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.
One could collect leaves, seashells, stones, napkins, marbles, dolls, or even… words. Do you, parents, also have similar collections, or had them when you were younger? You are more than welcome to tell your child about them, and invite them to take a look around them to see what else they could collect. You could start working on a brand new, joint collection right now!
A tin box, kettle, crate or shoebox could each become a home for beloved items. You could decorate your container of choice with newspaper cuttings, buttons, leaves, seashells, colorful sand, or any other suitable material that you may find at home or outdoors. Are you done? Is your container ready? Now’s the time to fill it up with treasures.
One leaf looks like a feather, some stones look like eggs, and what shape is a pinecone? You may enjoy collecting leaves, stones, pinecones, or anything else you find around you, and… play: Take turns picking an item, and having the other players name objects to which it is similar.
What’s new in your surroundings? Perhaps you could go outside and take a fresh look at the environment: Which animals will you come across? What colors and shapes are the leaves? What is happening up above in the sky, or down below on the ground? You may enjoy creating your own path, take a walk on it from time to time, and check what has remained the same, and what has changed.
In this special book, the illustrations tell most of the story, and were it not for them, the plot would have been incomprehensible. You may want to leaf through the book together, and have your child describe what the box turns into on each page. You could have a discussion on imagination and reality, and share your opinion with your child. Do you think the rabbit really thinks the box is a spaceship, robot, or mountaintop?
In this special book, the illustrations tell most of the story, and were it not for them, the plot would have been incomprehensible. You may want to leaf through the book together, and have your child describe what the box turns into on each page. You could have a discussion on imagination and reality, and share your opinion with your child. Do you think the rabbit really thinks the box is a spaceship, robot, or mountaintop?
You may enjoy looking at the illustrations, and noticing the colors used in each one. Which ones are used when the rabbit is spoken to? And which when the rabbit appears? You may want to ask your child for the reason why the author and illustrator chose to use colors this way.
You could draw a rectangle on a sheet of paper and ask your child to continue the drawing, and turn it into something else. Can you guess what your child drew? You may enjoy changing roles, so that each time one of you will draw a shape for the other to turn into something else.
Perhaps you would like to pick up an empty box from the local grocery store, and decide what to turn it into together. You could color or cut it, making it your very own creation.
Many children enjoy make-believe games. Has this book reminded you of an imaginative game you enjoyed playing? Perhaps an imaginary toy you liked to play with as a child? You may want to share such memories with your child.
You may enjoy sitting across from one another on the rug and make believe together. Take turns pretending to hold something (a hammer, bug, phone, cat, baby…), and let the other guess what it is. Next, pretend to pass the object on to the next player, and go on making believe and guessing.
The Machine 
Julia and the Leaves 
Not a Box 
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
שֵׁמַע
יְצִירָה
הַעֲשָׁרָה
הַעֲשָׁרָה
שִׂיחָה
יְצִירָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
מִשְׂחָק
שִׂיחָה
שִׂיחָה
יְצִירָה
יְצִירָה
מִשְׂחָק
מִשְׂחָק
