So They Build - Meerkats

Meerkats are certainly charismatic. Their sentinel behaviour makes them different from other animals. Whenever we do a display of meerkat books, the books leave the library very quickly. The students that use our school library live near the zoo and visit it frequently. It has a meerkat enclosure that they are always keen to visit.

Meerkats live in groups called mobs. Living in a mob helps the meerkats to find food, protect themselves and look after their young. All meerkats in a mob help with the work. Individuals have different skills that can help a group.They are constantly on the lookout for animals that may attack their mob, such as eagles and hawks. When they spot an enemy, they may scurry into their underground burrows or attack! 

Meerkats are skilled builders, crafting intricate tunnel systems beneath the earth. This network of tunnels is an intricate feat of engineering. The tunnels are used as sleeping quarters, safe nurseries for their young and refuge from the extreme heat, the harsh desert elements and predators.

There are few animals that work together as well as meerkats. When it comes to getting things done, meerkats know that teamwork is the way to go. Families of these furry little critters often live together, forming communities of up to fifty members. They protect other group members by taking turns being a lookout and scanning the area for danger. Everyone in the mob participates in gathering food, keeping a look out for predators, and taking care of the babies. 

This week these books were on display, but then all were borrowed.

And some stories:

And the most popular, but always missing in action:

For the chapter book enthusiasts, look for these series

16th January Appreciate a Dragon (Dragons Day 1)

Happy New Year! It's the Chinese Year of the Dragon and the International Year of Camelids. It's 2024!

To coincide with Appreciate a Dragon Day and in preparation for Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon we have planned to display dragon books in the library to start the New School Year which begins at the end of January. We have so many books featuring dragons, so over a series of blogs, I will introduce you to what is on offer for our library users. There are seven days so you will be able to make a long list of books to get from your library.

Firstly, my young students associate dragons with fairytales, knights, breathing fire and having battles, and yes the stories they choose to read do feature these kind of dragons, but there's many more to explore. There's chapter books, myths and legends, Asian folktales and dragons who are friendly. 

Are you ready to battle a dragon? This is the signage above the library display but many of the dragons in the pictures displayed above the books make the dragons look friendly, fun and not too scary because the readers who frequent my library are under eight or parents and teachers of these students who are at preschool or in Kindergarten, Grade 1 or Grade 2.

For my very young readers I would start with books such as these:

• How to Catch a Dragon by Carol Hart and Ed Eaves

• Sylvia and Bird by Catherine Rayner

• This is Not a Fairytale  by Will Mabbit and Fred Blunt

• Me and My Dragon  by David Biedrzycki

• King Jack and the Dragon  by Peter Bently and Helen Oxenbury

• Jill &  Dragon  by Lesley Barnes

• Again!  by Emily Gravatt

• Look Out, It's a Dragon! by Jonny Lambert

• Ellie's Dragon  by Bob Graham

• Dragon Dancing by Carole Lexa Schaefer and Pierr Morgan

• George and the Dragon  and  George, the Dragon and the Princess by Chris Wormell

4th December World Pear Day

Happy World Pear Day, everyone! Today marks a very special occasion – the day that we all come together to celebrate pears! This fruit is enjoyed by people all around the world, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by enjoying some delicious pears while reading a story. Are there any stories about pears? You might be surprised to learn that pears do feature in some picture books. See:

• The Pear in the Pear Tree by Pamela Allen

When John and Jane went out walking what did they see? They saw a pear in the pear tree. This humorous rhyming story tells of their attempts to reach the pear. 

• Too Many Pears! by Jackie French & Bruce Whatley

Pamela the cow absolutely loves pears - fresh pears, pear pie, stewed pears, any pears - they are all irresistible to Pamela. Finally it takes a clever little girl to convince Pamela that there is more to life than pears... 

• A Pair of Pears and an Orange by Anna McGregor

An adorable story about making new friends and finding creative solutions to playground problems.
A pair of pears rocked on a seesaw.
A pair of pears played ping-pong.
A pair of pears rode their tandem bike.
Until one day, someone new wanted
to join their fun.

• Orange Pear Apple Bear  by Emily Gravett

By rearranging just four words, Emily Gravett creates a series of playful images which are a sheer joy - and intensely satisfying.

• Little Pear Tree  by Rachel Williams and Jenny Bowers

Watch as a tiny seed grows through the seasons into a fine pear tree in this beautiful book. The charming text makes this the perfect interactive primer to a key scientific topic. 

• Parker and the Pear  by Jim Pluk

Parker gets puzzled after a strangely shaped green thing drops from a tree and plops at his feet. He has never seen a pear before, much less tasted one. What will happen when he tries to return the fruit to its place high in the tree? 

And my favourite

•That Fruit is Mine! by Anuska Allepuz

One day, deep in the jungle, five elephants discover a new tree - a tall tree - and, atop that tree, the most mouth-wateringly delicious fruit any of them had ever seen. "MINE!" each elephant cries. "Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!" But who will get there first? And will the elephants spot the five tiny mice, planning and plotting, slowly approaching that tip-top branch?  

Pears were cultivated in China as early as 2000 BC. Pears were also cultivated by the Romans, who ate the fruit raw or cooked. Romans introduced the fruit to Britain. Pears became a much-desired commodity among the the trading routes of the ancient world. In the 18th Century, the pear tree was included in the famous carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Here's some picture books of the carol by well-known illustrators, Jan Brett, Anna Wright, Lara Hawthorne and Jane Ray.

1st September World Letter Writing Day

Do you remember the last time you wrote a letter to someone to communicate and we are not talking about email or any digital letter but a physical letter on paper? To keep the letter writing tradition alive, this day is celebrated. It encourages people to devote time to writing letters and it is good for your mind. It is also known that writing is also a very good exercise and also helps in reducing your stress level. Your handwriting is like your DNA unique to you.

The day was founded by Australian author, artist, and photographer Richard Simpkin, who adores writing handwritten letters. He visits schools to give workshops on letter writing to encourage students to keep this art alive.

Over the years letters have become an art form and they stand out as a genre in literature. Yesterday at school author Kate Simpson visited to talk to the children about writing and science. One of her books, Dear Grandpa  is a series of letters between a boy and his grandfather. This is very pertinent at my school because last week when we were preparing to celebrate Grandparents Day I realised just how many of the students lived a long way from their grandparents. Yes they phone, and Zoom but how nice it would be for some of those grandparents to get a letter. Also last year while we were in lock down and doing school online, one of the activities that the students and teachers undertook was to write letters to the residents at the aged care facility next door to our school. They couldn't go anywhere either so were very grateful to receive letters from the children. Some of them wrote back to the children which was very special because these young students have very little experience of letters or cursive writing.

Today is a good excuse to look at some of the beautiful books in our library that do include letters. Of course there's ones like The Jolly Postman  and Dear Felix,  but here's some you mightn't know.

Leo, a mailman, takes in a small bird, Cheep, who missed the autumn migration of his flock.When spring comes and Cheep moves on, Leo is sad to see him go, but he also has hope, and the letter he has been longing for finally arrives. 

What do you send your alien pen pal Clunk to make it clear you do not "want" an alien pen pal? You send him your big sister. That'll teach Clunk to have a pen pal from Earth-or so our intrepid narrator thinks.

A boy writes a letter to an imagined alien, explaining all the things he will need to know about Earth and the people who live here - and adding a postscript asking what the alien might look like.

Two wonderful books with real letters that Max has written to his favourite dinosaur.

A boy writes a letter to an imagined alien, explaining all the things he will need to know about Earth and the people who live here - and adding a postscript asking what the alien might look like.

When the kids in Room 5 write to Earth asking what they can do to help save our planet, they are delighted to get a letter back.

Tino and Teeny are lovely lovelorn bunny rabbits, living just a few  
hops from each other. If only one of them could overcome their  
shyness and speak to the other!  When their efforts to woo each other with writing are ruined by a  rainstorm it looks like they may never meet. 

When Florence moves house, she's a little bit worried about starting a new school and making new friends. But luckily - through the power of letters - she makes one very special penpal friend, Panda, and he brings confidence and joy into her world. 

"Dear Gazelle, For some time now I have wanted to write a letter to say how much admire you. You are so graceful and fine. Even when you are running from tigers you are like a ballerina who is running away from tigers. think that what I'm trying to say is that I love you. XO, OX" And so begins an epic, if initially unrequited, love affair.

Has wonderfully detailed, witty artwork and a giant, glossy postcard flap to lift on every spread. Perfect for fans of The Jolly Postman - and meerkats!

Giraffe, who lives in Africa, is bored as usual. He'd love a friend to share things with. So he writes a letter and sends it as far as possible across the other side of the horizon. There he finds a pen pal--Penguin. But it's hard to imagine someone you've never seen.

Now that Professor Whale has retired, he writes many letters to You, Whoever You Are, Who Lives on the Other Side of the Horizon. Seal and Pelican are busy delivering the letters and Penguin is now teaching. Although he is happy his friends are doing so well, Whale wants a special friend;, who might call him by a friendly sort of name. Like Whaley, maybe, instead of Professor.  

Bear can't imagine a whole winter without her friend, so when Bird migrates south, Bear decides to follow. She's never left the forest before, but that won't stop her from crossing oceans and mountains--and sending letters along the way. But a surprise is waiting for Bear on the beach... 

Richly told in amusing letters and lush illustrations, this adventurous story invites readers to consider just how far they'd go for their friends. 

I haven't seen this, but would like to.