Tots to Teens: Penguins waddle into the limelight in new book

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

Did you know that Dublin Zoo has webcams that livestream its giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, and penguins? Niamh Sharkey does.
The former laureate na nÓg and creator of Emmy-nominated children's programmes used to watch the penguin webcam with her husband, graphic designer and author Owen Churcher, and their children during lockdown.
They loved the flightless birds' antics and have published a picture book, Penguin TV. Written by Churcher, with illustrations by Sharkey, it imagines that the penguins are using the webcam to create their own reality television show.
The story features a cast of Humboldt penguins, including the host, Horatio, Ruthie the diva, and Myrtle, who is eagerly awaiting her turn in the spotlight. It's funny and silly and will have the children laughing while also teaching them about penguins.
Published by Gill Books, Penguin TV retails for €16.99.
Bonny baby
Calling all parents of cute babies. Glenisk has announced the return of its Sweetbaby Competition, which gives families the chance to see their baby featured on the packaging of its organic fromage frais.
The competition is open to babies aged from six to 18 months. All you have to do is upload a recent photo of your baby and complete a short entry form at glenisk.com/sweetbaby, before July 18. You will receive a Glenisk baby product voucher as thanks for taking part.
Vintage car convoy
This year's RETRO Cannonball classic car convoy starts at Little Island, Co Cork, on Friday, June 13.
The car convoy, which including vintage Mustangs, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris, will travel through Tipperary, Offaly, Athlone, and Tyrone, before reaching their final destination in Louth. At each pit stop, families will be welcome to view the rare classic cars up close, take photos, and meet the drivers.
Olivia Howard (7) from Old Kilcullen and Isla Cox (7) from Newbridge pictured at the launch of RETRO Cannonball, starting in Little Island. Picture: Gareth Chaney.
Every year, Cannonball raises money for a chosen children's charity and has raised over €1.9m to date. This year, it's raising funds for the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation.
Find out more at jackandjill.ie/events/cannonball.
When in Denmark...
American author Jessica Joelle Alexander believes that the reason Denmark has been voted one of the top three happiest countries globally by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) for more than 40 years in a row is due to the way Danes are brought up.
Alexander says that when she went to Denmark for the first time, she was surprised by how well Danish children behaved.
'The children all seemed so serene, content, respectful, and well-behaved. There was almost no yelling, and parents looked genuinely joyful.'
Now a mother of two who has lived in Denmark with her Danish husband, Alexander says the way Danes raise their children has changed her so much as a parent that she wants to share her experiences with others.
American author Jessica Joelle Alexander believes that the reason Denmark has been voted one of the top three happiest countries globally by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) for more than 40 years in a row is due to the way Danes are brought up. Picture: @daivagailiute/PA.
So she wrote The Danish Way Of Parenting, which has been published in more than 30 countries, and she has now written a follow-up guide, The Danish Way Every Day (€23.20), with her friend, Camilla Semlov Andersson, a Danish family therapist.
The new book describes the Danish parenting model in more detail, explaining how Danes get their children to do chores, cook together, and settle in to bedtime routines, as well as exploring how they deal with toddler meltdowns and teen conflicts.
Happy in your nappy
More parents are interested in trying cloth nappies for their babies and there are two big reasons why. One is the cost factor, with cloth nappies retailing for a fraction of the price of disposables.
Two is the environmental impact. Once used and binned, disposable nappies are either incinerated or added to landfills. However, cloth nappies can be reused again and again.
For parents worried about the practicality of switching, the Cloth Nappy Library offers nappy loan kits.
For a cost of between €20 and €30, parents can try a selection of different nappies for a period of three weeks. By the end of that time, it is hoped that they will have found the brand and style that works best for them.
Sign up for nappy loan kits at www.clothnappylibrary.ie.
Read More
Tots to Teens: Tiny atoms make big reactions at Cork Carnival of Science