A Tale of Stolen Toys Adult Guide

Dear Reader,

Before reading the story, it may be helpful to review this guide. You can find detailed information about the story’s objectives, the story’s dictionary and key takeaways at mustlivetotell.com.

As the Anlamak Meselesi team of early childhood educators, psychologists, and counselors, we wrote this story to introduce children—and anyone in need—to concepts such as freedom struggles, justice, peace, and the importance of standing against prejudiced and discriminatory behaviors rooted in race or other perceived superiority. We believe it is crucial to prepare our children to see the world through a lens of justice, believe in fairness, and actively engage in solving deeply rooted problems like discrimination and supremacy.

This story explores the rights of people subjected to segregation and discrimination based on race or other traits, while also addressing the importance of defending those rights and standing up to bullying and injustice.

This guide is specifically designed to support the early introduction of the themes of resistance and the pursuit of justice to children, particularly in the context of the ongoing struggles in Palestine. It includes tips and strategies to help adults effectively convey the story’s key themes. Our goal is to help children aged 7+ understand the concepts of resistance, justice, and rights in an age-appropriate way while fostering their emotional and intellectual growth.

1. Preparation: Before the Story

A. Understanding the Story

Read the story in advance to fully grasp its key messages and symbolic elements.
Reflect on the questions children might ask:
- “What’s happening in those lands?”
- “Why are Palestinians going through this?”
- “What can we do?”
- “What does a boycott mean, and can we do one?”
- “How should we fight injustice?”
- “Why is it important to talk about and understand these events?”
- “Are we free?”
Familiarize yourself with the core themes of resistance, solidarity, justice, and the fight for rights within the story.
Note any parts of the story that resonate with you emotionally. These personal connections can help you create a stronger emotional bond when sharing the story.

B. Learning About Resistance and Palestine’s Struggle

Read up-to-date resources about resistance movements and the history of Palestine.
Explore the historical roots of the struggle and its international dimensions to enrich your understanding.
This background knowledge will add depth to your storytelling and help you answer children’s questions more effectively.

C. Preparing the Child for the Story

Start a Brief Conversation About the Themes: Before reading, encourage children to share their thoughts on justice, equality, rights, and resistance. Some example questions:
- “What do you think justice is?”
- “If you saw someone being treated unfairly, what would you do?”

2. Storytelling: Effective Techniques

A. Using Emphasis, Gestures, and Expressions

Highlight key words like “rights,” “justice,” and “freedom” by adjusting your tone to create focus.
Use hand gestures and facial expressions to bring the story to life.

3. Engaging With Children: Questions and Activities

A. Open-Ended Questions

Encourage active thinking by asking open-ended questions during or after the story:

“Do you think what Gili did was right? Why or why not?”
“If you were one of the Others, what would you have done?”
“What do you think people should do when they see injustice?”

B. Building Empathy and Connections

Help children relate to the characters by asking questions like:

“How would you feel if someone took your toys without asking?”
“What do you think about the Others’ resistance?”
“Was there another way to solve the problem?”

C. Creative Activities

Art and Craft Projects:
- Ask children to draw scenes from the story or illustrate their favorite part.
- Encourage them to design a poster that represents justice and resistance.
- Inspire them to create a “Dance of Resistance” or compose a song or skit inspired by the story.
Role-Playing:
- Re-enact scenarios from the story, with children taking on the roles of Gili or the Others.
- Watch these cultural dances together—the Dinka Jump (Sudan), the Zulu Warrior Dance (South Africa), and the Dabkeh (Palestine)—and then try some simple movements as a group. Encourage children to notice how each dance shows pride, strength, and togetherness.
Protest Chants:
- Create new protest chants together or recite the ones from the story.
Resistance Vocabulary:
- Introduce key terms like “justice,” “freedom,” “resistance,” and “boycott” using examples from real life.
Creative Writing:
- Invite children to write their own endings to the story. This helps assess how they have internalized the story’s lessons.

4. After the Story: Deepening Awareness

A. Reflecting on the Story

Use thought-provoking questions to evaluate the story with children:

“What was your favorite part? Why?”
“What did you learn from the story?”
“What do you think was the most important message in the story?”
“How was justice achieved in the story?”
“What would you do if you saw a friend being treated unfairly?”
“Is it right for one group to try to dominate another? Why or why not?”
“What is the meaning of resistance for you now?”

B. Strengthening Connections

Relate the story to real-life examples from the child’s environment:
- “How would you feel if a classmate was treated unfairly?”
- “What would you do to help?”

C. Exploring Cultural and Global Contexts

Explain that the story mirrors real struggles for justice and equality around the world, such as the one in Palestine.
Highlight parallels between the Others’ fight and the struggles of groups like South Africans, the Irish, or Palestinians. This can help children see the story through a broader lens.

5. About the Story: Themes and Symbols

This guide aims to help children explore key themes like promises, occupation, dominance, resistance, justice, freedom, equality, and peace. It emphasizes that with determination and the right approach, even the Gili-like figures can have the potential to change.

Use this guide to share the story with children and actively listen to their thoughts. Help them understand concepts such as resistance, solidarity, and the pursuit of justice. Remember, each child is unique, and the lessons they take away from the story will vary. Support their learning journey and enjoy discovering together!

How Does the Story Address These Questions?

The story integrates essential concepts like promises, occupation, dominance, asserting rights, discriminatory rules, resistance, protests, boycotts, justice, freedom, equality, peace, and privilege. It emphasizes the potential for change through determination and the importance of standing up against injustice, even in the face of seemingly overwhelming power.

Symbols and Their Representations in the Story

Toy Blocks: Represent the lands of Palestine.
Gili: Symbolizes the state of Israel.
Gili’s Mother Throwing Away the Blocks: Refers to the loss of basic human rights suffered by Jews during the Holocaust (1941-1945).
Gili’s Grandfather’s Promise: Represents the international agreements that promised the establishment of Israel on Palestinian land.
The Others: Refers to marginalized and dehumanized groups, specifically Palestinians in this context.
The Others Sharing Their Blocks with Gili: Highlights how Palestinians and some other communities welcomed Jewish refugees escaping persecution.
The Supporters: Represent those who advocate for Palestine’s freedom struggle.
The Only Demand of Others: Refers to having equal rights as everyone and Palestinians will have the power to self-determination without oppression by the illegal occupying power.
Gili’s Mother as the School Principal: Symbolizes the states that support Israel’s policies, enabling Gili’s unfair dominance over others.
The Teacher’s Inaction: Reflects the silence of powerful nations when it comes to addressing the rights and freedoms of Palestinians.
The Teacher’s and Principle’s “Solution”: Highlights how authorities often propose ineffective alternatives that merely silence the oppressed rather than address the root injustice—similar to how ceasefires are treated as solutions while Palestinians remain under occupation.
Gili’s Spoiled Behavior: Represents Israel’s unchecked authority and systematic actions against Palestinians, without facing international accountability.
The Key: A powerful symbol of Palestinian resistance and their right of return. Many Palestinians have kept the keys to their homes since they were forcibly displaced during the Nakba (the Catastrophe).
Censorship and Bans: Represent attempts to silence marginalized voices and suppress freedom of expression, mirroring real-world actions against Palestinian advocacy.

Historical and Modern Parallels

The story reflects the challenges faced by Palestinians including the loss of land, resources, and freedoms due to occupation. At the same time, it sheds light on the experiences of people who support the Palestinian struggle. For example:

Restrictions on the Others: Parallel the real-world experiences of pro-Palestinian students losing scholarships, activists being detained for wearing pro-Palestinian symbols, and artists being censored for their support of Palestine.
Media Bias: The story critiques how the media often disregards historical injustices and focuses only on isolated incidents, portraying the oppressors as victims.
The “Key Event” vs. the “Block Event”: Highlights how narratives are manipulated to criminalize resistance while ignoring the systemic injustices that led to it.

Broader Themes: Apartheid and Structural Injustice

Although the term “apartheid” is not explicitly used in the story, Gili’s unilateral rule-making and enforcement reflect the systemic inequalities faced by Palestinians under Israeli policies. For example:

Gili’s ability to set discriminatory rules symbolizes the apartheid system’s entrenched injustices.
The playground restrictions and dwindling resources available to the Others highlight how Palestinians struggle to survive under occupation.
The flat wall built with limited blocks is a direct reference to the Separation Wall, a symbol of division and oppression.
The principal’s (system) lack of intervention reflects how international bodies fail to hold Israel accountable because of the relations and position of the principle (as the mother of Gili).

The Story’s Conclusion: Hope Through Resistance

At the end of the story, Gili is forced to return the blocks, symbolizing the power of collective resistance and the eventual restoration of justice. This outcome reflects the belief that even in the face of immense challenges, persistent advocacy for rights and freedom can lead to peace and fairness.

Key Considerations for Contextual Understanding

The Palestinian freedom struggle is not solely a religious issue but a broader human rights matter that involves colonialism, oppression, and the fight for equality among all peoples.
The language used in the story’s news headlines mirrors how biased media often shapes public perception of Palestinian resistance. This reveals the power of narrative control and the importance of critically evaluating information sources.

How to Expand Learning

Explore educational resources about Palestine and resistance movements.
Use children’s books that discuss justice and freedom struggles in age-appropriate ways.
Incorporate interactive activities and discussions into your storytelling.

Through this story, children can explore the power of solidarity, the importance of standing against injustice, and the belief that resistance can lead to lasting peace and justice.

6. Additional Resources and Suggestions

Watch educational videos to deepen your understanding of the story’s themes.
Explore children’s books about Palestine’s resistance.
Visit mustlivetotell.com for interactive activity ideas to engage children.

Conclusion

Using this guide, you can introduce children to the concepts of resistance, solidarity, and justice while listening to their thoughts and helping them navigate these topics. Remember, every child is unique, and their takeaways from the story will vary. Support them on this learning journey and enjoy the process of discovering together!