Aliza the Duck and Friends 
The Site of the Temple 
Kramer the Cat Goes into the Forest 
Hannah Banana’s Granny Cooked Porridge 
Maya’s Blue Kangaroo 
Grandmother’s Coat 
A Circle of Friends 
The Runaway Hug 
The Daddy Tree 
Sheluli 
Can you Spare a Spot of Sugar 
Bagels From Benny 
Grandpa Made Soup 
The Three Butterflies 
The BigBook of Trips 
The Melody 
The Magnificent Tree 
Bone Button Borscht 
The Bridge Tale 
The Littlest Levine 
The Toys’ Visit 
The King Says 
The Tractor in the Sandbox 
The Teeny-Tiny Kingdom 
Snow of Dandelions 
Ury’s Special Language 
It’s Mine 
How do you say “I’m sorry”? 
Two Ducks 
שִׂיחָה
שֵׁמַע
מִשְׂחָק
חֵקֶר
הַשְׁרָאָה
קְרִיאָה
סִרְטוֹנִים
יְצִירָה
כְּלָלִי
הַעֲשָׁרָה
הַמְחָשָׁה
שִׁלּוּב הַסֵּפֶר
חֲגִיגָה
בִּשּׁוּל
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
קִשּׁוּר
מַתָּנָה
