1st & 2nd Grade Books > Can I Be Your Dog?

Can I Be Your Dog?

Text and Illustrations: Troy Cunningham / Publisher: Keter and Knafayim

Distribution: February 2021

Arfy is a good dog and he doesn’t need much. He just wants to find someone who will love him. A heartwarming story, bursting with humor, about home, about friendship and about love.

Family Activities

Both humans and dogs seek company, a sense of belonging, and warmth, and so does Arfy. Yet Arfy is optimistic and never gives up: his days are sad and lonely until a friend shows up who is in need of a friend, just like him. Friendship helps us at any age and time, as we learn from the author of ...

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Classroom Activities

an I Be your Dog?

Written and Illustrated by: Troy Cummings

 

Dear Parents,

Both humans and dogs seek company, a sense of belonging, and warmth, and so does Arfy. Yet Arfy is optimistic and never gives up: his days are sad and lonely until a friend shows up who is in need of a friend, just like him. Friendship helps us at any age and time, as we learn from the author of Ecclesiastes:

 

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow [Ecclesiastes, 4:9-10]

 

Nevertheless, making friends may be challenging, and somewhat painful, even for sociable children: Arfy's story is about believing in good and having an optimistic outlook, in the hope that somewhere out there, a friend is waiting who can help us, and even if we fall, someone will be around to reach out to us and help us up.

Reading together, experiencing together

פעילות בחיק המשפחה

  • Discussing – Friendship Children yearn for friends and a sense of belonging, and the story about Arfy introduces this subject with all the complexities and heartaches that are sometimes associated with it. Yet Arfy has inner strength, and he chooses his own fate: his story allows us to hold a sensitive discussion about friendship, and the roads leading to it. You could, perhaps, ask your child what, in their opinion, is the reason for Arfy's letters to different people. Would you have wanted to be Arfy's frieds? Why? What would you have done in Arfy's place?
  • Story-telling illustrations Many pages in this book contain text-less illustrations demonstrating Arfy's feelings. What do these illustrations tell us? Which of them make you smile, and why? What is Arfy feeling? What is he thinking?
  • Letter writing You may be inspired by the letters in this book to write notes to one another. You could hide letters with encouraging or amusing messages under your pillow, in your bag, or anywhere else, and enjoy surprising your family members with them.
  • Treating animals well Each of us can open our eyes and hearts to the animals around us – providing them with water on a hot day, setting up shelters, or anything else that would contribute to their wellbeing, and have a positive impact on the world in which we all live.

רעיונות לשילוב הספר בגן

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