2nd December World Pollution Prevention Day

• If I Were the World  by Mark Sperring

If I were the world, I’d want flowers and bees. 

A chorus of birds singing high in the trees. 

If I were the world, I’d want sparkling seas. 

If I were the world . . . 

would YOU look after ME?

Today is the day to listen to our world!

This beautiful and uplifting book will inspire us all to join hands and help our amazing planet. With an irresistible rhyming text by Mark Sperring and stunning illustrations by  Natelle Quek, it's the perfect book to inspire children to ask questions and take action and that is what we want everyone to do on World Pollution Day. Stop. Think. Act. Three words that are used in schools so often.

Increasing pollution is posing threat and danger to our existence. Pollution can be of different types such as water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, food pollution, etc, but whichever kind it is, it is not 'a fun topic' for young students. The students I teach are young, constantly bombarded by messages about what is happening to the earth and I worry that each time we talk about pollution and its effects we are adding to their anxiety, so books such as this one allow us to start with the positive and things we can do without dwelling on the horrors.

Allan Drummond's books provide positive case studies of dealing with specific kinds of pollution. Through the eyes of children this inspiring series about everyday communities inventing exciting new approaches to green living, shows that working together for a common cause has an impact that is lasting, meaningful and fun!

• Green City : How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future

In 2007, a tornado destroyed Greensburg, Kansas, and the residents were at a loss as to what to do next--they didn't want to rebuild if their small town would just be destroyed in another storm. So they decided they wouldn't just rebuild the same old thing; this time, they would build a town that could not only survive another storm, but one that was built in an environmentally sustainable way. 

• Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World

Cycling rules the road in Amsterdam today, but that wasn't always the case. In the 1970's, Amsterdam was so crowded with vehicles that bicyclists could hardly move, but moms and kids relied on their bicycles to get around the city. PEDAL POWER is the story of the people who led protests against the unsafe streets and took over a vehicles-only tunnel on their bikes, showing what a little pedal power could do! Author and illustrator Allan Drummond returns with the story of the people that paved the way for safe biking around the world.

• Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Our World

At a time when most countries are producing ever-increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses, the rather ordinary citizens of the Danish island of Samsø have accomplished something extraordinary--in just ten years they have reduced their carbon emissions by 140% and become almost completely energy independent. A narrative tale and a science book in one, this inspiring true story proves that with a little hard work and a big idea, anyone can make a huge step toward energy conservation.

• Solar Story: How One Community Lives Alongside the World's Biggest Solar Plant

This is the story of the Noor Solar Power Plant in Morocco's Sahara Desert. Drummond relates the story through the everyday life of a school girl who lives in a small village next to the plant. Through a school excursion to the plant we see how the reliable power is brought to the village and beyond, and how it provides jobs, changes lives and upends the old ways of doing things.

• Zero Waste:How One Community Is Leading a World Recycling Revolution

Kamikatsu, Japan, is known worldwide for its sanitation innovations. This small community of 1,700 people is leading the way in recycling and upcycling, and has nearly achieved its goal of zero waste. Told in Allan Drummond's energetic, informal narrative style, this is the story of a group of citizens who dared to break out of their comfort zone and make radical change for the good of their town and the planet.

 

29th November World Jaguar Day

World Jaguar Day occurs on November 29th  to pay tribute to the largest cat in the Americas and the challenges it faces today. Jaguar comes from an indigenous word that means "he who kills with one leap". Yet, this enigmatic animal's existence is threatened by habitat loss, prey loss, wildlife trafficking, trophies hunting, or conflicts over livestock. 

Our school library hasn't got many books that are specifically about jaguars. We have several books about 'big cats' which feature jaguars and that is probably sufficient for an Australian child, but these four books will give you a good overview:

• A Boy and a Jaguar  by Alan Rabinowitz

Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion-their voice-but he stutters uncontrollably. Except when he talks to animals… Then he is fluent. Follow the life of the man Time Magazine calls, "the Indiana Jones of wildlife conservation" as he searches for his voice and fulfils a promise to speak for animals, and people, who cannot speak for themselves. This is a real-life story.

• Who Would Win? Jaguar vs Skunk by Jerry Pallotta

What if a jaguar and a skunk had a fight? Who do you think would win? This nonfiction reader compares and contrasts two ferocious animals. Readers will learn about each animal's anatomy, behavior, and more. Then compare and contrast the battling pair before finally discovering the winner!

• Jaguar  by Helen Cowcher  This wonderful book is out of print, but it might be in your school library. This story originated from first-hand experience of a sustainably managed HATO in the Venezuelan Llanos which had safeguarded enough natural forest to support jaguars while operating traditional cattle ranching. 

• Saving Jaguars  by Martha London This title explores the role of jaguars in their habitats, how humans have threatened the animal's existence, and efforts being taken to protect them. Clear text, vibrant photos, and helpful infographics.

28th November International French Teachers' Day

International French Teachers' Day occurs annually on the fourth Thursday of November. This year, that will be on November 28th. According to the French Institut, there are over 900,000 French teachers worldwide. They work in various countries, cultures, and educational systems but strive to preserve the French-speaking culture. The day was started in 2019 by French President Emmanuel Macron to celebrate the contribution of all teachers to popularising and promoting the French language.

Our Prep School has an amazing French teacher who goes 'way above and beyond' so anything French is observed at school. I like to purchase books that showcase France and the French language, but we don't have a large collection of books in French or parents who are native French speakers.

As you know from an early post we do have a considerable number of books by French authors and illustrators, but these are translations into English.

One French teacher that most children know is Miss Clavell from the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans. Students often ask is Miss Clavell a nun? Well if the boarding school is a Parisian convent, she may well be, but Wikipedia says 'She is commonly believed to be a Catholic nun because of her general appearance, but her attire in Bemelmans' illustrations is actually that of a nurse.' Does it matter? She cares deeply for the students who are in her care and teaches them various moral lessons.

If you are a teacher of the French language then there are two avenues in which to share children's books.

1. Read books set in France and produced by French authors and illustrators, or 

2. Read exemplary picture books that have been translated into French. This list is a good starting point when looking for titles.

18th to 24th November Book Week Scotland

While reading today I learned that it is Book Week in Scotland and it got me thinking about Scottish children's book authors and illustrators. On the blog this year I have done a post on Italian authors and illustrators and French, so why not Scottish.

Of course there's the well known Scottish children's authors that everyone knows such as Robert Louis Stevenson; Kenneth Grahame; J.M. Barrie; Alexander McCall Smith and J.K. Rowling but there are others who make wonderful picture books such as (off the top of my head):

• Vivian French

• Debi Gliori

• Catherine Rayner

• Alison Murray

• Mairi Hedderwick

• Morag Hood

• Lynne Rickards

• Lindsey Gardiner

• Chae Strathie

• Ross Collins

• Sally Anne Garland

• Meg McLaren

• Alistair Chisholm

• Emily MacKenzie

I'm sure I've missed some. I looked up these to check I was correct and now that I have looked them all up, I know Lynne Rickards was born in Canada, but she does live in Scotland now with her Scottish husband and children. If Lynne counts then so should Meilo So, who was born in Hong Kong but now lives in the Shetlands. Julia Donaldson used to live in Scotland but has moved back to England.

And of course there's lots of children's authors who write wonderful novels. Pamela Butchart and Alistair Chisholm could start this new list.

PS Two author illustrators hailing from Scotland now live here in Australia.

Cate James in Sydney  and

Zoe Ingram in Adelaide.

21st November World Hello Day

World Hello Day is celebrated on November 21st, highlighting the beauty of greeting one another and the importance of personal communication for living together in peace. The greeting is a sign of respect, recognition, and in sum, a way to say: "I see you, and wish you the best". 

I have written about this day before, but as I begin to gather books together for the start of the new year, I think about how important it will be to say hello to new peers and include them in your circle. Teachers will come looking for books that set a tone of welcome and inclusion and which assure students that even though a friend is in another class now, you will still see them often and you will make new friends as well.

Here are some of the books in my pile so far:

• Say Goodbye ... Say Hello  by Cori Doerrfeld

• Say Hello  by Jack and Michael Foreman

• Old Friends, New Friends  by Andrew Daddo

• How Do You Say Hello?  by Ashleigh Barton

• Hello and Welcome  by Gregg Dreise

• Say Hello! by Linda Davick

• Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora

• Hello, Friend! by Rebecca Cobb

• Hello: A Counting Book of Kindnesses by Hollis Kurman

• Hello!  by Tony Flowers

• Hello by Viola Wang

• Say Hello? by Sung Mi Kim

• All Are Welcome  by Alexandra Penfold

• A World for Me and You: Where Everyone is Welcome  by Uju Asika

• Ways to Welcome by Linda Ashman

• The Circles All Around Us  by Brad Montague

• Circle Round  by Anne Sibley O'Brien

19th November World Anteater Day

There are four extant species anteaters, including the silly anteater, the giant anteater, and the northern and the southern anteaters. These solitary animals are all found in the Americas, from Mexico to South America. They are known for having poor sight but an excellent sense of smell, on which they rely for foraging, feeding, and defense. World Anteater Day raises awareness of the need for conversation as anteaters face growing habitat loss.

Anteaters are related to sloths and armadillos which seem to feature in picture books more than anteaters do, but today I put out four anteater stories and three had gone by this afternoon.

Our library has:

• What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

• I'm Going to Eat this Ant  by Chris Naylor-Ballestros

• Conker and Nudge by Andria Meserve

•  But I Don't Eat Ants  by Dan Marvin

• Alice and Anatole by Sam Childs

• Anthony and the Ants by Gemma Raymor• Animal Adaptations  by Radka Piro

18th November International Day of Islamic Art

UNESCO has proclaimed November 18 to be the International Day of Islamic Art. The idea for the observance was initially proposed by the Kingdom of Bahrain and adopted by UNESCO in 2019. The goal is to promote the diversity embodied in Islamic Art - art, craft, calligraphy, architecture, or music. By definition, Islamic art refers to the visual arts produced since the 7th century by people living on territories ruled by Muslim populations. The early works of Islamic art were deeply influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Sassanian, and Chinese arts. The day is a way to show appreciation for cultural diversity and to strengthen intercultural dialogue, tolerance, and peace.

There are so many picture books that introduce child readers to the Islamic way of life. They are very good at showing children similarities and differences between growing up in the Islamic faith and their faith. There are not so many that just highlight Islamic Art. I would start with these three by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Armini

• Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns 

                                

• Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets

• One Sun and Countless Stars 

Two other books by Hena Khan will also give you insights into buildings which highlight Islamic art

• Night of the Moon  illustrated by Julie Paschkis

• Behind My Doors: The Story of the World's Oldest Library  illustrated by Nabila Adani

Two books by M.O. Yuksel and Hatem Aly

• In My Mosque

• Ramadam Kareem

For more books featuring the Islamic way of life for children see this Pinterest page.

To find out more about Islamic art see here. For lots of art ideas see this blog post or video.

22nd November Go For a Ride Day

Select your favourite mode of transport, from bike to boat, from skates to sledge, pack some supplies and see what adventure the ride takes you on. The preschoolers come to the library looking for books about transport and diggers so this day gives you an excuse to do a  display of the various ways you can go for a ride. Here's a selection that your library might have too.

Bicycle

• Christopher's Bicycle  by Charlotte Middleton 

• The Red Bicycle  by Simone Shin

• Mulga Bill's Bicycle  by A.B Patterson and Kilmeny Niland

• I Love My Bike  by Simon Mole

Car

• Mr Gumpy's Motor Car  by John Burningham

• Rattletrap Car  by Phyllis Root

• My First Car Was Red  by Peter Schossow

• Racing Car is Roaring  by Mandy Archer

Truck

• The Truck Cat  byDeborah Frenkel

• Yellow Truck Road Train  by Mandy Tootell

• With Any Luck, I'll Drive a Truck by David Friend

• Little Blue Truck  by Alice Schertle

Bus

• The Boy on the Bus  by Penny Dale

• Little Cat and the Big Red Bus  by Jane Godwin

• We Catch the Bus  by Katie Abey

• Bunnies on the Bus  by Philip Ardagh

Train

• The Train Ride  by June Crebbin

• Steam Train, Dream Train  by Sherry Dusker Rinker

• Runaway Train by Benedict Blathwayt

• And the Train Goes ... by William Bee

Boat

• Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen

• Mr Gumpy's Outing  by John Burningham

• Bunnies in a Boat by Philip Ardagh

• Anchored by Debra Tidball

Plane

• Catch That Plane!  by Sally Sutton

• Emma Jane's Aeroplane by Katie Haworth

• Violet the Pilot  by Dino Yipadee

• A Shorebird Flying Adventure  by Jackie Kerin

Helicopter

• The Little Yellow Digger and the Helicopter by peter Gilderdale

• Roto and Roy: Helicopter Heroes  by Sherry Duskey Rinker

• Ellie Copter  by Deano Yipadee

• Hovering Helicopters by Tony Mitton

Rocket

• Space Song Rocket Ride  by Sunny Scribens

• Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket  bySue Fliess

• Rocket Ship, Solo Trip  by Chiara Colombi

• Dinosaur Rocket  by Penny Dale

Tractor

• Tractor  by Sally Sutton

• Duck on a Tractor  by David Shannon

• Driving My Tractor  by Jan Dobbins 

• Otis  by Loren Long

How else could you go for a ride?

ferris wheel, skateboard, scooter, ambulance, firetruck, garbage truck, skis,  camel, surfboard, motorbike, backhoe?

15th November I Love to Write Day

 It is I Love to Write Day . This day was started by an American author called John Riddle, who believes that writing is a perfect way for individuals to express themselves creatively! You should spend some time writing today. Don't overthink what to write; just write what you feel like. If you have a class today is a good excuse to have fun writing. A lot of children (and adults) do not like writing and they find it a chore. Perhaps this is because it wasn't fun or they couldn't choose for themselves what kind of writing to do. When I first started teaching the students in my class had a journal and they wrote something in it every day for ten minutes. Sometimes they wrote lists, story ideas, messages to themselves, nothing especially formal, but it was a routine they certainly embraced.

Put out some lined paper, paper made into books, envelopes, coloured paper, pencils, and some picture books that might inspire students to have a go.