Helen's World: Stories for Children

By Helen Yigzaw

Meet Helen: a wide-eyed, big-hearted, cheerful girl who loves to discover new things about her world. Whether she is enlivening the school day with tickets for prizes she has gathered from her home, collecting snails for their beautiful shimmering colors, or rescuing a lost dog, she fills everything she does with enthusiasm. And although she also sometimes makes mistakes, she is able to learn from them, thanks to her secure relationships with family and friends.

These charming and beautifully illustrated stories aim to inspire children to explore the big, wide world with positivity and confidence, because teaching children social and emotional resilience equips them to lead a more confident and resourceful life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: tredition
• Release date: Apr 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9783347916364

Book preview

The best paper airplane ever

The sun is shining, the birds are singing. The sky is blue and planes are flying back and forth overhead. It’s a beautiful day and Helen is very busy; she is painting the sun, the sky and the planes.

But then a loud cry breaks through her carefree concentration. At first, she tries to keep painting, but the noise gets louder and louder. Who’s that I can hear? she wonders.

She gets up and walks into the hallway. The loud cry is coming from her brother’s room. She knocks on his door right away.

Yes, come in! she hears him mutter.

At first, Helen pokes just her head into the room. She sees her little brother Michael with a serious expression on his face. Why are you looking so grouchy? she asks, stepping into the room.

Michael is sitting on the floor. His waste basket stands next to him, full to the brim with crumpled balls of paper. In his right hand he is holding a paper airplane, and in his left is a sheet of paper. I just can’t do it, says Michael, looking at his sister in despair.

Helen can tell her brother is sad; his eyes are already glistening as if he is about to cry. She decides to sit on the floor next to him and listen. What can’t you do? she asks him.

Her brother launches the paper plane in his hand, but it doesn’t fly very far.

I just can’t fold a good paper plane! He stands up in fury, picks up the paper plane, crumples it and throws it into the overflowing waste basket.

My planes are never as good as Sven’s and Kim’s from kindergarten. They don’t fly as fast or as far. Kim even said today that mine are baby paper planes because they fly so slowly, and then Sven kept saying ‘baby plane, baby plane’ about mine.

Now Helen is cross too.

That’s so mean! They shouldn’t say that! But she soon calms down, smiles at Michael and says, Why didn’t you ask me? Don’t you know I’m a top paper plane folder?

Michael’s eyes begin to sparkle. So will you help me? he asks hopefully, giving Helen a pleading look.

Sure! Helen replies, putting her arm around his shoulder. You’re my best baby brother. I won’t just help you, I’ll personally fold the best paper airplane of all time! She immediately picks up a sheet of paper and starts folding. Watch and learn, she says.

While Michael watches his sister folding, there is a second knock at his door. Come in! he calls.

It’s Ruta, his oldest sister. So this is where you are. I’ve been looking for you all over the house, she says, throwing