20th August World Mosquito Day

August 20th is World Mosquito Day. On August 20, 1897, Sir Ronald Ross discovered the link between malaria transmission and mosquitoes. Ross was awarded the Nobel prize for medicine in 1902, the second person to receive it.

Probably mosquitoes are not something to be revered, but Ronald Ross certainly is worth talking about, and given my penchant for biographies lately I went looking to see if there was anything about him in book form. I didn't find anything suitable for the age group I teach, so I will make do with the books I found which outline the lifecycle of the mosquito and discuss briefly how they cause disease and then I have a good excuse to read one of my all-time favourite books Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema and Diane and Leo Dillon.

13th March Noela Young (1930) Diane Dillon (1933)

Noela Young has been illustrating children's books in Australia for over fifty years. She is probably best known for her illustrations of The Muddle-headed Wombat by Ruth Park. She has illustrated many novels by Emily Rodda and Gillian Rubinstein as well, but her picture books have very special qualities, especially when they deal with sensitive and serious themes such as old age and death, as Grandpa by Lilith Norman and Toby by Margaret Wild do. I cannot read Toby without crying. The illustrations of that beautiful golden retriever 'get to me' every time.

Diane Dillon illustrates with her husband Leo, who I wrote about on 2nd March. Their most recent book The Goblin and the Empty Chair was written by Mem Fox, so here there is an Australian and American collaboration of March birthdays! For me this book is a departure from what I would expect from both parties. Check it out and see what you think.