27th August World Rock Paper Scissors Day

Who would have thought we needed a day to celebrate this game? 

Looking at the game in more detail though I found out just how significant, controversial and important this game is!

Rock paper scissors is an intransitive hand game, usually played between two people, in which each player simultaneously forms one of three shapes with an outstretched hand. These shapes are "rock", "paper", and "scissors". It is often used as a fair choosing method between two people, similar to coin flipping, drawing straws, or throwing dice in order to settle a dispute or make an unbiased group decision.

The rock is a closed fist; paper is a flat hand with fingers and thumb extended and the palm facing downward; and scissors is a fist with the index and middle fingers fully extended toward the opposing player. Rock wins against scissors; paper wins against rock; and scissors wins against paper.

Rock Paper Scissors is considered the oldest hand game in the world. In fact, the game dates all the way back to the Chinese Han Dynasty. This era began in 206 BC and ended in 220 AD. There are also accounts of this game in Japanese history. The earliest versions of this game consisted of a slug, snake, and frog. Rocks, papers, and scissors were used in a later version of the game developed in the 17th century. It wasn’t until the 1920’s that the popular Asian hand game made its way to Great Britain. In 1932, an article in the New York Times described the rules of Rock Paper Scissors.

The format of the game, however, is different in other parts of the world.  In Australia, the most common name is "scissors, paper, rock", a reversal of the American format, and even within Australia each state may have a variation. The children I teach do say Scissors, Paper, Rock.

There is even a World Rock Paper Scissors Association which suggests ways to celebrate this day. Their suggestion I like best is to teach the game to someone who doesn't know how to play. 

Whatever order you use and whatever rules you adhere to, it is the day to read Drew Daywalt and Adam Rex's The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors.

Blurb: Long ago, in an ancient and distant realm called the Kingdom of Backyard, there lived a warrior named ROCK. Meanwhile in the Empire of Mom s Home Office, a second great warrior sought the glory of battle. And his name was PAPER. At the same time, in the Kitchen Realm, in the tiny village of Junk Drawer, lived a third warrior. They called her SCISSORS. These three were the strongest, smartest, and fastest in all the land. Time and again they beat the most fearsome opponents they could find: an apricot, a computer printer even frozen, breaded, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets! 

If you have Scissors on Strike  by Jennifer Jones it would be fun to have a philosophical discussion with your class about what would happen to Scissors Paper Rock if the scissors were not included because they were on strike.

31st March Crayon Day

It's Crayon Day!   

I felt sure I had written about this day before, but I can't find where. Because we put together a creative display for Scribble Day many of our crayon books are already on loan or on display. 

Origin of Crayons

Unfortunately, the origin of crayons is somewhat blurry when looking at pertinent historical accounts. However, the word itself came from the combination of two Latin words which are “crale” (chalk) and creta (earth). Crayons are made by combining different pigments with oil. This practice has been done for thousands of years. It has been done by different cultures including Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians. However, such crayons were used only by artists and not by children at home and at school. The reason is that such crayons made before contain compounds that may be harmful to children, especially when ingested. The breakthrough in crayons came with the crayon produced by Joseph Lemercier back in 1828. Instead of using oil, he used wax for producing crayons.

During the 20th century, more and more crayons were produced in the USA. In 1902, Edwin Binney and Harold Smith invented the Crayola brand of crayons and now children have access to a number of different types of crayons.

If you want to find out more about crayons, the library has these books:

Here's the true story of an inventor who so loved nature's vibrant colours that he found a way to bring the outside world to children - in a bright green box for only a nickel! With experimentation, and a special knack for listening, Edwin Binney and his dynamic team at Crayola created one of the world's most enduring, best-loved childhood toys.

How does wax turn into a colorful crayon? Follow each step in the production cycle--from melting wax into a liquid to coloring a fun picture.

Join Buddy, every first-grader's favorite Weekly Reader pal, as he goes behind the scenes at interesting real-life places where people do interesting real-life work. What Happens at a Crayon Factory? takes readers inside a real factory to see how crayons are made. 

There are lots of stories, starting with the ever so popular series about crayons by Drew Daywalt that started with The Day the Crayons Quit and the ubiquitous Harold's Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson Here's some others:

• Red: A Crayons Story  by Michael Hall

• Frankencrayon  by Michael Hall

• The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf and Michael Letzig

• Creepy Crayon  by Aaron Reynolds

• My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard and Brian Karas

• A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch and Chad Cameron

• The Magic Crayon  by Amy Sparkes and Ali Pie

• Pete the Cat; Crayons Rock  by James Dean and Kimberly Dean

• Crayon  by Simon Rickerty

• Gurple and Preen  by Linda Sue Park and Debbie Ridpath Ohi

• Crayon Road  by Joni Jong and Joy Cowley

• The Last Crayon by Fifi Colston

• The Life of a Crayon: A Colourful Story of Neverending Beginnings  by Christopher Willard and Holly Clifton-Brown 

• Blackie, the Crayon by Miwa Nakaya

• Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul

• How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney and Feronia Parker-Thomas

13th July International Rock Day

I don't need to write at length about celebrating rocks. I have done so before, here and here, but since then some new picture books have appeared that are worth purchasing for the library.

My favourite, This Little Pebble by Anna Claybourne, is perfect for the keen rock collector in our Prep school who wants to find out more about where their rocks came from.

Bring Me a Rock  by Daniel Miyares makes you smile as you watch a group of insects attempt to cart off a pebble.

Mine!  by Jeff Mack cleverly tells a story with just one word.

A Stone for Sascha  by Aaron Becker, like his previous gems is a wordless book but with a profound message and somewhat sombre feel.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt and Adam Rex,  reveals the epic tale behind everyone's favourite playground game!

Dave's Rock by Frank Preston-Gannon, another funny story about Caveman Dave that features rocks.

 A Rock Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas gives a myriad of things that a rock can be.

And a new one I would like to see and read, A Chip off the Old Block by Jody Jensen Shaffer.