Pre-K friends read great books that inspired discussions about feelings.
The book "Why do you cry?" by Kate Klise tells a story about Little Rabbit who is about to turn five, and he decides he’s all through with crying. He doesn’t want crybabies at his birthday party, so he tells his friends they can come only if they’re big, like him, and don’t cry anymore. When all of his friends and his mom admit to crying sometimes, Little Rabbit is shocked. The question raised in the class was does everybody cry? Why? Friends shared that everyone cries for different reasons. Some friends shared that they cry when someone hurts them or screams at them, some friends shared that they cry when they want something very very much but can't have it.
Other book that we read was "The Happiness Box" by Bracha Goetz. A story about a kid that is never happy with what he has. He finds things to complain about all day.
One day his parents bought a washing machine. The boy is not happy because it's not for him. His wise father convinces him that the box from the washing machine is the real item of desire and it's just for him. It's called "a happiness box" and while inside one must think only happy thoughts.
This boy accepts the conditions and gets inside of the box. At first he has a very difficult time to think of something happy. So he starts to think of yummy things that his mom cooks for Shabbos, then about his favorite toys among which is his old boddy Teddy Bear. Pre-K friends imagined things that they would think in their Happiness Boxes. Most friends said that thinking of their favorite toys would make them feel happy.
"In my Happiness Box I think of my favorite cows", said Mordechai Yisroel.
"In my Happyness Box I think of my Purim costume", said Menny.
"In my Happiness Box I think of my favorite airplanes", said Mickey.
