Taking a break from the ice and snow, Second Grade placed an Ethiopian stamp in their passport. Today in the library, we explored Ethiopian fabrics, baskets and clothing, smelled berbera and mit’mita (traditional Ethiopian spices) and marveled at the delicate script of Amharic (one of Ethiopian’s languages). We discussed the differences between fairy tales (last week’s theme) and this week’s folktales and then settled in to share The Lian’s Whiskers, an Ethiopian story by Nancy Raines Day. With textured materials and colored papers that portray the traditional Amhara people, illustrator Ann Grifalconi perfectly captures the spirit of the Ethiopian landscape. We also read The Tug of War, an East African fable in which a tortoise gains respect from his much bigger neighbors, the hippo and the elephant. Our time in the library concluded with book browsing and check out .Happy Reading!
