2nd December World Pollution Prevention Day

• If I Were the World  by Mark Sperring

If I were the world, I’d want flowers and bees. 

A chorus of birds singing high in the trees. 

If I were the world, I’d want sparkling seas. 

If I were the world . . . 

would YOU look after ME?

Today is the day to listen to our world!

This beautiful and uplifting book will inspire us all to join hands and help our amazing planet. With an irresistible rhyming text by Mark Sperring and stunning illustrations by  Natelle Quek, it's the perfect book to inspire children to ask questions and take action and that is what we want everyone to do on World Pollution Day. Stop. Think. Act. Three words that are used in schools so often.

Increasing pollution is posing threat and danger to our existence. Pollution can be of different types such as water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, food pollution, etc, but whichever kind it is, it is not 'a fun topic' for young students. The students I teach are young, constantly bombarded by messages about what is happening to the earth and I worry that each time we talk about pollution and its effects we are adding to their anxiety, so books such as this one allow us to start with the positive and things we can do without dwelling on the horrors.

Allan Drummond's books provide positive case studies of dealing with specific kinds of pollution. Through the eyes of children this inspiring series about everyday communities inventing exciting new approaches to green living, shows that working together for a common cause has an impact that is lasting, meaningful and fun!

• Green City : How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future

In 2007, a tornado destroyed Greensburg, Kansas, and the residents were at a loss as to what to do next--they didn't want to rebuild if their small town would just be destroyed in another storm. So they decided they wouldn't just rebuild the same old thing; this time, they would build a town that could not only survive another storm, but one that was built in an environmentally sustainable way. 

• Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World

Cycling rules the road in Amsterdam today, but that wasn't always the case. In the 1970's, Amsterdam was so crowded with vehicles that bicyclists could hardly move, but moms and kids relied on their bicycles to get around the city. PEDAL POWER is the story of the people who led protests against the unsafe streets and took over a vehicles-only tunnel on their bikes, showing what a little pedal power could do! Author and illustrator Allan Drummond returns with the story of the people that paved the way for safe biking around the world.

• Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Our World

At a time when most countries are producing ever-increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses, the rather ordinary citizens of the Danish island of Samsø have accomplished something extraordinary--in just ten years they have reduced their carbon emissions by 140% and become almost completely energy independent. A narrative tale and a science book in one, this inspiring true story proves that with a little hard work and a big idea, anyone can make a huge step toward energy conservation.

• Solar Story: How One Community Lives Alongside the World's Biggest Solar Plant

This is the story of the Noor Solar Power Plant in Morocco's Sahara Desert. Drummond relates the story through the everyday life of a school girl who lives in a small village next to the plant. Through a school excursion to the plant we see how the reliable power is brought to the village and beyond, and how it provides jobs, changes lives and upends the old ways of doing things.

• Zero Waste:How One Community Is Leading a World Recycling Revolution

Kamikatsu, Japan, is known worldwide for its sanitation innovations. This small community of 1,700 people is leading the way in recycling and upcycling, and has nearly achieved its goal of zero waste. Told in Allan Drummond's energetic, informal narrative style, this is the story of a group of citizens who dared to break out of their comfort zone and make radical change for the good of their town and the planet.

 

Christmas Books for Under 6s

I have been really enjoying following quite a few bloggers who have been highlighting an advent book each day in the lead up to Christmas. Some have done one a day since the beginning of December. Others such as my friend at Momo Celebrating Time to Read have chosen twelve books. Two teacher friends with young children and another with grandchildren have been enjoying opening a book parcel each day during advent for a shared reading experience. This got me thinking about which books I would put on an advent list or wrap for my advent reading. As the teacher librarian in a school I find myself constantly thinking about what to read to whom. When I read to my preschool and Kindergarten classes in Term 4 as a lead up to Christmas, I read from these books. All have been very successful. You will notice how many of them are either very well known or are by authors who write prolifically for this age group.




1. The Christmas Book by Dick Bruna. I chose this one because it tells the Nativity story chronologically and simply but uses lovely language and is illustrated in the typical Bruna manner, that the children recognise from the Miffy books.

2. How Many Sleeps Till Christmas? by Mark Sperring and Sebastien Braun. This is about waiting patiently, not something children find easy to do at this time of the year. The title question is one that children ask every day as they are counting down.

3. What Do You Wish For? by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker. This book is especially pertinent to Australian children as it depicts a summer Christmas and a typical Australian child's street. Ruby needs to write a wish, but she struggles to decide upon one. Such a good thing to be talking to children about at this time of giving as well as receiving.

4. Max's Christmas by Rosemary Wells. I chose this one because I am the mother of a Max and a Ruby. My children loved this and all the Max and Ruby stories. Max's droll questions make everyone laugh. I also like this story because Santa appears in it, but without a huge emphasis on presents.

5. Angel Mae and the Christmas Baby by Shirley Hughes. This is the story of many children under six. Mae's mother is pregnant and tired. Her brother wants the baby to be a boy and Mae wants a girl, so squabbles ensue. It also features the school nativity play which is something most children will experience at some point in their schooling.

6. The Gift of Christmas  by Christine Leeson and Gaby Hansen. I have two copies of this story in the library. They have different titles, but are the same text and illustrations. The Very Special Christmas came with flashing fairy lights on the tree in the book, so you can imagine how much the children like it when we get to the decorated tree at the end. Molly Mouse collects a variety of decorations for the tree and the lights finish it beautifully.

7. Jingle Bells by Nick Butterworth. This is not the Christmas carol. Lottie and Jack are mice and they are having problems with the cat. The bell is part of the solution. When I bought this book for the library it was tied closed by beautiful red satin ribbon which had two bells on the ends, which is extremely fitting when you know what Mrs Mackie finds addressed to the cat.

8. Threadbear by Mick Inkpen. A story about a well-loved toy bear whose squeaker does not work. The bear thinks Santa will be able to help him. It has large fold out pages that the children love, even if they don't wear well.

9. Baboushka (various available) or The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie DePaola. I would choose one of these because they are folktales specific to either the Russian or Italian Christmas tradition that relate the story of the Three Kings going to Bethlehem.

10. Dream Snow by Eric Carle. This one because none of the other stories have snow and as with many of Carle's books it has paper engineering and music, a novelty which will keep everyone interested.


Then 11. and 12. would come from:
Wombat Divine by Mem Fox and Kerry Argent; Doing Christmas by Sarah Garland; The Snowman (show the filmclip) by Raymond Briggs; The Silver Christmas Tree by Pat Hutchins and Summer by June Factor and Alison Lester.