The Little Pickpocket

ABOUT THE BOOK
FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Written and Illustrated by Avner Katz

A little kangaroo, bored in his mother’s pouch, goes out to explore what people have in their pockets, leading him to exciting discoveries. The book deals with the need of children to learn and discover new places and things, with the reassurance that there is a safe place – home – to which they can return.

Family Activities

The little kangaroo gets bored of adult conversations, so he jumps out of his mother’s pocket in protest, and sets out on a journey to search for exciting things in the pockets of others. On this journey, the kangaroo goes through various sensory experiences, from playing with colors to hearing ...

Video

Dear Parents,

There is no doubt that life with a naturally curious child, like our child, is not boring at all! They are constantly wondering and eager to discover new things. It is their way of learning about themselves, about the world, and about their relationships with others around them. The challenge that many parents face remains: How do we allow our child to have these experiences (as small as they might be) by themselves, and support their need for exploration, while still taking measures to maintain their safety?

Family Activities

We can keep track of the pockets that the little kangaroo goes into. Each pocket is a self-contained world that reveals the personality and whims of its owner. We can have a conversation with our child about the contents of each pocket that the kangaroo visits: What does it tell us about the owner of the pocket?
The kangaroo visited the pocket of the doctor, the musician, the artist, the schoolboy, the rich lady, and the poor man, and was immersed in their world for a short time. Together, we can imagine other people whose pockets the kangaroo might jump into. What might he find in them?
We usually carry what is valuable to us or what we consider necessary for us in our daily life in our pockets and handbags. Together, we can play “guess what’s in my pocket.” Why do we carry these things in our pockets and our handbags?
We can chat with our child about places he or she would like to visit. What attracts them to these places?
The little kangaroo learns songs about the sea and about being homesick. We can recall some of these songs and sing them together.
Together, we can read books about expeditions and exploratory adventures, such as the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor from “A Thousand and One Nights,” or “Gulliver’s Travels” from world literature. We may find some of them in our library at home, or we may be tempted to visit the public library in our town!
These suggestions were developed by a working group in the “Lantern Library” from the Ministry of Education, Early Childhood Development Center (Bidayat), and the Grinspoon Foundation.
We wish you an interesting reading and exciting activities!

المربّية العزيزة،

منذ لحظة ولادته، ينشغل الطّفل في التعلّم عن العالم من حوله مستعينًا بحواسه. ويقوم البالغ، من أهل ومربيّات، بدور أساسي في الوساطة بين الطفل وبين البيئة من حوله. في سنّ الثّالثة والرّابعة، يكون الطفل قد امتلك قدرات جسديّة وذهنيّة واجتماعية وعاطفية تساعده في الاستقلال نوعًا ما عن الكبار، والانطلاق في "مغامرات" صغيرة لمعرفة المزيد عن نفسه وعن العالم. لكنّه لا يتجرّأ على خوض هذه المغامرات، ما لم يكن واثقًا من وجود يدٍ حانية ترعاه، وحضنٍ آمن يعود إليه.

"النّشال الصّغير" هي قصّة كنغر صغير يملّ من مكانه الصّغير في جيب أمّه، وينزعج من انشغال والديه عنه، فيخرج في رحلة خياليّة يزور فيها جيوب أشخاص مختلفين. رحلته هذه تقوده إلى اكتشافات عن نفسه، وعن آخرين، يعود في نهايتها إلى مكانه الأول الآمن -البيت- حيث الحبّ والتّقبّل.