6th January Apple Tree Day

Every year, the world celebrates Apple Tree Day on 6th January. Present all around the globe, the apple tree has a long history with humanity! People have been collecting wild apples across Europe and West Asia for 10,000 years. The apple also appears in the Bible, representing the fall of man and the possibility of redemption. Besides that, the famous proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” underlines the nutritional benefits of the fruit! Apples are rich in fibre, manganese, copper, antioxidants, potassium, vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B6, C and K. They also contain pectin, which acts as a prebiotic and promotes good bacteria in your gut.

The apple tree is a deciduous tree from the rose family, and is cultivated around the world as a fruit tree. It originated in Central Asia. Apple trees grew for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, before being brought to North America by European colonists in the seventeenth century, and they are possibly the oldest tree to have been cultivated.

On a trip to Cornwall we stayed in a barn on an apple orchard. There were apple trees everywhere, so such good views and places to amble, but they weren't eating apples (see photo above). They were used to make cider. Having grown up among apple trees I was surprised not to recognise any of the apple varieties, so there must be so many different types of apples.

This doesn't matter when you are a young child. Apples are apples, so what books could you read? 

My favourite to read to preschool and Kindergarten classes is Mr Brown's Magnificent Apple Tree by Yvonne Winer and Maya Winters. The students love that they know who is eating the apples even though Mr Brown does not. This book is out of print but readings of it are available online.

Another favourite is The Terrible Plop  by Ursula Dubosarsky and Andrew Joyner because the apple tree in the illustrations is important and the readers know what is going on, but the bear seems to be oblivious to its existence.

In The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara and Brian Karas, the teacher Mr Tiffin takes his class on an excursion to an apple orchard where they learn a lot about apples and apple orchards-including how apples are harvested, how cider is made, and what the different varieties of apples are-while trying to solve a riddle. 

In The Apple Tree by Lynley Dodd, Beth and Michael plant an apple tree. The tree leafs, buds, and grows apples, but a wily thief upsets their plans for the apples.

Secrets of the Apple Tree  by Carron Brown and Alyssa Nassner is an interactive book, requiring students to hold a torch behind the pages to see what creatures make their home in an apple tree.

Apples Grow on Trees by Mari Schuh  is an early reader that describes and illustrates how apples grow on trees. 

Apple Trees by Vivian French and Charlotte Voake is one of the Read and Wonder (or Nature Storybook) series that combines a story with factual text.

You may be able to find this old book, Morris in the Apple Tree by Vivian French. It is one of three very funny early readers about a cat called Morris. Morris gets stuck up an apple tree and is too scared to come down. What happens next?

This book North South book, Hubert and the Apple Tree by Bruno Hachler and Albrecht Rissler is also long out of print, but highly fitting when talking about fruit trees. They do not last for ever. Hubert grew up with the tree, climbing into its leafy branches to hide when he was a child, enjoying its luscious fruit for many years, and now they have grown old together. Then one night the tree is struck by lightning. Hubert is heartbroken to see his apple tree looking so crooked and miserable. 

Of course, there are lots of other books, I could have included about apples, but here the focus is on trees that produce apples. There are other picture books about apples here.

2025 The Year of the Snake (Part 3)

Reading about snakes does not need to be connected to the Year of the Snake, Lunar New Year or the Chinese Zodiac. It could focus on Australian resources and in particular those of Indigenous authors and illustrators. Snakes first appeared in Aboriginal rock art as far back as 6,000 years. The Rainbow serpent is still commonly featured in Aboriginal art.

Our new English syllabus in NSW asks teachers to ensure that students engage with literature from Australia, including the rich voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, so in this blog, I want to highlight resources in the library that may be shared with students so as to see what part snakes play in their literature.

Snakes are indigenous to all parts of Australia and feature strongly in the Creation stories held by Aboriginal people and in their paintings and carvings. The snake has been used as a symbol of strength, creativity and continuity since ancient times across many societies.

The Rainbow Serpent  is one of the most important stories within Indigenous culture. The Rainbow Serpent is a creator god and the most important figure in Aboriginal Mythology. There are many different stories told of the Rainbow Serpent, which are passed down from generation to generation. These stories tell of how the Rainbow Serpent shaped the earth through its movements. According to myth, the Serpent was responsible for giving life and blessing nature, but also for judging wrongdoing and issuing punishment.

This Dreamtime creature  held great powers and gave shape to the Earth. It emerged from under the ground to awaken different groups of animals. The movement of its body formed physical features like hills, gorges, creeks and rivers into the once-featureless terrain. 

Aboriginal people believe that when you see a rainbow in the sky this is actually the Rainbow Serpent making its way from one waterhole to another.

There are many picture book versions of this story, not all of which were authored and /or illustrated by Aboriginal people. The library has:

The Rainbow Serpent  by Dick Roughest and Percy Trezise  (reissued 2024)

Super Snake  by Gregg Driese

Yeye Apne Kwerlaye-Iperre The Rainbow Serpent  by Jennifer Inkamala 

Warnayarra the Rainbow Snake by School Lajamanu

The Mark of the Wagarl   by Lorna Little and Janice Lyndon

The Rainbow Serpent of the Hopkins River by Patricia Clarke

The Rainbow Serpent  by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Wunambi: the Water Snake  by Sue Wyatt and May L O'Brien

  

These two are not rainbow serpent stories, but they are Aboriginal stories, set in the Kimberly and they do feature a snake:

When the Snake Bites the Sun by David Mowaljarlai and children of the Kimberly

The Snake and the Boy by Azmen Sebastian

2025 The Year of the Snake (Part 2)

How many words for 'snakes' are there? I made a quick list...adders, asps, pythons, serpents, vipers... these are the generic ones, but when I ask the children I teach, they want to talk about specific kinds of snakes such as cobras, anacondas, boa constrictors, rattlesnakes and taipans. The library does not have books that are only about one type of snake. They are not that easy to find at the level I need and if you can find them, they are very expensive. Luckily we have lots of snake books with indexes so the students will get to be very adept at using this feature.

If we do a snake display at the library I can see that I will need to be ready to be told everything everyone now knows about snakes. I will also need to be mindful not to scare young children who do not want to know about snakes.

A good book to share with reticent children is

Anna and Otis  by Maisie  Paradise Shearring

Other 'fun' snake stories that allow for interaction with the listeners are:

Snake Brought Cake by Sam Smith and Daron Parton

Can You See Sassoon? by Sam Usher

Boa's Bad Birthday by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

The Greedy Python by Richard Buckley and Eric Carle

Verdi by Janell Cannon

Hide and Snake  by Keith Baker

One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree  by Daniel Bertram and Brian Wenzel

   

2nd January Motivation and Inspiration Day

Kickstart your year with a boost of motivation and inspiration on National Motivation and Inspiration Day – January 2! This day was created in the early 2000s to help people stay motivated and inspired throughout the year. It's been said that when we are motivated and inspired, we can achieve anything we set out to do. On this special day, take some time to reflect on your goals for the coming year and use this opportunity to get yourself ready for success. Don't forget to share your motivation with others and be a source of inspiration for those around you!

Motivation is the driving force that helps us take action toward our goals. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, gives us the energy to tackle our to-do lists, and pushes us to keep going even when things get tough. Without motivation, we might feel like we are just going through the motions of life, lacking direction and purpose.

While motivation is what drives us to take action, inspiration is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. Inspiration often comes from seeing others achieve remarkable things or hearing stories of people who have overcome great odds. This is why we find biographies and autobiographies motivating and inspirational. It is why we set goals, make new year resolutions and as teachers we encourage our students to have growth mindsets.

The books teachers use at the beginning of a new year at school help set the wellbeing scaffolding for their students for the year. What would you choose? Some suggestions:

• So Few of Me  by Peter Reynolds

Leo's list of things to do keeps growing, until one day he wishes, "If only there were two of me." Just as the words are out of his mouth, poof! Another Leo appears! Two Leos become three, three become four, and four become more . . . but Leo can't help but notice that he has even more to do than before. As he struggles to deal with his overcomplicated life, Leo realizes that there may be a simpler solution to his overscheduling woes.

• Can I Play Too?  by Mo Willems

Gerald and Piggie meet a new friend, Snake, who wants to join in a game of catch. But don't you need arms to catch...? Can Piggie, the ultimate find-a-way-arounder, come up with a way for their friend Snake to join in a game of catch? Surely not?! Well... not so! Where there’s a will there’s a way...

• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
What if you could create your own adventure line by line? What if you could draw all your dreams out in front of you and then play in the dream? Well, that’s exactly what Harold in the story does. It’s timeless philosophy for being the hero of your own story – rather than the supporting cast in someone else’s! Journey  by Aaron Becker does this too!

• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klaessen

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. Isn’t that what we’re all digging for in life? They dig and dig and get so tired they take a nap – which is when the (extremely unexpected) magic happens. 

• Flight School  by Lita Judge

Although little Penguin has the soul of an eagle, his body wasn't built to soar. But Penguin has an irrepressible spirit, and he adamantly follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! Even if he needs a little help with the technical parts, this penguin is ready to live on the wind.

• The Creature of Habit  by Jennifer E. Smith and Leo Espinosa

A delightful picture book about a creature of habit whose routine suddenly gets disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a new friend. A perfect story for little readers learning social emotional skills that explores the joy of trying something new! The sequel to this, The Creature of Habit Tries His Best  has recently been published. 

• My Strong Mind III  by Niels Van Hove 

In this book, Jack and Kate share examples on how to set goals and stay motivated to reach those goals. They share how to use imagination, focus, be mindful, gamify a task, use positive self-talk, imagine a motivation ladder and many other things. There are now five books in this series, but number 3 is about goal setting.

Another post about books to start the school year is here, but the books listed here address more than motivation, inspiration and mindset.

2025 The Year of the Snake (Part 1)

2025 is the Year of the Snake, the sixth animal of the Chinese Zodiac.

While the snake may symbolise evil and treachery in some traditions – the serpent represents the devil and temptation in the Christian Bible, for instance, but in Chinese culture it symbolises wisdom and agility.

Snakes will make a great first display of the year in the library! There are so many nonfiction and fiction titles in the library.  Snakes are always popular with the students and most of the books with photographs will be the first to leave the library.

Some nonfiction:

The Snake Goddess Colours the World  by Li Jian

Long long ago, the world was a colorless, gray place. It had stayed that way for thousands of years. People never expected anything different until one day, the colorful Snake Goddess, Nuwa, fell from the sky. She was determined to bring color and beauty to the gray nothingness of the earth, but all the colors kept running out through a giant hole in the sky. To fix the hole and bring color to the world, Nuwa would have journey near and far to find the five magical colored stones that were her only hope for fixing the sky.

Super Snake  by Gregg Dreise

'Way back before once-upon-a-time there was the Dreamtime and the bush was in the middle of a drought. After a storm one large rainbow curved down. The Super Snake slithered down that rainbow on to the earth and promised the Elders he could help them find water.'

Some favourite picture story books:

And some chapter books: