Innehållsförteckning för February 2024 från Storytime

The ruler spent all his time worrying that somebody would rob him! “What is the good of having piles of gold and silver and precious stones if I cannot protect them?” he complained. Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea. “I need to build a treasure room that nobody can break into!” he decided. “Then I will finally be able to relax!” He called for a stonemason and said, “Build a great vault in my palace to hold my treasure! It must be so strong that nobody can get into it!” The craftsman was poor, and he was happy to have more work. “I will, Your Majesty!” he said. “May I ask how much you will pay me for this job?” The pharaoh was as miserly as he was wealthy, so…

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT… The nose knows! When we smell something, tiny bits of it catted molecules are breathed in and caught by special nerves in our noses. These nerves then send information about the molecules to our brains! Dogs are better than us… at smelling! Their sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours, and they can tell how people are feeling and how healthy they are with their noses! Tasting with our noses! Many people think that we only taste with our tongues, but when we eat, 75-90% of the flavour we get from food actually comes from the smells of the tasty things in our mouths! Smell to survive! Sniffing something can help us work out if it is good to eat!…

Below, the waves of the North Atlantic crashed against the rocky shores of Scotland’s western isles. The fierce wind ruffled the great bird’s feathers. He felt strong and powerful as he peered at the sea far below! “I’m definitely the most kingly bird in the world!” he said to himself. “Oh yeah? What makes you so great?” The eagle looked around in confusion. Who dared to question him? He spotted a little bird with speckled brown feathers sheltering in the grass on the clifftop. She was a tiny insect-eater called a wren. “I’m so much better than you!” boasted the eagle as he stretched. “Look how big my wings are!” The wren yawned. “They’re pretty big. So what?” The eagle wasn’t used to being talked to so cheekily! Finally, he…

She was named Wangari, after one of her legendary ancestors. Wangari’s parents were of the Kikuyu people, who had lived in the green highlands of Kenya for longer than anyone could remember. One day, her mother pointed at a nearby peak that pierced the clouds. “That is Mount Kenya, the tallest mountain in the country. Our stories say that is where God lives! He gifted us with this land and makes sure that it is watered by the rains in the right seasons, so our crops will grow and give us food!” The land that their people farmed did seem to be blessed. They kept goats, cows and sheep, grew maize, wheat and vegetables in the rich red-brown soil, and gathered nuts and berries in the forest. Nobody was ever…

He had the grand ballroom decorated and told his chefs to prepare a generous feast. The emperor was very vain, so his biggest decision was what to wear. “Summon the finest designers!” he declared. “I want the most fabulous outfit of all - but make sure that the clothes can actually be seen!” A year ago, he had Learned his Lesson when two swindLers had convinced him to wear an outfit that didn’t actuaLLy exist! LuckiLy, one boy was brave enough to point out that he was naked. Since then, the ruLer made sure the things he bought were real… Three fashion designers soon arrived to show him their wares. “Look at this ruffled robe in green silk, trimmed with jewels from Bohemia! You will look exquisite!” said the seamstress…

BRILLIANT BOOKS FOR YOU → ONCE UPON A STORYTIME by Gareth Peter, illustrated by Natelle Quek (Bloomsbury) is a story about stories! At bedtime, Nia’s mum reads her a book… and tells her daughter how she would rescue her from a monster’s tower, the depths of the ocean, or a giant at the top of a beanstalk. The illustrations have a wonderful painterly quality and draw you into a magical world. → LITTLE MO AND THE GREAT SNOW MONSTER by Michael Foreman (Thames & Hudson) is about a little mammal and his encounter with some big and scary dinosaurs. How can he get them out of his family’s cave? (As you might know, the earliest mammals were around at the time of the dinosaurs, and Mo could be one of our ancestors!)…

It was the middle of summer, but he would be glad to have them if a freak blizzard struck! “Don’t forget your hat!” his mum told him as he was lacing up his boots. He put it on and tightened the drawstring under his chin. “Do you really need the hi vis vest, though?” she asked. “Better safe than sorry!” he told her in a serious voice. With that, the boy set off into the forest. Dewdrops still rested on the leaves of the palm trees, and small birds fluttered from branch to branch. The trail got rougher as he went downhill. Tree roots tried to snag his feet, and it became darker as tall trees blocked out the sunlight. Other kids might be scared if they were in the…

Wangari Maathai earned a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh, in the United States. She also received a doctorate from the University of Nairobi, and was the first woman in eastern and central Africa to earn this degree. Wangari became an activist, fighting for justice and equality in Kenya. She also started an organization called the Green Belt Movement. This group, made up mostly of women, planted trees and worked to restore forests while protesting against government corruption and fighting for free and fair elections. The Kenyan government did not like this and did its best to bully her and suppress the Green Belt Movement. She was even arrested in 2001! However, Wangari was elected to the Kenyan parliament in 2002…

This is a useful kind of ‘social media’, and dogs have been doing this for a very long time. One fine morning many years ago, a wire-haired terrier Left a particularly interesting message on the lamp post in the middle of town. “We’re invited to a special dinner!” snuffled a floppy-eared hound with black-and-white fur. “Oh, it’s this Friday evening!” growled a pampered pet with a fluffy coat. “It will be on the dock overlooking the sea!” yipped a puppy with a Long sausage-shaped body. The party was all that anybody could talk about when they met in the park! The dogs were very excited and wondered what delicious treats they would enjoy… When Friday came, all the dogs in town trooped down to the seafront in a big furry…

1 TREASURE TROUBLE Someone has stolen things from the pharaoh’s treasure vault - which five treasures are missing in the second picture? 2 WHO IS IT? In this issue, you read a story about an amazing girl who was fascinated by nature! Complete all the adjectives on this tree and you will spell out her name! The inspirational girl’s name is… 3 PANDA POINTS Kim and Echo did a lot of fun things on their trip to school! Work out which adventurous activities they did and add up the number of ‘panda points’ they earned! Kim and Echo scored points on their journey! 4 SHADOWY SERVANT Molo’s fighting skills are legendary, and he is an expert at moving around unseen! Which one of these shadows belongs to him? 5 HOW…

CREATING STORY ART! BE INSPIRED BY STORIES! Reading tales is great fun… but what if you also used stories to inspire club members’ creativity? STORY ART ACTIVITY! Getting club members to create pictures inspired by a story they have just read is a particularly fun exercise. It encourages you and your friends to use your imaginations and artistic skills and helps to comprehend a story further. Each member should choose a passage, scene or character to draw. WHAT YOU WILL NEED Doing an art session requires a bit of preparation! Get plenty of paper, as well as pens, pencils and markers. You could also ask people to bring their own favourite drawing materials if you can’t get enough for everybody. When the session is over, why not see if you…