Put it Under Your Pillow

Today (February 28th) is National Tooth Fairy Day!  If you are not prepared for it, don't worry. The tooth fairy gets another national day to celebrate her in August.  So you have time to get your fairy dress if you don't have one yet.

Toothless starring Kirstie Alley

After a dentist dies in an accident she is sent to limbo where she is told she has to be the tooth fairy to try to earn her way into heaven.

I would not call this a great movie.  But it was entertaining and I think it is worth watching.  I wish there was less of her flying around.  Watching her fly to a home each night quickly got old and the flying effect was not great.  Some of it was amusing though and I thought the idea of the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny being souls in limbo trying to get to heaven was interesting.  And there were some morals here. Some of them aimed more at the adults watching than the kids.  It can get corny at times but it is a fun way to spend an hour an a half, especially if someone has just lost a baby tooth.

It's all about the scales

World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in February, making today (February 21st) World Pangolin Day!  

Want to learn more about pangolins?  Well, there is a lot of info out there but her are a few facts to get you started:

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world.

People want pangolins for their meat and for the scales that are used in traditional medicine.

They are the only mammal covered in scales.

The scales are made of keratin, the same stuff as your fingernails.

There are eight species of pangolin, four live in Africa and four live in Asia.

All eight species of pangolin are endangered, raging in status for vulnerable to critically endangered.

Pangolins are insectivores, eating mostly ants and termites.

Pangolins have no teeth.

I think pangolins are cute.  They are certainly unique.  I think it would be a shame if we lost them.

If you would like to donate to help the pangolin check out these places:

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Save Pangolins

Greater Good Charities 

Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation

Fauna and Flora

Don't pet the hippo!

Today (February 15th 2026) is World Hippo Day!  Please celebrate responsibly.  Do not try to pet a hippo.  That just isn't safe.   

Belly Up! by Stuart Gibbs

Henry the Hippo, the not-so-beloved mascot of FunJungle has died.  It is a tragedy.  But was it a natural one?  Teddy, who lives with his parents at the park, doesn't think so.  When no one else will investigate, Teddy decides to do it on his own.   

I think this is a fun adventure mystery.  It has a good pace and a lot of interesting characters to keep the reader interested.  It also had some good animal facts throughout the book so you can learn something along the way.  I did not like the copious references to 'Large Marge' where they use her size as such a negative thing to describe her.  The body shaming of it was too much for me.  But that is my only negative.  I liked the setting and the mystery.  I like the mix of characters and the way the danger built as you read.  And I liked that it revolved around animals.  I will go on to read more in the series.

We Want To Serve You

 

Robot Island by Cary Fagan

After his parents die, Willis lives with his unfriendly uncle Tod in a house turned book store filled with used books.  Tod gives Willis odd jobs after school, one of which is to read to an old widow.  Willis' life starts to spin as he starts to like the widow and her remaining family, but he realizes his uncle is up to something nefarious.  As Willis tries to escape the confusion he happens upon Robot Island, and things get even more complicated.

The book is full of characters that evoke emotion from the reader.  There is a suitable villain, some people you are unsure of and some you just like.  You root for Willis as well as want to yell at him for some of the choices he makes.  You can relate to him and the conflicts he goes though.  The story explores themes of loyalty, friendship and what family truly means.  I like the mix of characters, the pace of the story, and the addition of he science fiction element of the robots.  I also like that the robots have a retro feel and seem to come from the past instead of the future.  I felt like the robots and the island could have been explored more.  I enjoyed the story and it had some good themes about friendship, family and taking responsibility.  But it is more about Willis and the relationships he is making as he grows up than about Robot Island.  I would recommend it as a coming of age tale with an interesting sci-fi twist.

I received a free copy of this book for review from Librarything.com early reviewers

Room For All

Today (February 10th) is National Umbrella Day.  It doesn't having to be raining to enjoy National Umbrella Day.  But whatever you do to celebrate, do not open one indoors.  Do I actually believe in the superstition, or that it will make the spirits or the sun god Ra angry?  I'm not going to admit that I do.  But why take the risk.

The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates

Find out how many people can fit under one happy red umbrella.

I like the illustrations.  I like the collection of different people and other beings that come to find shelter.  I thought it was nice how the background is faded by rain so the people stand out.  It doesn't have many words, a short sentence for every page or two.  It is simple and cute.  My only misgiving about it is that it is not really a story.  It is a concept.  It is the idea that everyone should be included and allowed to join.  It is an idea that should be expressed and talked about and this could start a conversation.  But I, for one, wish there was more story to it.