Simple rhyming stories can convey a value-based, meaningful message too. We recommend using the story as a basis for discussion, allowing for opinions to be expressed and questions asked, such as “How would you have felt if you had been in a similar situation?”
Grandpa is happy to return home with his stars, calling them his treasure, and valuing them more than money. Following this story, you can discuss with your child and ask: “What makes you happy that money cannot buy?” Drawing? Bedtime stories? Perhaps a good-morning hug? Parents can also share – what is their treasures?
If you were to have your very own imaginary tree – what would it grow? Hearts? Balloons? Perhaps stars too? You can draw and cut out the shape you have imagined, decorate it, and even write wishes or shared memories on it. The finished product can then be hung on a plant, branch, or tree near you.
We may not find a real star tree, but we can always take an evening stroll and enjoy the sight of the stars twinkling in the sky. You can take this book along with you and read it together by starlight.
Poet Leyb Morgentoy, 1905–1979, was born in Pinsk, Poland. He wrote this poem in Yiddish in 1938. Yoram Taharlev translated it, Nurit Hirsh composed music to it, and, in 1969, Chava Alberstein performed and recorded it.
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.
What is your favorite place? Is it at home? Is it nearby? Or is it far away from home? You can share with one another: What is your special place, what do you like about it, and what is special about it.
You can find good things everywhere; every place has some beauty. Take turns choosing a place, whether near or far, in Israel or elsewhere, real or imaginary, and have the other participants ask questions about it to discover what makes it so wonderful.
What is happening near your home? Go on a short walk outside, and try to discover how you can do good in your own surroundings: How about picking up litter and placing it in the recycling bin? Or offering people waiting at the bus station a drink of water? Or setting up a library on your street with your neighbors?
Toddlers “read the illustrations”. Looking at illustrations teaches toddlers to pay attention to detail, while exposing them to art. You could occasionally ask questions related to the illustration, such as: Where’s the fly? What is the chameleon doing?
While reading, you may want to draw your toddlers’ attention to the main color that appears in the text and illustration. Even if your toddlers do not know the name of these colors yet, they would be delighted to look at the colorful illustrations.
Would you like to have a chameleon that changes its color? Please scan the QR code, print the drawing of the chameleon out on a transparency, and see how it can become colorful, spotted, or even checkered.
Do you have a red ball? What else is red at your house? You may enjoy saying the name of a color, and looking for items of this color together around the house: A cucumber, houseplant, and what other green item can you find?
“I crawl on all fours and change colors like a… chameleon!” take turns deciding on an animal which the parents act out and the toddlers follow suit: “We’re lions, let’s roar!”, “We’re puppies, let’s bark and wag our tails!”
What gives you pleasure for free? – You may want to take a look at the illustration in which the wise man presents all the good things in our world that are given to us for free, and share your opinion of them with one another – Do you also enjoy them? And which other things that are given for free do you like?
The Peddler and the Baker (Literally in Hebrew: Pleasure’s All Ours)
A girl and boy appear in many of the illustrations in this book. You may enjoy looking for them as you leaf through it, and thinking of reasons why the illustrator chose to add them to the illustrations together.
The Peddler and the Baker (Literally in Hebrew: Pleasure’s All Ours)
Would you like to make challah? A recipe is waiting for you on the final pages of this book. Bon Appetit and enjoy the wonderful aroma that will fill your home.
The Peddler and the Baker (Literally in Hebrew: Pleasure’s All Ours)
You may want to discuss Cyril and Tevye’s choice: Why do you think they chose not to use all the gold? Did that surprise you? Why, in your opinion, did they decide to invest the gold in schooling?
The goat is by Cyril and Tevye’s side throughout the book. You may enjoy looking for the goat in the illustrations: What is it doing? What is its connection to the family? How about trying to tell the story from the goat’s point of view? What happens to it as the book progresses?
Gather several small gifts that you would like to give your family: A drawing, greeting card, or item. Take turns hiding your gifts and having the rest of your family look for the treasure using clues: “Near and far”, “hot and cold”, or arrows placed around the house.
האזינו לפס הקול של הספר! If you scan the QR code, you will be able to hear the soundtrack of the story. You can listen to it together at home, while traveling, or anytime and anywhere you choose.
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.
Unpleasant things happen to all of us – but do they only ever happen to us? You may want to discuss the feelings that emerge when something unpleasant happens, and help each other think of people who can help, as well as how to cheer each other and ourselves up.
The illustrations in this book tell us what happened to Winston’s friends without using words. Only Winston doesn’t notice. Pick one illustration, look closely at Winston’s friend, and tell their story as if you were them: What are they feeling? What are they thinking? What about this particular illustration caught your attention?
You may want to try looking on the bright side! At the end of each day, share something good that’s happened to you with your family – make sure that both parents and children share news about their day.
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.
Chełm is a city in Poland, and in Jewish folklore, it is the hometown of the wise men of Chełm, who are not actually all that smart: they are ridiculous and naïve, and their stupidity is often depicted with a smile and much compassion. The wise men of Chełm have become known for their silliness and pointless actions, and are the protagonists of many amusing tales. The term “wise men of Chełm” has come to mean those who act irrationally and absurdly. The stories about the wise men of Chełm can be found in collections and anthologies for both children and adults.
The story about Joseph makes us smile and laugh. You could ask your child: What amused you about this story? What about the illustrations did you think was funny? What usually makes you laugh?
Inspired by Joyful Joseph, who began each morning with a song about his beautiful life, you too could write a song and tune, and sing it together.
What about your town do you like? You may enjoy taking photographs of places and people you love, or write a short poem about your hometown, using Joseph’s song as inspiration. You could even write a tune and turn your poem into a song.
How will we remember the way? You may want to step outside, look around you, and identify landmarks, such as a tree, bench, or the name of a street. You could draw a map of the route you’d walked, add your landmarks to it, and take it with you next time you set off on your way.
Joseph from Chełm goes to Warsaw
שְׁמִירָה
How beautiful is my town and how lovely is my room!
Joseph loves his town and looks kindly upon it. Try to follow Joseph’s footsteps and describe your room – what about it is beautiful and good? What do you love about it? And what do you like about your home? You could take a family tour, during which each of you will describe your favorite parts of the house.
An arrow pointing right, an arrow pointing left, one pointing forward, and another pointing backward – that’s all you need to create a particularly energetic game. You could draw these arrows on dice or directly on the floor, and ask your child to jump in the direction to which the arrow points. You could also throw number dice and jump up and down as many times as shown by the dice.
How about playing “treasure hunt”, and drawing arrows leading to the sought-after treasure?
“He who sowed sorrowfully, now reaps joyously” – the children in this book enjoy working hard and being independent. Do you, children and parents, enjoy working and creating yourselves? What kind of work do you enjoy doing together with friends or family members, such as your grandparents? And what do you enjoy doing all on your own?
You may want to think together about the kind of work that you find hard, but also rewarding.
There are simple, everyday pleasures like drinking lemonade together, smelling a fragrant flower, or listening to a story. You may enjoy making a family collection of pleasures together: draw moments of joy on notes, and post them up in a central area of your house. You could “pick” a note each day, plucking it off the wall, and taking a moment to share some simple joy together.
This book mentions many scents – lemons, herbs, and roses – that may inspire you to play the following aroma quiz: pick some fragrant items (soap, a vanilla bean, mint leaves, orange zest, etc.) and start playing. Take turns closing your eyes, smelling one of the items given to you, and trying to guess what it is. Can you guess by using your sense of smell alone? You could allow participants to use their sense of touch too. When the game is over, you could place the fragrant items in a small basket, and smell them in moments of simple pleasure.
You may want to take a walk near your home to look for fruit trees, flowers, or herbs. You could try growing some herbs in your garden or a planter – mint, tree wormwood, sage, or lemongrass. This could be the perfect opportunity to give your child a job – being responsible for watering the plants – so that when the time comes, they will be able to pick them joyously, and use them with pleasure!
You may want to leaf through the book together, and look at the special illustrations. Perhaps you could ask your child to notice the different perspectives and angles from which the illustrator chose to draw Mooha and Booha: up close and from afar, from down below or high above, from the front and back. You may enjoy picking an object at home, and trying to draw or photograph it from various angles.
How about acting the story out together using puppets? You could suggest that your child try to convince the cows to stop bickering, and enjoy their grass.
It is often difficult to admit that we are jealous of others. Perhaps you could share an incident with your child in which you were jealous of someone else when you were growing up, and how you coped with that feeling.
Mooha and Booha cannot enjoy their own grass, because they focus solely on what the other has. You may want to toss a ball between you, and have each of you say something good that makes them happy as you take turns catching the ball.
Seasons change, the green grass turns yellow, and the cows cannot stop fighting. Perhaps you could make a “grass head” using old stockings, some soil, and grass seeds. Take care of the grass head together, and discover how long it takes for the grass to grow at its top.
You may want to pause as you read and ask your child: Where do you think the cat is rushing off to? Why is Mr. Goat blocking the way? Will the vixen eat all the raspberries that she has picked herself?
Perhaps you would enjoy taking a look at the illustrations in this book together: Have you noticed Duck’s and Porcupine’s special eyebrows? Can you discern who is angry and upset, and who is happy and relaxed judging by their eyebrows alone? You may want to sit one opposite the other and take turns to cover your face, leaving nothing but your eyebrows visible. Now, pull a face – happy, surprised, angry, or sad – and ask the other to guess which emotion you were trying to express by your eyebrows alone.
You could make a finger theater using eyeliners and lipsticks: draw needles on the back of your finger, and a nose and mouth on the front – and you have got yourself a porcupine; paint the thumb and forefinger of your other hand red with some lipstick, so that their tips form a bill – and you have got yourself a duck. Use both hands to perform a show based on this book. Which hand is quick to judge? Which hand gives others the benefit of the doubt?
Perhaps you could share a story with your child about a time when, like the duck in this book, you were quick to jump to conclusions about others’ actions. When something unpleasant happens, we can try to adopt the “porcupine” approach, and repeat the phrase “maybe, possibly, perhaps” together.
You may want to sit close together, read the story, and enjoy the illustrations. Which amusing details and play-on-words did you discover in the illustrations? Perhaps you could ask your child to tell you the story according to the sequence of illustrations.
At the end of the book, the animals try on each other’s tails, wings and fins. What is each new animal comprised of? You may enjoy coming up with names for them.
Somebody is jealous of the other animals, and wants to be like them. Have you ever wished you were more similar to someone else? You may want to share those experiences with your child. Perhaps you could discuss the differences and similarities between your family members, what makes each of you unique, or unites you all. This may be a good opportunity to strengthen your child’s inner qualities, and encourage them to remain true to themselves.
Perhaps you would enjoy acting the story out together. Using various fabrics and accessories, you could make wings, tails, whiskers and feathers. You may want to keep all the disguises and props in an easily accessible basket, and encourage your child to dress up as a different animal each time, bringing the various characters in the book to life.
Do not judge a book by its cover: we are accustomed to describing people using their external features. Can you describe one another without referring to any external features? Was it hard?
This book may inspire you to set up a “garage sale” with clothes, costumes, and accessories that are lying around your house. Invite family and friends over, and together you can play dress up, exchange items, and feel brand new.
You may want to look for other books on dressing up at home, in kindergarten, or at the local library, and read them together. Books such as BrownStripe (Humpas) by Shlomit Cohen-Assif, An Egg in Disguise (HaBeitza Shehithapsa) by Dan Pagis, or A Very Honorable Coat (Tochal, Meil, Tochal) by Ronit Chacham.
“… the tiger understood that a smile would appear on his face each time he felt happy”
Take your child for a walk outdoors and enjoy the nature that surrounds you. Like the tiger, you too can play with crushed leaves, listen to birds chirping and climb up hills.
What makes you and your child smile? You can play “the smiling game” together: Pass a ball between you. Each time one of you tosses or rolls the ball to the other, mention something that makes you happy. Don’t forget to smile throughout the game!
Where is our child and his or her smile? You can play hide-and-go-seek throughout the house, looking for each other’s smile.
The tiger looked into a puddle and discovered his smile right under his nose. In our homes we don’t have puddles but we do have mirrors! Your child can discover his or her smile in the mirror, and make funny faces at his reflection.
Song and dance are natural ways of expressing our happiness. You can sing and dance with your child, even without a special reason. Think of songs that are especially appropriate, such as “If you’re happy and you know it…”.
At the end of the story the tiger jumps with joy. If the story had continued, he might have even burst into laughter. Do you want to laugh? Here’s a funny way to start: Everyone in the family lies down on the carpet, with one person’s head resting on another’s belly. One member of the family starts to giggle, his or her tummy trembles, and soon you’ll all see how contagious the laughter becomes!
The author and illustrator Katherine Rayner loves the animals she depicts in her books. Our story is accompanied by special drawings. Go through the book with your child, noting how the tiger looks when he has lost his smile, and how he appears when he finds it in the puddle.
“Augustus and his Smile” is the first Sifriyat Pijama book of the year. Reading books together as a family is one way to bring joy and happiness into the home, and can put a smile on everyone’s faces. Enjoy!
Augustus and his Smile (Hebrew title: Prince’s Smile)
Talk with your children about the two protagonists in the story, Balthazar and Joseph, and compare them. Balthazar has much treasure at home but doesn’t share his wealth with others, whereas the impoverished Joseph is content with his lot in life and opens his home to guests on Shabbat.
You may want to discuss the difference between being “thrifty” and being “stingy” (both terms used in the story), and talk about the kind of generosity that doesn’t depend on having money.You might also discuss the concept of envy, and ask your children why they think Balthazar was so determined that his treasure not fall into Joseph’s hands.
Using simple props (you could make a precious “diamond” out of a crumpled ball of aluminum foil, and use a towel or scarf for a turban), you could dress up as the characters in the story and put on a family play. You could also use dolls, puppets, and stuffed animals to put on a show about this story.
Joseph’s daughter goes with him on his trip to the market. Where do you do your shopping – at a farmers’ market, or at the supermarket? A visit to a bustling farmers’ market can be an enjoyable adventure for young children. You could work together to write and illustrate ashopping list for Shabbat, and then look for them in the farmers’ stalls at the market, or at the store.
After reading the story, you can talk with your children about the way your own family celebrates Shabbat. What does your family do that is special? Who are your guests? You might work with your children to make an album of photos and drawings: “Our Shabbat,” featuring the people and things that make the Sabbath day special in your family.
Do you, like Joseph and his family, enjoy hosting or being a guest on Shabbat? Many children enjoy taking part in the preparations for entertaining guests into their home. They can make a “Welcome” sign and hang it on the front door, help set the table, help with kitchen chores, or decorate the table with special drawings for each place setting.
Many sources tell us about the unique character of Shabbat and the preparations for the day. Together, think of all the songs and stories you know about Shabbat (for example, “Who Loves Shabbat” by Ehud Manor; “Chanaleh and the Sabbath Dress” by Yitzchak Demiel; “The Missing Spice” arranged by Devorah Omer; etc.).
Do you know a different version of the “Joseph Who Treasures Shabbat” story? If you do, you can share it with your children and compare the differing versions.
The illustrations on the final pages of the book tell us, without words, what happens at the end of the story. Look at the illustrations together, and then use your ownwords to describe what happens after Joseph buys the big fish in honor of Shabbat. Notice the many figures that the illustrator added to the pictures throughout the story, and maybe invent a dialogue between these gossiping bystanders and Joseph.
Many things cause Isadora’s morning to be gray and gloomy. Look at the illustrations. Search through them with your children and seek out all the things that are difficult for Isadora and that annoy her. You may ask your children: “Does it ever happen to you that you get up ‘on the wrong side of the bed’? What is most difficult in this kind of morning? How do you respond when it happens?”
Isadora isn’t alone during her day. A small goose accompanies her throughout the entire story! You may want to tell your children about the help that you receive from friends or from family members whenever you are in a bad mood, and suggest that they give thought to who accompanies and helps them to “sweeten” difficult situations.
Isadora gathers up her gloomy morning and transforms the difficulties into a cake. You, too, can prepare a cake, and sweeten it even more by adding chocolate sprinkles, raisins or candies. You may want to relate to all the sweet additions as symbols of difficult things in the children’s lives, thereby demonstrating the expression “Me’az yatza matok” (Out of the strong came sweetness).
Isadora is very active. She dances, plucks, bakes, and in the end eats the entire cake! You and your children are invited to make a list of ten ways to overcome a bad mood. You can prepare an illustrated list together and to hang it in a convenient place, as a reminder whenever the need arises.
Little by little the illustrations in the story change from black to gray to pink. You might explain to the children the special symbolism of various colors. For example, the color pink symbolizes happiness and being positive. It would be fun to prepare some “rose-colored glasses” together from construction paper and rose-colored cellophane. Put them on and see how everything looks different!
What do you think: Do you and your children think that eating the entire cake was a good idea?
You and your children may want to invent a different ending for the story. Send your ideas to the Sifriyat Pijama website pj.crunchcart.com, and we’ll post them on the site!
Spend some time looking at the illustrations together and recalling all the things that the girl in the poem loves. Ask your children what they love “the most in the world.”
Did anything in the illustrations make you laugh? In the poem, the girl drew a lion that came out looking more like a rabbit, so she called it her “rabbitlion.” You and your children could draw some imaginary animals and invent made-up names for them.
Accepting oneself does not mean having no aspiration to improve. Have a conversation with your children about the things in our lives that we need to learn to accept, and contrast those with the things that we could strive to change. Brainstorm together about something that you all would like to improve, and about ways to achieve that goal.
Explain to your children the meaning of “Who is rich? The person who is happy with what they have,” and discuss what it signifies to each of you. Ask your children: who is rich in their eyes? What makes each member of the family happy? And what makes us, taken together as a family, happy?
You might start a new family tradition, using bedtime to recall the good things that happened today, and the good people that we love. Each family member might say two good things that happened to them today, and mention someone or something that they especially cherish.
It’s fun to read a story and act it out: ask your child to close their eyes, and kiss the tip of their nose at the beginning of the story. As the story progresses, get kisses and hug each other, just like they do in the story.
Once you have read the story several times, your child will know the rhymes and be able to complete the sentences on their own:
You may want to paint your lips and create kiss-shaped stamps on a sheet of paper, much like the inner cover of the book. Once you have a page full of kisses, you could cut them out, and use them to decorate your child’s bedroom.
When Mommy tries to collect all the kisses that blew away, they disappear as soon as she catches them. You may enjoy blowing soap bubbles at bath-time, and trying to catch them (hint: soapy hands make it easier to catch bubbles without bursting them).
And in the morning, when your child wakes up all warm and sweet, kiss their nose – it’s a sure recipe for a wonderful day!
You may want to read this story several times, pointing out the various animals, the feather, dog leash, and nut. As you read it a second and third time, your child will be able to point at the illustrations instead of you, and know the name of each item depicted.
You may want to pay attention to the details drawn by author and illustrator Kevin Henkes. Did you notice that the dog, squirrel, fox and bird are all part of the little girl’s good day at the end of the book?
You may enjoy looking for the picture in which the bird looks for its lost feather. Can your child reveal the feather’s hiding-place?
You may want to use puppets or stuffed animals and act the story out.
Perhaps you would enjoy looking at the final illustration and guess how the little girl’s day had begun. Did she also get off to the wrong start?
At the end of the story, the little girl finds a feather. You could buy synthetic feathers and glue in an arts & crafts store with which to decorate your own colorful bird.
You may enjoy taking a yellow feather, much like the one the little girl found in the story, curling up with your child and tickling them with it.
The Tree of Stars 
A Woman from Betzalel Street 
Saul the Cat 
Something 
The Bus Stop 
The Peddler and the Baker (Literally in Hebrew: Pleasure’s All Ours) 
Seven Good Years 
The Perfect Gift 
Winston was Worried 
One Hundred Rooms 
Joseph from Chełm goes to Warsaw 
Lemonade 
Mooha and Booha 
Maybe, Possibly, Perhaps 
Somebody 
Augustus and his Smile (Hebrew title: Prince’s Smile) 
In the Market of Zhakrobat 
Mrs. Biddlebox In Hebrew, “Isadora, What a Day” 
My Mess 
Kisses 
A Good Day 
קְרִיאָה
שִׂיחָה
יְצִירָה
חֵקֶר
שֵׁמַע
הַשְׁרָאָה
מִשְׂחָק
סִרְטוֹנִים
לָצֵאת הַחוּצָה
בִּשּׁוּל
הַעֲשָׁרָה
כְּלָלִי
