27th April International Hyena Day

April 27th is International Hyena Day which advocates for changing the public's perspective on hyenas, and seeing their importance on Earth. 

Hyenas don't have the greatest reputation due to centuries of bad publicity through literature and folklore. 

Spread through Africa and Asia, hyenas are intelligent mammals living in clans of 10 to 120 animals. They are skilled hunters, and not only scavengers which still makes them essential to prevent the spread of disease. They have highly acidic stomachs to break down their food, even though it isn't the freshest quality.

Hyenas are vulnerable to extinction because of habitat loss and persecution by farmers and poachers.

When I share any book about African animals with students they like the 'big ones' and the scavengers...the hyenas, jackals and vultures. Our library doesn't have many books on the scavengers. It only has four information books, but we do have some stories that are worth a look:

• Hungry Hyena by Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway

• Pinduli by Janell Cannon

• The Ugly Five by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

• Hey! What's that Nasty Whiff? by Julia Jarmin and Garry Parsons

• Henry Hyena, Why Won't You Laugh? by Doug Jantzen

• Noka's Surprise Party by Fiona Moodie

• That's Not Funny! by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds

17th April Bat Appreciation Day

Bat Conservation International (BCI) was founded in 1982 by a group of concerned scientists who recognised the importance of protecting bats. Bats contribute towards controlling pests, create rich fertiliser for landowners, and pollinate fruit and flowers. BCI aims to conserve bats and their habitats through a combination of education, conservation, and research. Human activities such as deforestation, mining, and irresponsible tourism have caused a substantial decrease in the bats’ population.

I have very mixed feelings about bats. There is a colony that live very close to where I live that certainly make a mess and lots of noise, but I'm sure that they were here long before people and houses because we have some very large Moreton Bay fig trees also in the area. Sadly, our council allowed one of these figs to be removed by a new home owner recently. 

One good thing about bats is that they make great book characters and being nocturnal and hanging upside down fascinates children. Any display of bats in the library is always a hit whether we do it for this date or more commonly at Halloween when we can decorate the library with lots of bats.

Amara and the Bats by Emma Reynolds would be a good book to start with because here is a Citizen Science-type story. Read the blurb:

Amara loves bats! Her favorite thing to do is to collect bat facts and watch the amazing mammals fly at night by her house. But when Amara moves to a new town, she learns that her beloved bats no longer roost nearby because so many trees are being cut down. 

Amara is upset. What can she do to help? She’s just one person, and the problem feels so much bigger than her. But after doing some research, she discovers that there are many young people making big changes all around the world. Inspired to take action, Amara gathers her new friends to help save the bats. Together, she knows they can make a difference! 

Often in bat stories the main bat character is young and afraid of the dark or flying which is the case in these:

• Scaredy Bat by Jonathan Meres and Anders Frank

• Fiona the Fruit Bat by Dan Riskin and Rachel Qiuqi

• Little Bat  by Tania Cox and Andrew McLean

• Nightsong  by Ari Berk and Loren Long

Or others are scared of bats as in 

• I'm Not Scary by Raahat Kaduji

Wanting information?

• The Bat  by Elise Gravel

• Bats by Elizabeth Carney

• The Bat Book by Charlotte Milner

Just for fun:

• Superbat  by Matt Carr

• Bats in the Library (plus other titles) by Brian Lies

• I Am Bat  by Morag Hood

• If I Had a Vampire Bat  by Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow

• Batty  by Sarah Dyer

And if all else fails...you can't go past

• Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

17th April Bat Appreciation Day

What a good excuse to get out all the books in the library that feature bats and put together a display! I'd start with Stellaluna by Janell Cannon and Bats at the Library (and its sequels) by Brian Lies because I have puppets to go with these. Then my favourite story to share with classes, Boris the Bat by Robert Dickins because the underlying themes in this book allow for the best discussions about what is appropriate behaviour and what is not. Of course there should be some non-fiction and the Usborne Beginners' Bats by Megan Cullis and the National Geographic Reader Bats by Elizabeth Carney are both excellent. Then to complete the display I would add:

• Daft Bat by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

• Goodnight Baby Bat by Debi Gliori

• Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies and Sarah Fox-Davies

• The Bat and the Crocodile by Jack Dolumyu and Pamela Lofts

• Oscar and the Bat by Geoff Waring

3rd November Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920 - 1993) Janell Cannon (1957)

Oodgeroo Noonuccal was an Australian Aboriginal poet, writer and artist. In fact, she was the first Aboriginal Australian to publish a book of poems. When I was at school and started teaching she was still known as Kath Walker, but as an Aboriginal activist with strong principles, she changed her name in 1987 as a statement to the Australian Government objecting to the Bicentennial celebrations which were glorifying the arrival of the First Fleet. Her strong affinity with her heritage, the environment and children led to the publication of Father Sky and Mother Earth, a book that never fails to instil in children a love for the environment and send them an important message. She wrote other books for children too, such as Stradbroke Dreamtime and The Rainbow Serpent, from which these powerful words come -

Perhaps she will come again
when the sprits of men
and the spirit of this land
are once more together as one

Janell Cannon is the American author illustrator responsible, among other things for Stellaluna and Verdi. These two books are extremely popular in my library and Stellaluna, in particular almost has a cult following. Children who read these books find it easy to empathise with her characters because despite being animals they experience feelings that the children have.