《啊！驯鹿要请假？》Oh Dear! Santa’s Reindeers Need a Break

**贴一贴，我就是双语绘本！(含英文贴纸)
**Peel and stick, and I become a bilingual picture book! (With English stickers)

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啊！驯鹿要请假？真是的！那谁来拉雪橇送礼物呢？

在生命的旅途中，我们有时候会遇到需要别人支援的人。我们本该伸出援手，但是却往往会因为多出来的劳务，不免会抱怨。尤其在职场上，因为同事生病、怀孕等原因，造成我们的工作量加重，我们往往不能欣然接受。

这本绘本的创作起因，是我看到了身边几位职业妇女，因为怀孕申请育婴休假，而受到了来自上司的莫名霸凌，也因为怀孕而产生的种种身体状况，造成工作不便，而受到同事的责怪。这些看似受到法律保障的劳工权益，在真实人性面前，却摇摇欲坠。同样地，儿童在社会化过程里，在慢慢进入群体生活的时候，在团队里会遇到各种形形色色的人，会遇到生病的同学、穷苦的同学、资质不佳的同学。在这个过程中，我们应该教导儿童，学习与他人、与世界相处；教导他们抱着善良的心胸与包容的气度，同理他人的苦难。这样，他们的心灵会更为平静，而世界也会更为和谐。

我希望绘本中的情节能够在儿童心中埋下一颗乐于助人的种子，让他们了解，他们的伙伴难免会有不便的时候；他们每一次的举手之劳，都有可能抚慰了需要帮助的心灵。我们为帮助别人而多走一步，并不吃亏；这多走的一步，是我们与别人一起迈向幸福的开始。

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“Oh no! The reindeers need a break? But who will be pulling the sleigh and deliver the presents?”

In life, we will meet people who may need our support. We should help them, but sometimes the ensuing extra work can lead to unhappiness. This can happen in the workplace, where we may need to take on additional responsibilities when colleagues are sick or pregnant. The additional workload thus caused may not be welcomed by colleagues.

This picture book was inspired by my personal observation of some women around me, who were bullied by their superiors and blamed by their colleagues because of certain challenges that they faced during their maternity. Their maternity rights, which are supposed to be protected by law, often are not upheld in reality.

Similarly, as children grow up and socialise with more people, and widen their social circle, they might encounter others who are sick, poor, intellectually challenged, or struggling academically. We should help our children understand the struggles of others and treat them with kindness and empathy. This will not only make our children more compassionate but will also contribute to the building of a more harmonious world.