October 24 – United Nations Day

About the Holiday

Founded in the aftermath of World War II to promote cooperation among all nations and prevent another devastating conflict, the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization whose purpose has grown to include encouraging social and economic development, protecting human rights, and providing aid in times of natural disasters, famine, and war. Today’s holiday commemorates the establishment of the UN and advocates the remembrance and implementation of its principles for this and future generations.

Welcome

By Barroux

A polar bear sits on the edge of an ice floe enjoying some relaxing time with his friends when he hears an ominous noise. “CRACK! The ice breaks! ‘We’re drifting away!’” his friends cry. In no time at all the three polar bears are adrift in the middle of the sea in need of a new home. They float and float, but “the water goes on forever!” To pass the time the friends play games: “‘I spy with my little eye, something beginning with W…’”

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Perhaps days go by. The bears ride out a storm with dark skies and huge waves that threaten to sink them. It’s scary and the trio wants “to find a new home right now!” At last their ice floe—smaller now—approaches a sandy shore. “Land! We’re saved,” cheer the polar bears. They ask the cows on the beach if they can live there, but the cows take exception. The bears are “too furry…too tall…and too bear-ish.” And with a “Sorry!” the cows turn the weary travelers away.

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Once again on their own, the bears have no choice but to let the current steer them. With standing room for only one their icy raft, they near another beach where a single panda relaxes on pillows in the midst of expansive land. “Yes! This could be our new home,” the polar bears shout. The panda ponders the situation for only a moment before stating, “‘…you are too many. Look around, there’s just not enough room! You can’t live here.’”

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As the polar bears continue on their journey, their “little ice boat has almost melted” and they are running out of time. They bob next to a tall sea wall. “‘Help us!’” they plead. Behind the wall two giraffes lounge on the beach, too lazy to investigate the noise they hear. The ice floe has melted to a thin disk, with room for only one. The bears are hanging on and about to give up hope when they find an empty island. They jump to shore just in the nick of time and begin enjoying their new home.

It’s not long before a dinghy floats into view with three monkeys on board. “‘Excuse me, we’re looking for a new home. Can you help us please?’” The polar bears stop their game of badminton and step forward. “‘Hmmm,’” they think. “‘You are…

Welcome!’”

With vibrant blue, full-bleed pages as wide open as the sea itself and three endearing long-nosed polar bears, Barroux has crafted a poignant tale with depth and far-reaching applications for readers of all ages. Inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis, Welcome stands on its own as an uplifting story of friendship and inclusiveness, but also offers an excellent means for beginning a discussion on the world events that children see and have questions about. Employing a bear’s first person point of view and incorporating a child-centric perspective on travel—from the humor of the I Spy game to the perseverance of the bears—Barroux sets just the right tone for his audience.

With sparse text and repetition of the bears’ simple request, the subject matter is handled with sensitivity, not fright, which allows children to understand that the theme of the story is relevant on many levels. Whether the “traveler” comes from near or far, is a classmate, teammate or neighbor, or is even the reader or someone else feeling adrift in a certain situation, children will see that all deserve welcome.

Ages 4 – 8

little bee books, 2916 | ISBN 978-1499804447

United Nations Day Activity

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Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle

In this printable Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle, everyone is welcomed with a handshake. Offering friendship to all, the interchangeable pieces can be mixed and matched as the animals become buddies with one another.

Supplies

Printable colored Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle
Printable blank Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle
Colored pencils or crayons
Scissors
Heavy Stock paper (optional)
Poster board (optional)
Glue (optional)

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Directions

Print the puzzle: to make the puzzle sturdier: Print on heavy stock paper or glue the page to poster board
Color the pictures with colored pencils or crayons
Cut the pieces apart
Switch the pieces around to make many alternate pictures

Picture Book Review

October 23 – Mole Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

From 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. on 10/23 chemists, scientists, students, and others who love numbers celebrate Mole Day to commemorate Avogadro’s Number, which is a basic weight measuring unit in chemistry. Defined by the equation 6.02 x 10²³, Avogadro’s number finds that for any given molecule one mole of that substance has a weight in grams equal to its atomic number. The name of this scientific constant naturally led to an association with the furry underground burrowers, and the mole and mascot moles can be found working in tandem to promote a better understanding and enjoyment of chemistry. As today’s book proves there is no better mixture than the chemistry between friends.

A Friend for Mole

By Nancy Armo

Mole loves his cozy burrow. “He liked his soft bed of leaves, the warm smell of the earth, and the quiet darkness all around.” He can imagine the world above him by all the distinct sounds he hears. But one day those sounds become louder. Instead of gentle tapping and buzzing, he hears stomping, shouting, and laughing. He decides to go up above and see what all the ruckus is about.

“The bright light, loud noises and new smells were overwhelming,” and Mole thinks it was a very bad idea to have left his burrow. He tries to find his way home, but he can no longer see the hole. In a panic he starts to run. He trips over a tree root and rolls under a bush. The soft leaves and darkness remind Mole of his burrow and soon he is fast asleep.

Mole wakes up during the night. He hears rustling and sees two shiny eyes staring at him. “‘Oh no!’” thinks Mole. “‘Please don’t be something scary.’” Mole closes his eyes, hoping to hide. But then he hears a small whimper. “‘Are you afraid of the dark too?’” When Mole takes a peek, he sees a wolf. “‘No,’” Mole answers. “‘I’m afraid of the light.’” Wolf tells Mole that he is lost after being chased by the other animals and that he is scared.

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Mole and Wolf think about what they can do and devise a clever plan. Mole says he will stay with Wolf in the dark, and Wolf agrees to help Mole find his burrow when the sun comes up. To make the time go faster, Mole and Wolf play games, such as hunting “imaginary slithering creatures,” stomping on “pretend scampering bugs,” and “chasing away scary monsters. It was all so much fun they forgot about being lost and scared.”

As daylight breaks, Mole begins to think about home. Wolf also feels homesick. As they search for the entrance to Mole’s burrow, Wolf shields Mole’s eyes from the sun with his tail, and Mole giggles at the tickly softness of Wolf’s fur. Soon they discover Mole’s burrow, and Wolf realizes that he lives nearby. Although Mole is happy to be home, he also feels sad to say goodbye to Wolf.

He asks if Wolf would like to play again sometime. Wolf shouts, “Yes! That was so much fun! I was scared but having you there made everything okay.” As Mole settles back into his leafy bed, he knows “exactly what Wolf meant.”

In her sweet story of friendship found, Nancy Armo relates that most comforting feeling—the knowledge that friends always stand by you even when times are hard or scary. Her characters Mole and Wolf are perfectly chosen foils with opposite strengths that, combined, help solve their immediate problem and form a strong friendship. Armo’s straightforward storytelling is enriched by the endearing personalities of Mole and Wolf as well as their honest sharing of feelings.

In vivid two-page spreads Armo superbly depicts the daytime and nighttime scenes, transporting readers into the heart of her story. Above the “quiet darkness” of Mole’s burrow, cute mice scamper in the rain while an earthworm, a snail, and a bee take shelter. When his roof rings with noise and curiosity gets the better of Mole, he emerges into an open field, and his tumbling trip over the tree root is nimbly portrayed with a series of flips rendered with a filmy transparency. As nightime falls the Mole’s and Wolf’s adventure plays out on pages with a solid black background. Wolf’s eyes shining on a completely darkened page offers just the right amount of suspense for little readers, and a careful look at the expression in his eyes is reassuring. Kids will enjoy the games the two friends enjoy, and will cheer when the sun dawns on their new friendship.

A Friend for Mole is a great book for young readers navigating the world of meeting new classmates, teammates, and other children who may see the world differently but would make good friends.

Ages 3 – 7

Peachtree Publishers, 2016 | ISBN 978-1561458653

You’ll find fun A Friend for Mole activity sheets, a portfolio of artwork, and more on Nancy Armo’s website!

Mole Day Activity

Mole Tunnels Maze

Dig into this printable Mole Tunnels Maze that has as many twists and turns as a mole’s home!

Picture Book Review

October 22 – Smart is Cool Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

There are many ways to be smart—and they are all very cool! The world needs people who can think differently about all issues to solve problems, create art and literature that reflects our times and present alternate viewpoints, and just to make life funnier, more poignant, more beautiful,more livable. Today, celebrate your particular way of being smart and share it with others!

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

Written by Jennifer Berne | Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

More than 100 years ago on a windy March day, a baby boy was born—Albert was his name. Albert turned one without saying a word. When Albert had his second birthday, he still hadn’t said a word. By the age of three Albert had only said a few words. “He just looked around with his big, curious eyes. Looked and wondered. Looked and wondered.” Albert’s parents were a bit worried because he was so different from other kids. But “they loved him…no matter what.”