 Hello! Welcome back to the Curious Giraffe Show. Do you remember me? My name is Jeanette, and I'm so glad to be back with you! Watch from way over here because I know I have to be safe and keep you safe by staying socially distance. Oh, brother, I'm so tired of that. Yes, Jeanette, me too, but my mother says someday this will be over. Let's sing our song about that today. Okay, do you have an idea? Yes, I do. Giraffe looked over at tiger and said, I'm tired of staying home and the warning's not to touch. I want to get together and I miss your hug so much. Underneath this one big sky, oh yeah. Share one big sky, share one big sky. Give the world a big high five. Yeah, we're different and we know it, but we all get along. Because we can all share and we can all care. We're different, but we all belong. Oh yes, we're different, but we all belong. Giraffe really was a good verse. Yeah, I've been thinking about missing hugs. Yeah, sometimes I just have to give myself a hug if there's nobody to hug me. Yeah, that's a good thing to do too, tiger. And I have a fairy tale that some children in Africa thought up when they were thinking about missing hugs. I don't know where Africa is. That's an understandable question. I'm going to show you a map of the whole world. You see that map? This blue continent over here is where I live and where most of you who are watching this show live. But do you see this big green continent right here? That is Africa and it has many, many countries with many, many people who speak many different languages. And the children who made up this fairy tale come from Namibia, which is near South Africa. It's in South Africa. It's right next to the country called South Africa. And our continent is North America and our country is called America or the United States of America. So let me show you this book that I'm very excited about. But before I read the book, I want to tell you a little bit about where it came from. I have a friend named Leah Danoff who grew up in our country. That's why I showed you the map. She grew up in the United States and when she was a young adult, she traveled to Namibia. And she loved it there. She loved the people. She loved the language. She loved the weather. And she decided to stay a while. And one of the things she had learned growing up is how important school can be, especially if children can get there while they're young. They will have a better chance at doing what they love and helping the world as they grow older. So her dream was to start a school in Namibia for the younger students, for preschool and kindergarten. And she topped up her dream and the integrity school was started. Now, many years later, it has grown to be a school from preschool up to I think they have fourth grade now. But back then they just had the youngest children. And Leah was one of the teachers there. So I'm going to show you. And you can see the two teachers in the back and the many students who made this book. And she said that they were learning about fairy tales and then they decided to make their own fairy tale. And the children decided about the main character being a magic tree. And they named their magic tree Kokong Nobili. And every child drew one of the pages in the book. And you'll see what happens. I don't want to give it away. But I wanted you to understand that these children and adults work together to make this wonderful story. Okay, I will read you the page and then I'll show you the picture. Kokong Nobili, a Namibian fairy tale written and illustrated by the integrity schools phase two class in 2009. You see the children's names and now you can see that wonderful careful picture or illustration. You see Kokong Nobili, that tree. That's the magic tree. Let's find out what happens. Once upon a time there was a magic tree named Kokong Nobili. Kokong Nobili lived in Omwediva, Namibia. The tree could walk, talk, fly and even change into different things. See that tree flying? But her really special thing was that she gave out hugs. Kokong Nobili was a kindness tree, especially to children. The tree became friends with those who needed a friend. Kokong Nobili loved to play with children. One day there was a little boy named Jacob who was playing by himself. His mommy and daddy were out and he was feeling lonely. Suddenly Kokong Nobili showed up. Jacob was so happy to have someone to play with. She read books with Jacob and played with the toys. Kokong Nobili even cooked food for the boy and pulled out of her leaves some sweets and a cool drink. Jacob was sad when Kokong Nobili had to go but she was going to keep another child company. Before the tree left Kokong Nobili tucked the boy into bed and read him a bedtime story. Jacob was asleep before the story ended. Kokong Nobili gave the boy a big hug and quietly left the house looking for another child that needed company. Anytime a child is feeling scared or lonely or sad Kokong Nobili shows up to play with them. Kokong Nobili always gives them what they need even if it is just a hug. With Kokong Nobili's kindness the children of Ogwadiva were all able to grow in peace and they all lived happily ever after. They want you to know that Kokong Nobili means to grow in peace in one of the Namibian languages. So I was very impressed with their story. Let's see if Chesnette and Tiger want to come back. Oh Dorothy that was a really exciting talk about when a child is all by themselves. Yes but do you think that really happened? I think it could and I kind of worry a little bit. The idea that a tree would come and take good care of the child. Maybe an animal friend would come. Yeah we could make up stories too. Yes yes we could. What will we do if no one could take care of us? Oh we would call for help. Yes and I would come help you and I would help you too. And we would get some grown-ups and we would be safe again there. Oh it's good to make up stories. Maybe some of you will make up your story after watching the show. My friend Ruth Pelham wrote a song of what to do when someone is crying. It goes very well with this story so we'll do a couple verses of that. What do I know what to say to your sister? Take your sister and your... Sometimes I like to do this little thing when they're hard. Feel the love and the desire that the planet, that the animals, that the people be well and safe. That the air be clean, no water and clear. But all those wishes that are in your heart and collect them in your hands. Just like you can imagine a story or a fairy tale. You can imagine in your mind the air getting cleaner and the water healthier. And your very, your very imagination is helping people to do that. So the world can be a very wonderful thing. So we're going to end the show with a wonderful song about coming together for different special days that people celebrate toward the end of the year when it's darkest and they all have light in them. So my friends can you think of a holiday where you use candles or lights outside or anything like that? Yes, yes, yes, Tiger. Yes, I celebrate Hanukkah and we have candles for eight nights. Yes, yes, many of my good friends celebrate Hanukkah too. Christmastime people put lights on their houses and they put lights on trees and things. Yes, they do. So Christmastime. And there is a special day, the shortest day and longest night. Either of you ever heard of solstice? Heard of that? I have neighbors who get together on the solstice and they build a campfire outside and they sing. That sounds like fun. I hope I get to do that sometime. Yes, and people whose ancestors came from Africa, from the country where the children made that storybook. They have a festival of light called Kwanza. Kwanza? That's a new word for me. Kwanza. Oh, Kwanza. I like that word. But it's new for me. Well, the holiday is newer than Hanukkah and Christmas, but it's been going on for quite a while. They also light candles in their window for seven nights and they celebrate different qualities of being kind. Like Kokon Nabili and the children that he came and helped to be with in community. It's an important holiday remembering ways of being light in the world. Oh boy. Okay, so let's hear the song. Okay, all right. Let's sing together this magical time of the year. This is the season when nights are the longest, hilltops are covered with snow. I'll tell you stories of people before us and things that they did long ago. Let's light the candle in our menorah and tell of the Maccabee tribe. They fought a great army, completely outnumbered and kept their traditions alive. They only had oil to last for one evening, but it lasted eight days and eight nights. The people you love gather around by the fire. Let's light the candles and break bread together this magical time of the year. This is the season when nights are the longest and hilltops are covered with snow. I'll tell you stories of people before us and things that they did long ago. The lights on our tree remind us of miracles, a baby born under a star. Mother and child, angels and animals, three wise men came from afar. The spirit of giving and caring for others can shine through wherever we are. Gather, gather around by the fire. Let's light the candles and break bread together this magical time of the year. This is the season when nights are the longest and the hilltops are covered with snow. I'll tell you stories of people before us and things that they did long ago. The earliest people would gather at Solstice to honor the longest of nights. The eulog was burning, Holly and Evergreens gave hope for return of the lyre. It's Kwanzaa, a seven-day festival, a candle to light for each day. Families whose ancestors came here from Africa gathered to work and to play. Building community, family, unity, time for renewing our faith. Gather around with the people you love, gather around by the fire. Let's light the candles and break bread together this magical time of the year. This is the season when nights are the longest and hilltops are covered with snow. I'll tell you stories of people before us and things that they did long ago. I'll tell you stories of people before us and things that they did long ago. That song, it was at a time when people do get together for their different special days of gathering and celebrating and just being wonderful lights to each other, just enjoying each other's company around the fire. And this year we've been told actually just stay in your own little safe place with whoever you live with at this time. So there's one last verse that giraffe made up to get us through this year. Okay? Oh, they want to sing it for you. Yeah, Dorothy, I thought of this verse when I heard his song and I would like to sing it and I love singing with Tiger. So let's do it. I love to sing too, I'm a little shy but I'll be way over here now. Yes, yes, yes, we all have a voice. Big voice, little voice, high voice, low voice. Let's all sing. Giraffe looked over at Tiger and said, I wish that we could celebrate with friends and family near. Tiger said, me too. I hope we can next year underneath a healthy sky. Oh, yeah. Share one big sky, share one big sky. Give the world a big high five. Yeah, we're different and we know it but we all get along because we can all share and we can all care. We're different but we all belong. Oh, yes, we're different but we all belong. Yes, we do and we're so glad you're out there. Have a good and healthy day. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Give yourself a hug.