3rd August Grab Some Nuts Day

There are many "nut" days throughout the year such as National Almond Day 16th February), National Pistachio Day (26th February), and National Pecan Day (14th April), and National Walnut Day (17th May).  Hazelnuts do not have their own celebratory day but 1st June is Hazelnut Cake Day. World Coconut Day is 2nd September, Cashew Day is 23rd November, and 14th December is Roast Chestnuts Day. In Australia we celebrate Macadamia Day on 4th September. But, on 3rd August it's National Grab Some Nuts Day and all nuts may be celebrated!

Defining a nut is tricky. In botany, a nut is a specific type of dry fruit that has a hard shell and a single seed, which does not open to release the seed . Botanical nuts, like hazelnuts, are derived from a compound ovary and have a hard shell. However, in culinary contexts, the term "nut" is used more broadly to include other types of dry fruits and seeds, such as drupes (like almonds and walnuts) and even some seeds like pine nuts and legumes such as peanuts. Peanuts do not grow on a tree like nuts and they have their own day on 13th September.

There are not many picture books that focus on nuts as separate entities, other than those about acorns and I think they are popular because squirrels are also popular in children's books.

Almonds

Pistachios

This book is a compilation of  three stories from the  fun beginning chapter books about Princess Pistachio by Marie-Louise Gay. Not about nuts at all, but worth reading.

Pecans (that have been made into a pie)

Walnuts
 

 

Hazelnuts 

Coconuts and cashews

 Peanuts

This is an old book with an endearing story that features kola nuts, which are the seed of a certain species of plant of the genus Cola.These cola species are trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa. Their caffeine-containing seeds are used as flavouring ingredients in various carbonated soft drinks from which the name cola originates.

I have written about nuts before, here and there are other books suggested. The books below are newer than that blog, but notice they are about acorns and squirrels!

22nd October Nut Day

On 22nd October it is Nut Day, a day to celebrate nuts and all they have to offer animals, including us, nutritionally. This is not easy to do in schools as so many students have nut allergies. Some students are allergic to peanuts only, Peanut Day is the 13th September, but there are lots of other nuts. How many can your students list? Read April Pulley Sayre's Let's Go Nuts! and make a list.

Looking through the library catalogue for books about 'nuts' I realised that if I exclude the peanut books and the peanut butter books then what I was left with are mainly about nuts and squirrels and the nuts are acorns.

I love oak trees and acorns. I spent many hours as a child collecting acorns and making acorn people and boats and I would have dearly loved to see a squirrel run down the branches of the oak trees, but I live in Australia so no squirrels. That doesn't mean though that there cannot be a 'nut' book display and a cuddly toy squirrel set amongst the books.



Start with the classic Chicken Licken, Chicken Little or Henny Penny, where an acorn falls on a chicken's head and he runs off to tell the king that the sky is falling. Silly, but good fun with all that poultry following him without questioning the initial premise. Then there is a lovely new book by Lou Peacock and Yasmeen Ismail simply called Nuts! which takes sharing and quarrelling to a new level.


If you still want others with squirrels:
• We Need More Nuts! and Please, No More Nuts! by Jonathan Fenske
• Aw, Nuts!  by Rob McClurkan
• The Nut Stayed Shut by Mike Henson
• The Nutty Nut Chase by Kathryn White and Vanessa Cabban
• Scruffle-Nut by Corinne Fenton and Owen Swan
• Nuts to You!  by Lois Ehlert
• Nuts to You  by Lynne Rae Perkins (illustrated novel)

Without squirrels:
• I Want that Nut! by Madeline Valentine ( mouse and a chipmunk)
• Oh, Nuts! by Tammi Sauer and Dan Krall (chipmunks)
• Nuts in Space by Elys Dolan (an elite crew of furry animals)
• a series by Eric Litwin (of Pete the Cat fame)and Scott Magoon
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House (Hazel and Wally Nut and family)
The Nuts:Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants
The Nuts:Keep Rolling!