14th December International Monkey Day

Monkeys, also known as simians, live all over the world. More than 260 species of monkeys populate Africa, Central America, South America, and Asia. They range in size from very small like the pygmy marmoset to the larger mandrill. Monkeys tend to walk on all four limbs. As a member of the primate family, they are considered a lesser ape. Most monkeys have a tail, though not all do. Monkeys are divided into two categories – Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. Old World monkeys live in Africa and Asia while New World monkeys live in South America.

Monkey species include baboons, macaques, marmosets, tamarins, and capuchins. Some of these monkeys have their own celebratory day.

It is International Baboon Day on 3rd December. It is International Macaque Day on 16th March. It is International Tamarin Day on 21st September, but I would find it very hard to celebrate these days in the library with books because we do not have that many books about specific monkeys.

I'd start this celebration of monkeys with a book such as Fourteen Monkeys  by Melissa Stewart and Steve Page so as to have the simians sorted.

Then some more non-fiction:

       

Next explore the myriad of fun 'monkey' stories.

See this Pinterest page for ideas.

Finish with Quentin Blake and Emma Chichester Clark's series about three little monkeys.

 

Big Cats

Having just written about Cheetah Day and realising that although I have a Pinterest page for tigers and lions, I do not have one that features the other big cats. So here I plan to summarise all the days that are associated with Big Cats. There is not a combined day for all big cats.

The term "big cat" is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus Panthera, namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard, as well as the non-pantherine cheetah and cougar. Wikipedia

Mass: Cougar: 53 – 72 kg, Tiger: 90 – 310 kg, Leopard: 31 kg · See more

Lifespan: Cougar: 8 – 13 years, Tiger: 10 – 15 years, Leopard: 12 – 17 years, Lion: 15 – 16 years, Jaguar: 12 – 15 years

Speed: Cougar: 64 – 80 km/h, Tiger: 49 – 65 km/h, Leopard: 58 km/h, Lion: 74 km/h, Jaguar: 80 km/h, Cheetah: 80 – 130 km/h

There is a celebratory day for each of the big cats!

So if you are planning your year you can have several displays. I would struggle to find enough books for Cougar Day, but the rest I have written about on this blog with book suggestions.

Leopards in May. (3rd)

Cougars in June. (12th)

Tigers in July.(29th)

Lions in August. (10th)

Snow Leopards in October. (23rd)

Jaguars in November (29th)  and 

Cheetahs in December (4th)

4th December International Cheetah Day

I forgot to finish and then publish this blog, so I'm doing it late. It will help me and perhaps someone else next year.

With fewer than 7,000 individual cheetahs remaining in the wild, this day highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect cheetahs. 

Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals. Their slim, aerodynamic bodies, long legs, and specialized spine allow them to achieve this remarkable speed, while their semi-retractable claws provide extra grip during sprints.

Beyond their speed, cheetahs have exceptional vision, enabling them to spot prey from far away. The black “tear marks” running from their eyes to their mouths reduce glare from the sun, aiding in precision hunting during the day. Cheetahs rely more on sight than scent when tracking prey, setting them apart from other big cats.

Any display of cheetah books is always popular, but these books are the most borrowed.

 

   

 

9th December World Llama Day

In the highlands of Peru, some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, llamas were domesticated, placing them among the oldest domestic animals in the world. The llama was their beast of burden, the source of clothing and a source of food as well as fuel. Peru is still the second largest producer of llamas in the world, but llamas are worldwide now. They are well-loved pets, therapy pets, farm animals and wool-producers.

Everyone seems to think them very photo worthy and they are popular with children, so much so that they have a starring role in many children's book series.

I have written about llama books before. See here for a list.

6th December Mitten Tree Day

 

Mitten Tree Day celebrates the gift of warmth. It's a day to collect mittens, hang them on a Christmas tree, and then hand them out to those in need. Those who live in cold climates understand the necessity of mittens. This winter clothing item is essential for keeping the hands warm while outdoors. It may be cold in the Northern Hemisphere but it is getting quite hot here and everyone is looking forward to the end of school and the summer holidays.

This post would be more relevant in July here, so I have filed away a note to self, celebrate mittens in winter next year because we have quite a few books which feature mittens.

Two favourite mitten stories  spring to mind immediately, Three Little Kittens  who have lost their mittens and the Ukranian folktale, The Mitten where a number of animals seek shelter in a mitten they find in the snow.

Other books to look for in the library:

5th December Bathtub Party Day

There’s only one requirement for Bathtub Party Day and that is for you to enjoy a long soak or a little bit of time in your bath. We should forget all about our worries, stress and strains, and enjoy the calming effect of the gently bubbling, warm water on our bodies. There is evidence that baths are very therapeutic.

The therapeutic use of water has been around since the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans civilizations. Egyptian royalty bathed in water scented with essential oils and flowers, and the Romans had communal public baths. Other countries such as China and Japan go back even further, and there is some evidence that Japanese hot springs bathing actually predates the Roman baths. However, the earliest mention of the bathtub comes from Crete in 1700 B.C.

John Michael Kohler II (November 3, 1844 – November 5, 1900) was an Austrian American immigrant, industrialist, and politician and he is said to be the inventor of the 'modern' bathtub.  In 1883 he fixed ornamental feet onto a cast-iron horse trough and sold it as a bathtub.

I'd like to thank him, because I am one of those people who does like a long soak in a hot bath (shhh! reading a book).

If you'd like to party in the bathtub read these books:

3rd December Let's Hug Day

What do you do on this day? Hug someone.

The hug is a universal form of showing affection. While certain forms of greeting might change based on culture, like the handshake or the bow or the high five, the hug seems to be universal among almost all cultures in places all over the world.

It was the last day of school for the students in my school, so today was certainly a day for hugs!

There are so many avenues to explore using good picture books:

What if you really want a hug but can't find one?

see 

• Hugless Douglas  by David Melling. My preschoolers always have great fun trying all the hugs on the final pages.

• The Hug  by Eion McLaughlin

What if you want a hug, but no-one is prepared to give you one, say because you have prickles?

see 

• Hug Me  by Simona Ciraolo

• How to Hug a Cactus  by Emily Smith

• I Need a Hug  by Aaron Blabey

What if you just want to say hello, but you either don't like hugs or they are not allowed?

see

• While We Can't Hug  by Eion McLaughlin

• Same Love, Different Hug  by Sarah Horvorka

• Don't Hug Doug  by carrie Finison

• Don't Hug the Quokka  by Daniel Errico

• The Big Hug  by Megan Walker

What is the best hug?

see

• The Very Best Hug by Smitri Halls

• Who Wants a Hug?  by Jeff Mack

• The Perfect Hug by Joanna Walsh

• I'm Going to Give You a Bear Hug by Caroline Cooney

And just for fun!

• Hug Machine  by Scott Campbell

• The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland