Neighbor Nafisa 
Rani and the Sweets 
Oh Flying Bird 
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About the book
Dear Parents,
Plant goodness, and you will harvest goodness.
When the neighbor Nafisa gives the little girl Zafran two pieces of cake, a chain of giving and cooperation begins among the townspeople—from the fava bean seller, to the sports coach, to the child, and even the dog. In the end, this beautiful gesture returns as goodness to Nafisa herself. How does this happen?
This book explores the values of generosity and kindness, and encourages children to develop concepts of social solidarity and mutual support. At this stage of development, children begin to move beyond a self-centered view toward a broader understanding of relationships around them. They learn that their actions affect others, just as they themselves are affected by the actions of others.
This book offers a valuable opportunity to open a dialogue with our child about their role in their environment and community, and to strengthen their sense of belonging to a circle of kindness and giving. When we acknowledge every act of generosity or kind initiative our child shows, and help them see how their actions can have a meaningful impact, we instill in them the understanding that giving is a value that comes from within—not merely a response to expectations or instructions from others.
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Talk about the events of the story
Let’s Talk
About the events of the story:
What makes the neighbor Nafisa special?
How did Nafisa’s cake affect the behavior of the townspeople?
How did the villagers feel when they helped one another without expecting anything in return?
What distinguishes the people of the town?
About doing good:
Nafisa wonders and says, “What did I do to deserve being saved?”
What do you think she did?
Is kindness always rewarded with kindness?
About similar experiences:
Talk with your child and recall similar moments when you helped others. Ask them:
Have you ever helped someone?
How did you feel?
How do you think the other person felt?
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Enriching Our Language names such as Nafisa, Zafran, and other traditional, older names
Enriching Our Language
Names such as Nafisa, Zafran, and other traditional, older names—like those of grandparents. We search for these names together and learn about their meanings.
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Each family member writes on a piece of paper: “This week, I will _____,” to help someone.
Let’s Connect – “The Kindness Box”
Each family member writes on a piece of paper: “This week, I will _____,” to help someone.
After one week, we talk together about the good deeds we did and how they affected us.
We can also bake a homemade cake and share it with neighbors in our area, experiencing together the value of giving without expecting anything in return—letting the act itself speak for us.
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About the book
Has your child ever asked: “If you don’t follow the rules, why am I expected to?”
Rani is forbidden from eating sweets on Tuesdays—but the surprise comes when he later discovers that his father eats sweets in secret! This book opens the door to questioning boundaries and the fairness of rules that adults themselves do not always follow.
Boundaries are essential for children: they give them a sense of safety and help them understand the world and regulate their behavior. At the same time, setting boundaries is one of the biggest parenting challenges we face. How do we define boundaries? How do we apply them? Especially since our children don’t only listen to what we say—they also watch what we do.
In the story, Rani’s parents choose to reduce sugar consumption and agree with him on eating sweets at specific times. Importantly, they do not impose this rule through strictness or force. Instead, they reach an agreement with him and offer alternatives such as carrots or coloring stones. This is exactly what our children need: clear agreements that suit their abilities, so they can follow them out of conviction, not fear. It is also important to explain the reason, for example: “Eating too many sweets and candies is harmful to your health.”
Let us always remember that when we set boundaries, we send our child a message that says: “We see you, we care about you, and we want you to grow in the best possible way.”
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About the events of the story
Let’s Talk
About the events of the story:
Talk with your child and ask:
Do you think the father was right to forbid sweets? Why?
What do you think of Rani’s father’s behavior?
How do you think Rani felt when he discovered that his father eats sweets secretly?
What would you have done if you were in Rani’s place?
About the rules in our home:
Talk with your child about the rules in your home and ask:
What is our family rule about eating sweets?
Do you think rules should apply to everyone?
Is there a difference between rules for adults and rules for children?
What other rules exist in our home? List them together and explain them.
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Let your child play the role of one of the parents while you play the child.
Enriching Our Language & Strengthening Persuasion and Argument Skills
Role reversal:
Let your child play the role of one of the parents while you play the child. Ask them to convince you of one household rule, such as sticking to bedtime.
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Ask your child to invent a new rule
Let’s Connect
Ask your child to invent a new rule, for example:
“No chocolate before dinner,” or
“We must hug family members once every day.”
Encourage them to draw the rule, hang it up at home, and follow it together.
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Prepare “fake sweets” and color them.
Let’s Create
Prepare “fake sweets” and color them. You can use stones, shells, buttons, modeling clay, and other materials.
Look for healthy dessert options and prepare them together with your child.
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The text starts with...
The text starts with a poem about our home town. We can talk with our child about our town’s characteristics, and switch the last sentence with a one that relates to our town.
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Who are our neighbors...
Who are our neighbors? We can talk with our child about the nearby villages and towns that he visits sometimes and see what connections he makes to each one.
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The illustrations highlight...
The illustrations highlight the most prominent spots in each town and village. We can help our child to identify these spots through the illustrations such as the Dome of Bahai or the light house of Akko.
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Does the book...
Does the book motivate us to go on a journey to different places? It would be nice to go and take family pictures and then hang them on the string in the last two pages of this book. We can also collect all the pictures in a small memory box.
