2nd August Goldfish Day

 

I know it is not August, but while shelving, weeding and tidying the shelves this week because it is the last week of school at my Australian school, I noticed how many picture books feature goldfish. I then wondered if there was a day to celebrate goldfish on which we could do a display because we haven't done one before. Well there is. It is the 2nd August, so I'm writing now so I don't forget to do a display next year. 

Some teachers have a goldfish in their classroom and they will often come and ask for a book to read to their class. Everyone knows 

• A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer

A little boy who overfeeds his goldfish begins an adventure that brings even the police and a fire engine to cope with a fish out of water.

But, I like to give them one that they may not know and that is humorous or informative such as:

• Who Fed Zed?  by Amelia McInerney

Zed the fish is white and red.
His poo hangs down in one long thread. 
The main thing, though, is what Fred said,
'NEVER, EVER FEED ZED BREAD.'

• We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope Rex has one fear- Walter, the class goldfish. So when Mrs. Noodleman tells the kids that they'll be taking turns bringing Walter home, Penelope gets carried away by her anxious imagination.

• Something's Fishy  by Kevin McCloskey

Some fish breathe air and some fish fly, but the most wonderful fish of all turns out to be the one you've got at home. 

• My Pet Goldfish by Catherine Rayner

The child narrating this story has been given their first ever pet: a tiny fish with shimmering scales and bright beady eyes… Their very own goldfish! Sitting alongside the gentle narrative and dynamic illustrations, the subtext introduces facts about goldfish and their care – some gentle, some funny, some fascinating.

• Poor Fish!  by Jane Godwin

It's Saturday morning. Auskick starts soon. But there's something wrong with Brendan's fish.

Then these are the others I could choose from:

 

And if you are looking for short chapter books try these:

4th April World Rat Day

World Rat Day is a holiday to recognise the rat as a great companion because pet rat fans desire recognition for this little creature. Did you know that humans share 99% of their DNA with rats? The day was founded to challenge the stigma surrounding rats' poor reputation. However, it wasn't always the case! The Chinese zodiac honours the rat as the first animal in the twelve-year cycle, associating those born in the year of the rat with positive personality traits, such as optimism, intelligence and diligence.

I have written about this day before and added a list of books, so I am only going to refer here to books that have been published since that post.

These four are worth a read for very different purposes!

• The Cat and the Rat and the Hat  by Em Lynas and Matt Hunt

Cat is sitting on his favourite mat, when who should come along but Rat with a very nice hat? Cat wants Rat's hat and will stop at NOTHING to get it. But when Bat arrives wearing a fancy cravat, well, what could be better than that? Chaos ensues as both Cat and Rat decide they MUST have Bat's fancy cravat for themselves!

• Bear and Rat by Christopher Cheng and Stephen Michael King

Bear and Rat are the best of friends who do everything together, 
but Rat wonders if Bear will always be there to hold her hand, 
no matter what happens ...

• The Many Hats of Louie the Rat  by Sakshi Mangal

An inventive rat saves the day with perseverance, creativity, kindness, and some helpful hats. Louie the rat loves turning not-so-useful things into ingenious inventions, but none of the other rats in town seem to appreciate his odd, often ineffective gadgets.

 • The Little Rat and the Golden Seed  by Li Jian

This Chinese-English bilingual children's book tells the story of the Little Rat and the Grandpa - unlikely allies who embark on an adventure to find a golden seed. They encounter rough seas, fierce guards and tall mountains, but - in the end - bring home a golden rice seed and save the village from going hungry.

There's even a new graphic novel series for young readers that features a rat, Gnome and Rat  by Lauren Stohler.

• Gnome and Rat are best friends who live together in a charming forest. Rat enjoys drinking tea and finishing crossword puzzles. And Gnome... well, Gnome likes to polish his pointy red hat and eat delicious sausages.

These funny friends share various adventures, whether it's celebrating Hat Day, perfecting magic tricks, or tracking down a new signature hat for Gnome.

16th July Guinea Pig Appreciation Day

Guinea Pig Appreciation Day only started last year, but it would be a huge hit in my library as the young children I teach love guinea pigs and I am constantly asked for guinea pig stories. Fortunately we have a large number and some of them are series so they can 'get hooked' and keep reading. Humphrey's Tiny Tales by Betty G Birney have been popular and the graphic novel series Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye by Colleen A F Venable has a large following too. We used to have a wonderful Folkmanis guinea pig puppet too, but sadly he was borrowed, never to return. I do know he is probably well-loved! The display does work without accompanying toy or puppets.