30th May Puffin Day

As far as I know there is no such thing as Puffin Day. I'm instigating one! It was Puffin Fest in Scotland from the 15th - 25th May. I have a good friend who is off hunting puffins in Scotland at the moment. She has seen some, sat in a bus stop decorated with puffin paraphernalia and written about her adventures. I can't help but feel a little jealous. Then yesterday I bought a new puffin picture book and thought about my friend as I did so, to add to the library's already extensive collection - The Angry Little Puffin by Timothy Young. This book will really make you smile. The puffin in the story shares an exhibit at the zoo with penguins and has to listen to the visitors talk about him as 'that kooky little penguin', 'that funny-looking penguin' etc, and he is on a mission to make the visitors read and take note of his characteristics and how different he is from the penguins. It is a fun way to learn about the differences and to learn about an arctic bird that children in Australia are not likely to see. The reader gets the puffin's point of view. He is persuasive and it mixes graphics, speech bubbles for the visitors and text for the puffin's thoughts. Lots to talk about, use for teaching and just fun to read! See the trailer here.

Next week I'll get the library's books and puffin toy out, we'll celebrate puffins and practise using the word 'auk'! I love that word!

3rd May International Dawn Chorus Day

International Dawn Chorus Day is a day to celebrate that time early in the morning when birds sing to start the new day. It is celebrated as an International event on the first Sunday in May, but it is most noticeable in the spring so this date means more to the Northern hemisphere countries. I have recently bought a lovely picture book for the library called The Dawn Chorus by Suzanne Barton. This is the story of a fledgling nightingale, named Peep and how much he wants to join in with the other birds of the chorus because he loves the sound.  This book is worth buying whether it is shared for this day in  May or at any other time of the year.

30th April Janet Morgan Stoeke

It is the birthday of Janet Morgan Stoeke of Minerva Louise  fame. (Thank you Happy Birthday Author.) You cannot help but like Minerva Louise. She is a very daffy hen whose antics certainly make you smile. I did not know that Janet had another series of books also about hens, The Loopy Coop Hens. Now I need to find them and expand my students knowledge of Janet Morgan Stoeke and hens.