I am Matt

Activity

Following a painting about a boy who became a king and believed that children can...

I am Matt

Janusz Korczak with children from the orphanage that he led in Warsaw.

This activity is centered around the book 'King Matt the First', written by the renowned Jewish-Polish author, physician, educator: Janusz Korczak. The activity conveys a clear message that children have the power to make a positive difference in the world, make their voice heard and respected, be involved and lead, just like Matt, the child king from the book.

The painting by the artist Yaakov Guterman inspired by the book 'King Matt the First'

The artwork before you was created by Yaacov Guterman, the artist we were acquainted with in the earlier video. The painting draws inspiration from the book 'King Matt the First', authored by the renowned educator Dr. Janusz Korczak. What have you heard about him? As you gaze at the painting, what perceptions come to mind? What is your interpretation of the artwork? Does the painting evoke a sense of surprise? If so, why?

Page 4

One might think that adults were smart right from the start and were never children...

When I was a little boy, I wanted to do all the things that are in this book. But I forgot to, and now I’m old. It’s important to know who I was when I truly wanted to be a king, and not when I was writing about King Matt. I think it’s better to show pictures of what kings, travelers, and writers looked like before they grew up, or grew old, because otherwise it might seem that they knew everything from the start and were never young themselves. And then children will think they can’t be statesmen, travelers, and writers, which wouldn’t be true.

Page 80

All right, then. If it’s too hard for you to read letters from kids, I’ll read them

Matt looked and saw that they were all letters to him. What sort of papers are these, Mr. Secretary? Matt asked. Those are unimportant letters to Your Royal Majesty. You ordered them thrown out? That’s how it has always been done. Then it was badly done, cried Matt impulsively. If a letter is written to me, then I'm the only one who can know if it’s importance. Your Royal Majesty, many letters of all sorts are sent to kings. As it is, there are five officials whose only job is to read those letters and choose which ones are important. And which ones are unimportant? It’s mostly children who write to Your Royal Highness. All right, then. If it’s too hard for you to read letters from kids, I’ll read them.

Page 67

Are all children healthy like me? No, Matt...

Are all children healthy like me? No, Matt, there are very many children who are weak and sick. Many children live in unhealthy, damp, dark houses, they don’t eat enough and often go hungry, and so they become ill. Matt had already seen some dark, airless houses, and he had also known hunger. He remembered the pale children who would come to their camp and ask the soldiers for a little soup. He thought it was only like that during a war, but now he learned that children often suffered from cold and hunger even when there was no war. But can’t something be done? asked Matt.

Page 87

Gentlemen, you forgot that our country has children as well as grownups

Gentlemen, began Matt, we have decided on a democratic form of government. But, gentlemen, you forgot that our country has children as well as grownups. We have several million children, and they should help govern the country, too. Let there be two parliaments—one for the grownups with grownup senators and grownup ministers. And the other one will be the children’s parliament, and there children will be the delegates and the ministers.

Page 54

I am ac child and I know the needs of children

You will be in charge of the grownups, I will be king of the little children. As the king, I can do whatever I wish. Everything else will stay the same. Since I’m young, I know what young people need. We were young once, too, said the Prime Minister. Fine, but how old are you now? Forty-three, said the Prime Minister. But you rule over people who are older than you. The Minister of Railroads is young, but the trains carry old people, too. The ministers said: That’s true.

Page 135

Grownups think they know everything, but they don’t.

If you ask them a question or do something wrong, they either get angry and yell at us or make fun of us. That’s not right. Grownups think they know everything, but they don’t. My father can’t name the bays in Australia or all the rivers in America. And he doesn’t know which lake the Nile flows out of. The Nile’s not in America, it’s in Africa, said one of the delegates from his seat. I know! I just mentioned it as an example. Grownups don’t know much about stamps and they don’t know how to whistle through their fingers and that’s why they say it isn’t nice.