Dear Parents,

When Somebody (Mishu) compares himself to other animals, he feels worthless. His attempts to add external accessories to his appearance have a surprising effect on the other animals as well. Together they learn that it is not the outer shell, but the inner essence that counts.

“Do not look at the vessel, but what is in it” (Ethics of the Fathers 4:20)

It is natural to notice a person’s external features – their physique, clothes, etc. But we must not judge a book by its cover! We should always remember that external features do not attest to a person’s inner character – and a person’s personality, invisible to the naked eye, is what truly matters.

The story about Somebody conveys an important message: that underneath the external differences between us, is an identical core. All of us have been happy at times, and sad at others; we have all known success as well as failure; we are all hopeful sometimes, while at other times we feel disappointed. Each and every one of us has asked him/herself: Who am I? Which parts of me are nothing more than an unimportant shell? What makes me into who I truly am?

Proposed Family Activities:

• 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.