7th August Lighthouse Day

It is Lighthouse Day in the USA. It is celebrated later, the third weekend in August in Australia and I have written about this occasion before here, but I have had so many requests from teachers for books with lighthouses in them since 2010, that the library now has quite a collection. Here they are. Some are part of a series of books about the same characters. (See The Lighthouse Keeper books by Ronda and David Armitage and the two in The Littlest Lighthouse Keeper series by Heidi and Daniel Howarth.)

30th June Malachy Doyle (1954) Petr Horacek (1967)

I was going to write about something else but when I looked at the date, I felt compelled to write about two books I have read recently by authors who have their birthday today.

Firstly, Malachy Doyle.

I have been searching out books to use with my preschoolers while the Olympics are on. I looked for books about races, sports, good sportsmanship etc and came across Digger and Lew by Malachy Doyle and Daniel Howarth. Digger is a mole and Lollopy Lew, a hare. The story starts a bit like the hare and the tortoise with the hare bragging and the mole being annoyed by his behaviour. Digger, the mole comes up with a plan to beat Lew. What happens will give readers plenty to discuss. Did mole cheat? Is what he did ethical?

I plan to use this together with books such as The Hare and the Tortoise, The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay, (Narelle Oliver), The Race (Christobel Mattingley) and Lightning Fred (Dick King Smith) to have some lively discussions.

Secondly, Petr Horacek.

Jonathan and Martha is Horacek's newest picture book and like all of his books, this too has stunning illustrations using wonderful collage. This is the story of two worms who both find the same pear. Like Digger and Lew they agree to share and eventually become friends. It too then has an ideal message for the children I teach.