South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day

 Events
Apr 272024
 

Flag of South Africa

South Africa celebrates Freedom Day when in 1994 general elections were held for the first time. Apartheid began to be a thing of the past. According to the CIA World Factbook, South Africa is about twice the size of Texas. The country has a mostly semiarid climate except along the tropical coast. About 48.6 million people live in the country. Agricultural products include corn, wheat, and sugarcane. The country exports diamonds, gold, and platinum. Pretoria is the capital. Children can learn more at: South Africa.

Netherlands Celebrate King’s Day

 Events
Apr 272024
 

Flag of Netherlands

Netherlands celebrate King’s Day, a national holiday. King Willem-Alexander became the country’s monarch on April 30, 2013. The country celebrates his birthday on April 27. This European country bordering the North Sea is, according to the CIA World Factbook, about the size of New Jersey. The Dutch experience cool summers and mild winters. Almost 17 million people live there, and farmers grow grains, sugar beets, and potatoes. Amsterdam is the capital. Children can learn more at: Netherlands.

Thor Heyerdahl Set Sail on the Kon-Tiki in 1947

 Events
Apr 272024
 
Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki

Thor Heyerdahl set sail on the Kon-Tiki in 1947. He and a five-person crew left Peru on a hand-made raft and arrived in Polynesia over one hundred days later, on August 7, 1947. He proved that ancient mariners could have made long sea voyages to establish new colonies. He wrote The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Apr 272024
 

Ludwig Bemelmans (born Meran, Austria, 1898; died New York, New York, October 1, 1962) was an author and illustrator. He came to the United States in 1914 and found work as a busboy. Later he wrote books for an adult audience. However, he is most known for his children’s books, including the six Madeline books and all the further adventures of the little girl. In total he published about 46 books. His grandson, John Bemelmans-Marciano, has written five more Madeline books. Children could learn more at: Bemelmans.

John Burningham (born Farnham, United Kingdom, 1936; died London, United Kingdom, January 4 , 2019) wrote and illustrated books for children. Two of his books received the Kate Greenaway Medal. Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers earned the 1963 medal, and Mr. Grumpy’s Outing received the 1970 medal. He wrote There’s Going to Be a New Baby in 2011, and his wife Helen Oxenbury illustrated the book.

Alexandra Day (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1941) is a children’s author and illustrator. One of her books is Frank and Ernest. She also created the Carl series, wonderful wordless books that feature a dog named Carl and a baby.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses Simpson Grant (born Point Pleasant, Ohio, 1822; died Mt. McGregor, New York, July 23, 1885) was the eighteenth president (1869-1877) of the United States. Children could visit a website at: Grant. Idea: Grant was a famous Civil War general. Lee surrendered to him at Appomattox, Virginia, to end the war. Children could find out which other presidents were also military leaders. They could then decide whether a military leader made a good president.

Coretta Scott King (born Marion, Alabama, 1927; died Rosarito Beach, Mexico, January 30, 2006) was a speaker and writer. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., she continued the work of the civil rights movement. Children could read Coretta Scott King by Stephanie Sammertino McPherson. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards honor the finest African American children’s book writers and illustrators. Children could learn more at: http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards. They could also read the chapter devoted to Coretta Scott King and the Coretta Scott King Awards in Children’s Book Award Handbook by Diana F. Marks.

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (born Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1791; died New York, New York, April 2, 1872) was an inventor and an artist. He invented Morse code, and his first transmission, made on May 24, 1844, was, “What hath God wrought?” Idea: Children could learn about Morse code and send messages to each other. Children could explore an excellent timeline of his life and inventions at: Morse.

Nancy Shaw (born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1946) writes books for children. Her works include the Sheep series and Elena’s Story. Children can visit her site, filled with engaging activities, at: Nancy Shaw.

Happy Birthday, Maryland!

 Events
Apr 282024
 
Maryland State Flag

Maryland State Flag

Maryland became the seventh state in the United States by ratifying the Constitution in 1788. Maryland ranks 42nd in size and 19th in population. Annapolis is the state capital, and the state’s nicknames include Old Line State and Free State. It is famous for crab cakes and its Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Children could visit a website at: Maryland. They could find out how Maryland, Baltimore, and Annapolis got their names.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Apr 282024
 

Lois Duncan (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1934; died Bradenton, Florida, June 15, 2016) wrote suspense novels for young adults. Her books include I Know What You Did Last Summer and Hotel for Dogs. She received the 1992 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement. Children can learn more at: Lois Duncan.

Amy Hest (born New York, New York, 1950) has written close to 50 books for children. Her works include When Jessica Came across the Sea and Kiss Good Night. Children can visit her website at: Amy Hest.

Elena Kagan, Associate Justice

Elena Kagan

Elena Kagan (born New York, New York, 1960) became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on August 7, 2010. Prior to her Supreme Court appointment, she was the country’s first woman Solicitor General. Children could learn more at: Elena Kagan

Harper Lee (born Monroeville, Alabama, 1926; died Monroeville, Alabama, February 19, 2016) was a novelist. She is best known for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The book received the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature. She also wrote Go Set a Watchman, published in 2015.

James Monroe

James Monroe

James Monroe (born Westmoreland County, Virginia, 1758; died New York, New York, July 4, 1831) was the fifth president (1817-1825) of the United States. He established the Monroe Doctrine, and he acquired Florida from Spain. Prior to being president, eh served at Minister to France. Also, Robert Livingston and he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. Children can visit a website at: James Monroe. Idea: Children could find out which capital city of an African country was named in honor of him.

Sir Terence David John “Terry” Pratchett (born Beaconsfield, United Kingdom, 1948; died Broad Chalke, United Kingdom, March 12, 2015 ) wrote fantasy books. His books include Pyramids and Night Watch. He received the 2011 Margaret A. Edwards Award for his body of works.

Marvin Terban (born Chelsea, Massachusetts, 1940) has written at least 28 wordplay books for children. His books include Your Foot’s on My Feet: And Other Tricky Nouns and Time to Rhyme. Children can view a video about him at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C7NF0FN5yw.

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