7th - 8th March Global Day of Unplugging

Are you ready to step away from the digital world and connect with what truly matters?

Every year over the past decade, this day has taken place on the first Saturday of March, kicking off at sundown the night before. It is a 24 hour period – running from sundown to sundown which starts on March 7. 

We are increasingly connected to the world around us. Smartphones, tablets, WiFi access and the Internet have enabled us to be connected to the entire world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. That is why we need a day like this to make us reflect upon what that means. We need to take this day to carve out precious time to unplug, relax, reflect, be active, visit the outdoors, and connect with loved ones.

When I first did a display in our library, mainly to show parents how much time we spend on devices and what the alternatives might be, it was the students who borrowed books and came to tell me the 'person in this book is like my mum or dad', always on the phone! This week, the display UNPLUG LOG OFF GO OUTSIDE had a different effect. The students borrowed books that featured devices and technology and the parents borrowed books about being outside.

When I walk with friends, we are always amazed to see parents pushing prams where the child is on an iPad or a phone and the scenery be it lake, beach, park, anywhere outside has much to offer in the way of observation. We need to encourage everyone to take in their natural environment and to be mindful.

There are so many books you could display, but I'd start with these:

Unplug

• Blackout  by John Rocco

A young boy in this book also discovers the simple joys of spending time with loved ones when the city goes dark and there’s no TV.

• Chloe  by Peter McCarty

When a large television takes over family fun time, Chloe must convince her parents and ten brothers and sisters what everybody  knows: the packaging—bubble wrap and cardboard box—is much more fun that the gift: the TV!

• Unplugged  by Steve Antony

Meet Blip. Blip loves being plugged into her computer. When a blackout occurs, Blip trips over her wire and tumbles outside. Suddenly, Blip’s gray world is filled with color and excitement. She plays with her new friends and has adventures all day long. When Blip finally returns home, she realises that the world can be even brighter once you unplug.

• Couch Potato by Jory John

Feeling fried? Peel yourself on the couch and meet your new pal-tato! The Couch Potato has everything within reach and doesn’t have to move from the sunken couch cushion. But when the electricity goes out, Couch Potato is forced to peel away from the comforts of the living room and venture outside. Could fresh air and sunshine possibly be better than the views on screen? 

Log Off

• Hello! Hello! by Matthew Cordell

Lydia says hello to everyone, but her family members are absorbed in their gadgets. Feeling restless, she ventures outside where there are so many things to say hello to—rocks, leaves, flowers and more.

• Sidewalk Flowers

In this wordless picture book, a little girl collects wildflowers while her father who is distracted by his phone pays her little attention. Each flower becomes a gift, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter.

• Mum For Sale by Zanni Louise

Errol’s mum won’t get off the phone. So there’s only one thing for Errol to do ... Find out what happens when cheeky Errol puts his mum up for sale!My students love this book.

Go Outside

• Go Outside  by Ben Lerwill

The great outdoors are waiting, ready to be filled with excitement and imagination. Explore the fun that can be had outdoors in all weathers and count how many children have gone outside to play in this joyful celebration of imaginative play and the simple pleasure of spending time outside everyday.

• On a Magical Do-Nothing Day  by Beatrice Alemanga

All I want to do on a rainy day like today is play my game. My mom says it’s a waste of time, but without my game, nothing is fun! On the other hand, maybe I’m wrong about that...

• Today by Gabby Snyder

Today may seem long before leaving for a summer vacation or short during the time away. The moments that make up the day are filled with surprises, joy, fun, and memories. This book guides young readers to keep their eyes and ears open so the day doesn’t slip by.

For more titles and ideas look here.

6th March National Dress Day 1st June and 1st December Wear a Dress Day

Wear a Dress! Not something I have thought about this overtly, but the 'dress' is something I haven't written about before and we do have some books that feature dresses and which could initiate some good discussion about gender norms, up cycling, memories...

I remember long ago, reading Bill's New Frock by Anne Fine to a Year 5 class that was heavily boy-weighted in the hope that the boys might consider the girls in the class occasionally. Well I'm not sure that happened, but we had some very lively discussions about gender and how what we wear can change perceptions. I find the young children that I teach now are quick to decide upon the sex of a character based on what s/he is wearing, yet the girls wear shorts to school as part of their school uniform.

The preschool teachers also find this and this book,  Dress Like a Girl  by Patricia Toht and Lorian Tu-Dean is often borrowed by them as a provocation.

The Princess Who Hated It  by Robin Klein is a book that highlights the traumas that go with having to 'dress like a princess' when you don't want to. In the library we still have an illustrated version of this story, but the Nibble version is the same story. Princess Althea hates being a princess. She doesn't know what to do, until she meets Peggy Plum, the farmer's daughter. Peggy loves to wear fine clothes  and you can guess what Althea decides to do. 

The Cherry Dress  by Elizabeth Honey is old, but it does the concept of growing out of something you love very well. grandma gave Sally a dress that she wants to be able to wear for ever. You can pair this with The Forever Dress by Harriet Ziefert or The Dress and the Girl  by Camille Andros and Julie Morstad or I Had a Favourite Dress  by Boni Ashburn and Julia Denos because they talk about favourite dresses and what could happen once you no longer have or fit in that dress.

A Dress With Pockets by Lily Murray and Jenny Lovlie. Lucy goes shopping with her Aunt Augusta. She wants a dress with pockets. She needs somewhere to put  her leaves, her delicate petals, her magical spells and beautiful shells...

 Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress  by Christine Baldachino and Isabelle Malenfant tells the story of Morris, a young boy  who loves using his imagination. He dreams about having space adventures, paints beautiful pictures and sings the loudest during circle time. But most of all, Morris loves his classroom's dress-up corner - he loves wearing the tangerine dress. But the children in Morris's class don't understand. Dresses, they say, are for girls.

Rose's Dress of Dreams by Katherine Woodfine

Young Rose dreams of sewing beautiful dresses for the women of Paris. But when a chance encounter with royalty changes her life, Rose must draw on all her skills to create the most breathtaking dress of them all Based on the life of Rose Bertin, the woman credited with creating haute-couture.

Coco and the Little Black Dress  by Annemarie van Haeringen

A beautifully illustrated picture book biography of Coco Chanel. Coco Chanel (1883-1971) was a famous French fashion designer. Born into a poor family, strictly brought up in the orphanage, influenced by the style of wealthy suitors, she remained faithful throughout her life to the simplicity. A luxurious simplicity, which has produced memorable style icons like the little black dress. 

And ...


 

Of course I probably should have included saris, kimonos and dresses from other cultures, but that can wait for another post.

1st March World Seagrass Day

World Seagrass Day occurs on March 1st, becoming Seagrass Awareness Month.  Raising public awareness of the importance of seagrass is crucial to promoting biodiversity and the conversation of seagrass meadows. Unlike seaweeds, seagrass is a grasslike plant that lives in or close to the sea and forms dense meadows. Saving seagrass means saving our seas, as these areas host a myriad of animals species, including supplying 20% of the world's fisheries, sequestrating carbon, supporting communities by providing livelihood, and more. It's estimated that an area large as two football pitches is lost every hour globally.

https://rachelhudsonillustration.com/illustration/wildlifewatchmagazine

https://www.dugongconservation.org/media/2016/06/Seagrass-infographic-edited2.png

Seagrasses are one of the most widespread marine ecosystems on Earth, covering around 300,000 square kilometres of seabed in 159 countries, including Australia.

Here are 10 facts about this essential plant.  

Observing this day is the result of a decision made by the UN General Assembly (UNGA)  on 23 May 2022. I haven't written about it before or thought much about it till yesterday when I saw that it was coming up and I then began to think about books that I could use to promote this day.

The CSIRO are well ahead of me, as in the last few years they have published some wonderful books, including The Great Southern Reef  by Paul Venzo, Prue Francis and Cate James and The Way of the Weedy Seadragon by Anne Morgan and Lois Bury. While not only about seagrass, they do include sea ecosystems that children will want to know about. The authors of The Great Southern Reef, were also involved in putting together a comprehensive guide for primary school teachers, called Over and Under the Waves of the Great Southern Reef:Using children's literature to teach marine science in schools. This resource also focuses on  the following picture books:

1. The Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker (2005)

2. The Underwater Forest by Rebecca Morris and Matt Howorth (2020)

3. The Way of the Weedy Seadragon by Anne Morgan and Lois Bury (2021)

4. With a Little Kelp from Our Friends by Mathew Bate and Liz Rowland (2021)

5. Sea Country by Aunty Patsy Cameron and by Lisa Kennedy (2021)

6. The Great Southern Reef by Paul Venzo, Prue Francis, and Cate James (2022)

7. Giinagay Gaagal Hello Ocean by Melissa Greenwood (2023)

8. Secrets of the Saltmarsh by Claire Saxby and Alicia Rogerson (2023) 

   
   

   

    
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Back to seagrass...the dugongs in Australian waters rely very heavily on the seagrass meadows so look for these books as well

   • Dugong Meadow  by Naomi Mairou

   • Dugong Dreams  by Deborah Kelly and Lisa Stewart

   • Stay Close by Kerrie Uren and Leanne Argent

   • Sea-grass Beds  by Kimberley Jane Prior 

   • Seagrass Dreams by Kathleen Hanes and Chloe Bonfield

4th March Pancake Day

I love celebrating Pancake Day at school! The students love telling me about making pancakes, their favourite toppings and size. I have Kindergarten and preschool classes on Tuesdays so I always start with Christina Rossetti's poem Mix a Pancake. I have a very old poster of it, but there are plenty online if you don't know it. We do the actions and pretend to make pancakes and then we sit down for a feast and a chat about the pancakes we made. Good fun. Then I read a book. With the kindergarten classes I usually read my favourite pancake book, Princess Priscilla. I love the main character, the language, the repetition and the circular plot. Wiith the preschool classes I read a different book.

My library has a multitude of pancake books to display and I like to put out some recipe/cooking books with pancakes in the index as well,  as the students like to borrow cook books. Below is a collection of stories to look for: