How did Neighbor Nafisa’s cake save her life?! This book explores important social values such as generosity, charity, and community solidarity. It fosters in children a sense of belonging to a circle of goodness—where kind actions bring goodness back to us and to those around us.
Age Group: Second Grade
Book-Related Family Activities
Book-Related Video Films in the footsteps of the story
Publishing:
Qadita
Year of Distribution:
2025-2026
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.
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?
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.
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.