Grandpa Books!

When I began collecting books about grandfathers, I was surprised to find such a large selection of books.  I assumed that there would be more grandmother books but it turns out I was wrong.  Both my grandfathers passed away before I was born so the idea of having a grandfather is like a fairy tale for me.

המכנסים של סבא / Grandfather's Pants by עדינה בר-אל / Adina Bar-El is a family favorite.  Grandfather has two pairs of pants - one short and one long.  When he wants to relax, he wears the short pants and when he goes out he wears the long pants. Friday evening he wore the long pants when he went to shul/synagogue. After dinner, he wants to relax and put on his short pants but he can't  find them.  He and Grandma look everywhere - even the dog house!  You will laugh out loud when you find out where the short pants were all along.  Ages 3-6.

סבאלה/ Grandpa by סנונית בנט / Snonit Banet is a sweet, simple book about a boy and his grandfather. They have a wonderful relationship. The boy and his grandfather love to spend time together.  They have a special type of kiss - not on the cheek or on the nose.  They have a special forehead kiss.

 Ages 3-4.

ילדה של ספרים / The Story Girl by עמי גדליה / Ami Gedalyah has always been a favorite of mine.  Gal is especially close to her grandfather who loves to read all the classics to her.  She is a girl with quite an imagination. Gal is totally wrapped up in the stories her father and grandfather read to her.  She ties up the sleeping carpenter just like the Lilliputians tied up Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels. Gali makes pancakes just like Pippi Longstockings by throwing the eggs straight in the pan.

When her grandfather passes away, she learns that in real life there isn't always a happy ending.  But there are always wonderful memories and great things one can do with one's imagination. Ages 8-10.

Tip no. 30

Michael Bond, the author of the Paddington Bear series, passed away last week at the age of 91.

 According to the Jerusalem Post, Bond partly based Paddington Bear on the  WWII Jewish refugee children he saw arriving at London's Reading Train Station with labels around their necks.  I  read elsewhere that Bond based Paddington on the children evacuees leaving London during WWII with labels around their necks and small suitcases in their hands.

Who Is Nira Harel?

נירה הראל /Nira Harel is a well-known author of over 50 books.  Most of her books are children's books for all ages.  She has also been a teacher and editor of children's books.  She founded and edited the children's magazine פילון/ Little Elephant. But what's most important to me, she is the founder and editor of the website דףדף/ To Browse.  As I wrote in an earlier post, this site about children's literature is my go-to site for book reviews.  It's full of interesting information about children's books, authors and, illustrators.  On the website, you can see a video of Nira Harel reading one of her books.

These are only a few of her many books for pre-schoolers.

!את זה/ This!  is a book for every frustrated parent and toddler who can't communicate.  Noam keeps crying, pointing his finger and saying "This!".  His poor father gives him a ball, then a teddy bear, and some candy.  They are not what he wants.  His father plays the piano, sings and even stands on his head.  Nothing works! In the end, Noam's father accidently figures out what "this" really is.  Ages 2-3.

שפת הסימנים של נעה / Noa's Sign Language is the story of a clever girl named Noa.  Noa can never remember what day of the week it is and is getting quite frustrated.  Then she has a great idea - braids!  She'll start off with one braid on יום ראשון/Sunday and each day add another braid to her hairstyle. By the last day of the week שבת/ Saturday, she'll have seven braids (the Jewish/Israeli week starts on Sunday). Ages 3-5.

 In the book מפתח הלב/The Key to my Heart, Yonatan's father has a key chain full of keys.  There is a key to the front door, the car, the shed, Grandma's house and more.  His father tells him that  Yonatan's picture attached to the key chain is more important than all the keys.  Yonatan loves to hear his father tell him that.  The key chain gets lost. They backtrack trying to find it.  It's found thanks to Yonatan's picture that's attached to the key chain. 

 This book was a family favorite.  Ages 4-5.

You will probably be hungry by the time you finish reading the book  סבא בשל מרק/ Grandfather Cooked Soup.  Sabba (Grandfather) is  lonely and sad.  He decides that he'll cook some soup to cheer himself up.  All of a sudden, one after another three of his grandchildren come to visit and sit down to have soup with him.  Soon the whole neighborhood smells the soup and comes to have a bowl of pea soup.  Sabba is delighted!  Ages 3-5.



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Tip no. 22

האחים גרין

Looking for a second-hand bookstore in Tel-Aviv?  Try האחים גרין/ The Green Brothers on רח' פרישמן 90 /   Frishman St. 90.  The phone number is 03-5238501. It's a small store but it has quite a good selection.  As with any secondhand bookstore, you never know what you will find there!