Zizafona

Like all giraffes , Zizafouna is content with a short sleep at night, then wanders through the forest looking for a friend to entertain her and relieve her loneliness until she looks up at the sky and sees the stars twinkling, shining, and forming different shapes. Zizafouna gets excited and decides to climb up to the stars and live with them... Will she be able to convince the animals of the forest to help her achieve what she wants? A fantasy story that blends humor, adventure, and the desire to fulfill wishes, inviting us to contemplate the beautiful universe around us.

Parents and Teachers Guide

Friendship is an important value in a person's life, as it expresses his integration into society and indicates his independence and uniqueness. Zizafouna, the little giraffe, cannot sleep for long at night; so she wanders through the forest looking for a friend to play with. While doing so, she tramples the grass with her feet and makes loud noises, which disturbs the animals. She approaches the owl Farida, who stays awake at night to hunt food for her young, but she apologizes for playing with her because she is busy. As Zizafouna walks through the forest, she looks up at the sky and finds the stars twinkling and shining. She is busy looking at them, sometimes counting them and other times discovering their shapes. Zizafouna decides to ascend to the sky to live with the stars that stay up at night, so she can play with them while the animals are asleep.

For discussion:

• Are all animals alike? How does Zizafona differ from other animals? Through discussion, we can identify similarities and differences in the biological nature of animals, as well as the diversity in their behavior. Biological diversity is what distinguishes planet Earth. Cultural diversity can also be referred to here, and we can conclude that diversity enriches the environment rather than making it contradictory.

• What prompted Zizafouna to search for a friend? What is the importance of friendship? Why do we need friends? Sharing special interests and hobbies, a child's sense of independence.

• Contemplating the universe and nature. The importance of contemplation and its connection to a sense of serenity, tranquility, and appreciation of beauty. Contemplation enables children to discover their passions, interests, and creative abilities. Contemplation also reduces violence.

• What are stars? How have humans used them since ancient times? What are constellations? What are their known formations? What is the science that studies stars and planets? What is the importance of astronomy?

• The giraffe's flight. Discuss the probabilities of things happening. It might be certain to happen, it might be possible, it might be impossible? Mention things that are impossible to happen.

• Why did Zizafona decide to ascend to heaven? What made her insist on doing so? If we fail to achieve what we want, what would our reactions be?

• Is it logical for a giraffe to think about flying? Why did it think it could fly?

• Why did the animals help Zizafona? Why didn't they let her try flying alone? What can we achieve through cooperation and unity?

• What did Zizafouna discover at the end of the story? Can we sometimes live far from our homelands? Sometimes we live abroad, and home is where love and friends are.