Kindergarten Books > The Man Who Loved Trees

The Man Who Loved Trees

Written and Illustrated by Natalie Waksman Shenker / Publisher: Am Oved

Distribution: May 2020

Giora loved trees. When he saw a damaged tree, he would care for it, whether it was a ficus tree, a palm tree or an apple tree, teaching us about the love of nature and tikkun olam, the repairing of the world.

Family Activities

Giora loves trees. He loves looking at, identifying, and getting to know them wherever he goes.

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Classroom Activities

Dear Parents,

Giora loves trees. He loves looking at, identifying, and getting to know them wherever he goes. What will he do when he spots a dilapidated, wilted apple tree that seems to be in trouble? This is a book about becoming involved, taking initiative, loving nature, and preserving it.

 

"To work it and to preserve it" (Genesis, 2:15)

Jewish tradition attributes great importance to land and nature, agricultural work and nature preservation. The first person assigned this important task was Adam. Back in the Garden of Eden, he was told to work the land and preserve it, thereby given the responsibility to safekeep the world around him, and nurture it.

In The Man who Loved Trees, Giora manages to save trees, and inspires his neighbors. Gradually and due to their cooperation, their entire neighborhood blooms in green.

 

This is the last book your child will receive from PJ Library this year. We hope you have enjoyed reading, discussing, and doing the activities together. We wish you a summer full of wonderful experiences and story times. See you next year!

פעילות בחיק המשפחה

  • How about packing this book along with some refreshments and a blanket, finding a beloved tree in nature, and reading the story there together. Afterwards, you may enjoy collecting pine cones, tree bark, leaves, and more. When you return home, you can use them to make a piece of artwork together.
  • You may want to snuggle up and look at the magnificent illustrations closely. Can your child identify some familiar trees by their illustration?
  • After you finish reading the story, you may want to ask your child what they think Giora will do now, and what will happen to the trees. Perhaps you would enjoy writing up a creative follow-up to the story told, and illustrating it.
  • Baobab, loquat, Tamarisk, Pecan… Giora knows every tree by name. what kinds of trees grow near your home? How can you identify them? How can you tell them apart? You may want to take go tree-spotting together, learn about the trees you see, and make an illustrated tree guide together.
  • How about taking a walk near your home? Are there any open spaces or dilapidated courtyards nearby? Perhaps you and some friends could clean them up, and make them look nicer. You could even plant a community garden with your neighbors.
  • Do you know any other stories or poems about trees (like Zuta and the Apple Tree by Orit Raz, What's it like to be a Tree? By Datia Ben Dor, The Abba Tree by Devora Busheri, What Does it Take by Gianni Rodari)? You may want to look for them at home or in the library, and read them together.

רעיונות לשילוב הספר בגן

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