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.
You may want to look at the illustrations together. Can your child find Rosie (Hadsas) among her classmates in the first illustration? What kinds of inventions did Rosie’s (Hadas’) friends make? Do you have a particular favorite? What is special about it?
Perhaps you could make a list together of things that you have tried and failed, and another of things you have not yet tried, and would like to try some day. Could you maybe make it if you worked together?
You may enjoy inventing, planning, and building your own “gizmo” together using building blocks, Legos or Playmobile. Your invention may consist of other items found in your home or backyard.
Do you or did you also have a meaningful aunt with a vision who has left a mark on your childhood? You could look for photographs of her, and tell your child about her.
You may want to compare the responses of Uncle Fred (Zvi) and Aunt Rose (Hadassah) to Rosie’s (Hadas’) inventions. Perhaps you would enjoy thinking of sentences or phrases that family members say to cheer one another up. You could write them down on pieces of paper, and put them in various places around the house.
Young children often have excellent ideas and original thoughts. You could tell your child about a great inventor, in Israel or elsewhere, and remind them that s/he too was once a child brimming with ideas.
כדאי להשוות בין תגובת דוד צבי לתגובת דודה הדסה להמצאות של הדס. אפשר להמציא יחד משפטים או ביטויים שבני המשפחה אומרים זה לזה כשמישהו זקוק לעידוד. תוכלו לכתוב על גבי פתקים מילים ומשפטים מעודדים ולפזר את הפתקים ברחבי הבית.
לעיתים קרובות לילדים צעירים יש רעיונות גדולים ומחשבות מקוריות. אפשר לספר לילדיכם על ממציאים גדולים, בארצנו ובעולם כולו, ולהזכיר שגם הם היו פעם ילדים שופעי רעיונות.
מה מסתתר מאחורי סיפורה של הדודה הדסה: “אנחנו יכולות לעשות את זה!” מכריזות הדס והדודה הדסה – דודה הדסה בנתה מטוסים כשהיא לבושה בבגדים כחולים ולראשה מטפחת אדומה מנוקדת בלבן. הכרזה נוצרה בזמן מלחמת העולם השנייה בארה”ב במטרה לעודד פועלות בתעשיות שסייעו למאמץ המלחמתי. בשנת 1982 זכתה הכרזה לגילוי מחדש בכתבה של הוושינגטון פוסט. היא נפוצה והפכה לסמל מחודש של עוצמה ויכולת נשית. עוד על סיפורה של הכרזה בערך בויקיפדיה We Can Do It!
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Can_Do_It!
Rosie Revere, Engineer
שְׁמִירָה
להציב באמצע החדר חפצים שונים ולדמיין שימושים שונים
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.
Tell your child a family story – one that is funny or special – that is worth preserving as family legend: for example, a story of your childhood. Include details that say something about the place and time when the story took place. Look in a family album together at places where your child’s grandparents grew up and point out aspects of the past, such as: “Here is the bakery of your great grandfather that made the best challah in the world…”
Travel back in time: To prepare for time travel back to Joseph’s village, look together at the illustrations in the book and encourage your child to identify items in his world. You can ask leading questions, such as: What does Joseph have in his house? What animals roamed around his neighborhood? Were there any buses there? What did people wear? In short: Was his world similar to ours? No? In your child’s opinion, why or why not?
The fun of traditional sayings: The saying “When a coat is old, only its holes are new” is framed on the wall in Joseph’s house (see the page which begins, “Joseph had an old vest…”). The saying reflects Yiddish humor. Make a similar wall hanging with a saying that comes from your family or from your heritage. Who used to say it and on what occasions? Write the saying out and let your child make illustrations around it.
Eze’hu Ashir? Ha’sameach Be’chelko (Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.)
In the Ethics of the Fathers (chapter 4), it is written: “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.” This proverb teaches that happiness is not measured in things or money, but rather in our ability to enjoy what we have. Although Joseph is poor, he is rich because he knows how to enjoy every “new” item of clothing he creates from what has worn out.
Look at the pictures and follow Joseph’s moods. When and why is he sad? When and why is he happy? What is his mood at the end of the book? How does your child explain these moods?
Create two lists with your child: one of things that made him happy today and one of things that bothered him or made him sad. Look at the list of sad things and try to find something positive in the sad. In the evening just before your child goes to bed, you can make a habit of exchanging a list of the good things that happened to each of you that day.
Bal Tashchit (Respect for Existing Resources)
The mitzvah of bal taschit which appears in the Torah (in Deuteronomy) prohibits destroying a fruit tree even during a siege on a city. Over time a broader interpretation has come to prevail, to avoid destroying anything which can still be useful. Joseph’s Wonderful Overcoat takes place in a time when resources were scarce and people had to make good use of everything they could. Joseph found creative ways for re-using his coat. Today, in our era of abundance, there is an increasing tendency to try and re-use things to prevent harming the environment. This book provides a good opportunity to discuss with your child ways of limiting harm to the environment.
Ask your child to identify items at home whose use has changed over time and are used for something different: for example, a cracked plate that is used under a plant, a cup that is used for flowers etc.
Talk to your child about the concept of wasting: What does it mean to waste? Do we throw away things that we could still use? What can we do to limit wastefulness?
The Machine 
Julia and the Leaves 
Rosie Revere, Engineer 
Not a Box 
Joseph’s Wonderful Overcoat 
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
שֵׁמַע
יְצִירָה
הַעֲשָׁרָה
הַשְׁרָאָה
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
כְּלָלִי
מִשְׂחָק
