22nd August International Wombat Day

Today we celebrate a small, burrowing marsupial that is native to Australia, known as the wombat. They are the largest burrowing mammals. They spend most of their time underground in their extensive burrows and emerge mainly at night. There are three species of wombats: the common or bare-nosed wombat, and the southern and northern hairy-nosed wombats.

Celebrating Wombat Day can be as simple as reading about your favourite wombat. For Australian children, that is probably Jackie French's Mothball, who made famous because he is the 'star' of the series of diaries about him. It started with Diary of a Wombat and now there are many sequels and even a prequel, The Diary of a Rescue Wombat which was published to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first book. 

The children at my school still love the 'old favourite'  Sebastian Lives in a Hat  which tells the story of an orphaned four month old wombat joey who is nursed in the home of the author Thelma Catterwell and who sleeps in a hat, his pretend pouch. This book has had its 30th anniversary, but is still in print.

And thirdly, look for and then read Susannah Chambers' wombat stories, The Snow Wombat and The Beach Wombat.

There are many others in our library on display at the moment!

16th April World Voice Day

World Voice Day celebrates the importance of the human voice. Imagine having no voice. The only time I wish for that is on some wet days at school  when the class is stuck inside at lunchtime and are using outside voices. Getting the right voice for the right occasion can be so important. Every teacher has some management gimmick to ensure that her students know what is appropriate. Reading stories which promote discussion of the 'right' voice may also help. Here are some suggestions:

• Willow's Whispers by Lana Button and Tania Howells tells the story of a a shy and softly spoken girl called Willow and
how she resourcefully overcomes her school troubles.
• Too Loud Lily by Sofie Laguna and Kerry Argent tells the story of Lily who is too loud at home and school, but she finally discovers she needs to be loud in the school play.
• Loudmouth Louis by Anne Fine. This is a short novel suitable for serialising to young children. It is about Louis, a boy who never stops talking. He announces that he is going to be silent if people sponsor him in order to raise money for a new school library. Louis surprises himself, discovering that he actually likes listening to others.
• My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook. This too is about a boy named Louis who never stops talking. He interrupts all the time and says exactly what he is thinking.
• Giraffe's Big Night by Carrie and David Grant. Giraffe is an opera singer about to embark on a performance. When she wakes that morning she finds that she is hoarse. How will she sing? This story shows children how precious and precarious a voice can be.

At school we often use the word 'voice' also in the context of writing. I love to use Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne to show students how the same events can appear to be very different when described by different witnesses. Here four characters all have the same experience in the park but you certainly get different points of view.

26th November National Cake Day

It’s National Cake Day!  On this day, Americans celebrate one of the world’s favorite desserts—the cake. The cake we know and love today evolved from early leavened breads, which were sweetened with honey, fruit, and nuts. Did you know that the word “cake” comes from the Old Norse word, “kaka,” meaning a baked flour confection?

Whether you prefer vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, or even the pineapple-upside-down variety, grab a slice of your favorite cake to celebrate this delicious day! Happy National Cake Day!

Well even though it isn't Cake Day here in Australia, I certainly thought of cake this week as I was shelving the hundreds of books that are coming back from classrooms at the end of the school year. I needed a treat on Friday afternoon, so splurged on a piece of honey roll. My favourite looking cakes in books though are these two. I don't know why because both have copious amounts of cream and strawberries, two things I am not overly fond of, but they do look very decadent and delicious. 

The first is 'made' by Kerry Argent in her illustrations for Gail Jorgensen's Gotcha!   I can't find any pictures of it on the web so you'll have to find the book and read it. Here a group of bears are having a birthday picnic and are just about to cut the cake when the party is rudely interrupted by a "big, black, beastly fly." A pursuit of this fly then ensues and there is a wild romp all over the countryside before coming back to the cake.

The second is 'made' by Janet Stevens in the book Cook-a-doodle doo!  This too is a story where animals get to cook and eat the cake, but at least the cake is on the cover and you can see what you are missing. Both of these books are great read- alouds for sharing with very young children.