A Boy who did not want to Sleep Alone

ABOUT THE BOOK
FAMILY ACTIVITIES

A Boy who did not want to Sleep Alone

By Mira Meir Illustrations: Alona Frankel

Many children find it difficult to go to bed alone. The transition from daytime to nighttime is not an easy one. It requires us to part from the people we had spent the day with, and from the various activities in which we had engaged, calm down, and enter dream world.

Family Activities

Classroom Activities

Video

Dear Parents,

Both parents and children often look for ways by which to alleviate the shift. Jewish tradition also makes reference to the transition between daytime and nighttime, accompanying it with prayers and wishes. The little boy in the story finds the right way for him to go to bed on his own. For several nights he undergoes a personal process, until he is finally able to sleep alone all night.

Enjoy reading the book and discussing it together!

Mira Meir [1932–2016]

An Israeli author, poet and editor, Mira Meir was born in Poland and immigrated to Israel in 1939. Having completed her IDF service, she joined Kibbutz Nachshon, where she raised her family and lived to her dying day. Meir wrote stories and poems for both children and adults, some of whom are among Israeli children's favorite books. For 41 years she edited books for children and young adults at Sifriyat Poalim Publishing House, accompanying and guiding new authors and illustrators, who had, in time, become well-known and loved. Mira Meir has won many awards for her books, among them the Andersen Award, Zeev Award for lifetime achievement, and Minister of Education's Award.

פעילות בחיק המשפחה

You may want to read the story several times. After a while, your child will become familiar with the cyclical nature of the plot, and will chant the lines along with you.
How do you prepare for bedtime? Do you have a story, prayer, song or other ritual that helps you part with daytime? Following the book, you may want to initiate a new ritual, or think of a bedtime idea together
You may want to pay close attention to the boy's face as depicted in Alone Frankel's illustrations. When are his eyes open and when are they shut? Can you found the illustration in which only one of his eyes is open? You may like to try and imitate the boy's facial expressions. What do you see when you close your eyes?
"On the sixth day the little boy noticed there was no room for him in the bed…" Sometimes we enjoy curling up in bed with members of our family or some toys, and other times the bed feels crowded. Inspired by the story, you may want to sing "Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed" together, or the Hebrew version Shovavim Bamita, beginning with the lyrics "Bemita Ahat Lo Kol Kach Gdola", by Datya Ben Dor, who also wrote the tune.
Do you know other stories by Mira Meir, such as Shluli or Oren's Turtle? Or books written and illustrated by Alona Frankel, such as Sefer Hapilipilim or Sir Hasirim? You may want to look for them at home or the library, and read them together.
Does your child have many stuffed animals like the little boy in the book? Does s/he also like sleeping with them? You may want to choose some of your child's stuffed toys and use them to put on a play of the book. Once you finish reading the story, your child can choose which toy will help them make the transition to bedtime.