Zayzafoona

Like all giraffes, Zayzafoona sleeps for a very short time only during the night. The rest of the time she roams around looking for a friend to play with. The animals are annoyed with her because she makes a lot of noise walking on dry leaves and twigs and disturbs their sleep. She approaches the owl Farida, but Farida refuses to play with her because she is busy hunting for food.
One night while Zayzafoona is wandering aimlessly she looks up to the sky and is amazed by the lovely twinkling stars. She busies herself by counting the stars and guessing the shapes they make. She decides to go up and have fun with the stars at night while all the other animals are sleeping.

Points for discussion:
• How is Zayzafoona different from other animals. There is a variety of animal species on our planet. Some share certain characteristics while others have nothing in common. Variety enriches our lives. Discuss.
• Why is friendship important? Why do we need friends? Zayzafoona was ready to go up to the stars to find friends to play with. Discuss.
• Look around you at the universe and at nature. Focusing on nature helps us feel peace and tranquility and encourages kids to find their interests and creative abilities. It also helps to curtail violence.
• What are the stars? How did they help people in the past? What are horoscopes. Name some of their formations. What is the science that studies stars and planets? What is astronomy?
• A giraffe wants to fly. Discuss the possibility of certain things happening. They may be possible or impossible. Mention some impossible things.
• Why did Zayzafoona decide to fly up to the stars? What would we do if we fail to achieve a goal we worked for?
• Is it logical for a giraffe to think of flying? Why did the Zayzafoona think it was possible?
• Why did the animals help Zayzafoona try to fly? What can we achieve when we work together as one?
• What did Zayzafoona discover at the end of the story. Is it possible to live away from home? Sometimes home is where love and our friends are.
• Friendship plays an important role in our lives. It expresses our need to be accepted in society and to be our own individual person.

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