Simsim the cat loves to play with his friend Ali, the cake seller. He jumps into a cake that Ali is carrying, and the cake gets stuck around his neck. An exciting chase begins in the market as Ali chases Simsim, who runs over, under, between, and around the goods and people in the market. Will Ali be able to catch the mischievous cat?
Parents and Teachers Guide
The scene of a cake seller is a familiar one in some Arab cities. The heroes of this story are the boy cake seller Ali and his mischievous cat, Simsim. Simsim is bored and wants to play with his friend Ali while he is busy selling cakes. He jumps into a cake that Ali is holding in his hand, causing it to get stuck around his neck. Ali gets angry at Simsim and chases him through the city streets. Children will have fun as they move from place to place with the story's expressive images of our environment and surroundings. The story focuses on the use of spatial expressions such as: above, around, beside, between, and under. The story also gives children the opportunity to ask themselves why Ali sells cakes and why he is determined to chase Simsim the cat. It also encourages children to be kind to animals. The story uses predictable phrases, which will encourage children to participate in the fun while repeating certain phrases at a beautiful rhythm.
Discussion questions:
Have you ever seen a cake vendor in your town? What does he use to sell cakes? Try to imitate the voice of a cake vendor among your colleagues.
- Imagine yourself in Ali's place, what would you do with Simsim?
- Let's suppose that Ali noticed Sesame the cat and played with him. How would the story change? Imagine other events in the story.
-What would be your reaction if you saw a cat running with a cake around its neck?
- Do you have a pet? How do you know if it's bored? And what do you do to entertain it?
- What do you think of Sesame's punishment at the end of the story? Do you think he will do it again?