Reading a book together can evoke thoughts, feelings and emotions in children: Like the young bird, they can feel small and fragile; like Efrat, they can feel misunderstood, or determined to go on doing what they believe is right. We recommend sitting close together, and accompanying the reading with a soothing stroke: Touch brings parents and children closer together, and strengthens children’s faith that they have someone who supports them, and is attentive to the feelings that the book evokes in them.
Little Peanut is getting bigger, and Efrat, who is discovering independence and responsibility, is getting bigger too. You can discuss and ask your children what makes them bigger and more responsible than they were before – are they taking care of a pet, for example? Doing things on their own? Helping their friends and around the house? We recommend always reminding children about the areas in which you, as parents, see that they have made progress and grown. Doing so makes children feel good, and bolsters their self-confidence.
You can also help the animals in your surroundings: You can make a feeding station for birds containing crumbs; place a water bowl for cats; make a sign protecting an anthill, or think of your own ways of helping the animals in your surroundings.
The illustrations in this book depict various animals – some are stuffed, drawn or playthings, some are real, while others appear in the children’s thoughts. Can you find them?
Do you like to move? Look at the page on which Little Peanut learns how to fly, and try to move along with the story: You can grow wings, hop, skip, or even try to pretend to fly.
Imagine how Iddo must have felt when the ladybird tickled his hand, and how the little ladybird felt. You may want to ask your child to hold their hand out like a small bowl, and tickle it. You can pretend the ladybird is strolling across their belly, and pleasantly tickle one another.
The ladybird found shelter in Iddo’s hand. You may want to discuss ways of hiding out from the rain with your child. You could search for umbrellas at home, woolly hats, or any other object used to protect us from the rain. You could also step outside and point to buildings, bus stations, and stores on your way to kindergarten. Can they, too, provide some shelter from the rain?
You may want to look at the illustrations together and look through the book for the ladybird’s encounters with each of the other animals: the ants, spider, and cat. Perhaps you could ask your child to tell the story in their own words, and discuss the difference between Iddo’s reaction, and the other animals’ responses.
Perhaps you would enjoy stepping out to the park or playground, and look for ladybirds (ladybugs). Will you find one among the leaves, or in the sandbox, just like Iddo did in the book? You could place it gently on your hand. Does it tickle? Does it rest, or immediately spread its wings and fly off? It is of course very important to return the ladybirds to nature.
You may enjoy collecting smooth, round stones of various sizes, painting them red, and, once the paint dries, marking a black line across them from top to bottom, and adding white spots. And there you have it – a ladybird family!
Little Peanut 
The Ladybird in the Rain 
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
יְצִירָה
כְּלָלִי
הַשְׁרָאָה
יְצִירָה
מִשְׂחָק
שִׂיחָה
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
יְצִירָה
