13th December National Day of the Horse

"Horse day" can refer to several different observances, including the 

United Nations' World Horse Day on July 11th which began in 2025. In the United States, National Horse Day is observed on December 13th. Additionally, there is National Help A Horse Day on April 26th, and some countries, like Australia, have their own specific dates, such as August 1st, designated as "all horses' birthday". 

December 13th in the USA is a day to remember the economic, historic, and cultural contributions that horses have made. Equine enthusiasts across the country will get together  to show their appreciation for these majestic creatures.

Next year will be the Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac, so I have begun collecting together all the books about horses in our library for a display to start the year.The Horse (⾺) is the seventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the  Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.  There is a long tradition of the horse in Chinese mythology.

• The Horse and the Mysterious Drawing by Li Jian

In this book, one in a series by Li Jian which has a story for each of the zodiac animals, we get a folktale about a boy and how he changed his family's fortune.

Long ago in China, there was a little boy who lived a nomadic life with his family. Hunger and hardship followed them wherever they went. They tried to grow food once, but whenever the seeds were sown, winter came and all the seedlings became frozen.

One day, while passing by the Yellow River, the boy's white horse suddenly got free of the reins and plunged into the river. After a while, the horse sprang out of the water with a drawing on its back.

Everyone wondered what the drawing meant, but only the boy was clever enough to figure it out and explained to his family: "This drawing shows the cycle of the changing seasons. The horse wants to help us grow grains to make food. Why don't we do what is on this drawing and sow seeds in the spring, water them in the summer, and harvest in the autumn. In the winter, we need to let the earth rest."

These two books by Ed Young also show wonderful horse illustrations in a Chinese style.

General nonfiction about horses:

Some great Australian horses to read about:

  

Some picture book stories:

There are so many chapter book series about horses, but one I like that is good fun, is this one, Fables from the Stables by Gavin Puckett. It is perfect for young beginning readers.

For more books about horses that you can add to a display see this Pinterest page.

3rd December World Coati Day

On the 3rd of December every year, World Coati Day is celebrated to promote awareness and conservation of coatimundi.

Coatimundi are mammals found in North, Central and South America. Their closest relative is the racoon. They live in bands of up to 30, although adult males usually live alone. They are arboreal, meaning that they live in trees. Their long noses are used to find food under rocks and in crevices.

These creatures are at risk due to human development, and they are also hunted for meat. There are four species of coati, all of which have declining populations. The Eastern Mountain Coati is an endangered species.

I knew nothing about the coati until my daughter sent me a photo she had taken up close with one coming down a tree while she was in Guatemala. It was alone so I assume it was male.

There are very few picture books that feature this animal available for an Australian audience and what there is is very expensive. We have this amusing one:

• Untitled  by Timothy Young.

A coatimundi and a capybara are stuck in a book with no plot, wishing they had a title, a better author, and a better illustrator, and hoping something exciting will happen.

These are others:

26th November World Lewis Day

World Lewis Day is  held annually on November 26. It was created to raise awareness of the hundreds of koalas that have died or have been displaced due to bushfires and to promote koala conservation.

Koalas are probably the most vulnerable to bushfires because eucalyptus trees where they live are highly flammable, and koalas move too slowly to be able to escape. Moreover, they rarely even try to escape; when in danger, koalas instinctively climb up to the very top of a tree, seeking refuge, curl up there, and become trapped. Koalas that don’t die from the fire may die later due to overheating and dehydration. Thousands of koalas have died in Australian bushfires, and more have become displaced due to the resulting habitat destruction. Habitat fragmentation caused by bushfires makes koalas isolated and causes a sharp reduction in the size of their population. 

World Lewis Day was created to raise awareness of the dangers of bushfires for koalas. It was named after Lewis the Koala that was saved from a bushfire in November 2019. During the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season, also known as Black Summer due to its devastating effects, Toni Doherty from New South Wales saved a badly burned koala and named him Ellenborough Lewis after one of her seven grandchildren. Lewis was taken to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where he was treated for his burns. Sadly, the burns were too extensive for Lewis to recover.

The children I teach are very aware of the threat bushfires are for koalas, because they are the subject of quite a few picture books.

This is the uplifting true story of a koala who saved her baby from a bushfire, and the dedicated vets who looked after them until they were healed and ready to go home.

When a devastating bushfire ravages the land where Mallee the koala lives, she clings to her tree, hoping for safety. As the fires die down, the land is still hot, so Mallee must wait. When she can finally venture to the ground, Mallee finds her beloved tree blackened and thirsty.

Through the smoke, in a tiny battered boat, Koala sets out to rescue the billabong friends. 

A compelling and uplifting true story, with a sweet message about coping with loss that draws attention to an important and threatened wild animal.

One day, Fluffles and friends noticed bush fires starting in the outback. There was nowhere to escape so they rose up, up, up into the trees to wait it out until the ashes cooled. But when they climbed down, the hot trees burned their tiny paws. While they healed, they found one another and snuggled up, as the big hugs reminded them of their trees. 

A bushfire is coming! All the animals are trying to escape. They fly, slither, hop, run...but what about the koalas?

When deadly bushfires sweep through the forest, Bear and his team must act fast. Will Bear be able to find and help save the wild koalas? Follow the true story of Bear as he finds his purpose for important conservation work.

Some chapter books:

 

24th November World Walrus Day

In 2008, The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and Marine Mammal Council (MMC) designated November 24th as Walrus Day. 

Walruses are marine mammals mostly found in the Arctic Circle, which are easily recognised with their moustache, enormous bodies, and long white tusks! Towards the end of autumn, they leave the Arctic shores of the Chukotka Sea to spend winter in the Bering Strait, making them vulnerable during their journey. Organisers aim to use the day to raise awareness of the diminishing populations of these marine mammals, which are listed on the IUCN Red List Status as vulnerable.

Fun fact: Walruses can hold their breath for a whopping 30 minutes and dive to depths of 90m in their hunt for lunch!

Despite facing challenges like shrinking sea ice, they make gliding through the ocean look absolutely effortless.

There's not a large number of books featuring walrus and children in Australia are very unlikely to see one, unless travelling to the Arctic, but here's what we have: