 Hi there, welcome back to the Curious Giraffe Show where we sing together a lot, here we go. When we sing together I feel so much better, it's easy and simple, it just gets better. I love making music with you, ideas with you. That's interesting ideas, you use your eyes and your ears to watch, okay you want to know what new idea today is going to be about, okay. So you're a curious tiger aren't you? So we have a curious giraffe usually, but today we have a curious tiger, so tiger I'm going to sing the next song about you, oh boy, yeah she listened to me, yes you may have a quiet voice but you have an important voice and I will do my best to listen, and I'll do my best to listen too, that's what friends do, okay so we're going to sing tiger looked over at Dorothy. Tiger looked over Dorothy and said, I'm curious what book and song she'll share this afternoon. Dorothy said, Papa is on the moon and will share under 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, cause 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. So tiger I'm going to let you watch from over here, there's a beautiful cover, you see a child sitting against a tree looking up at the moon. The book is called Papa is on the moon and it's based on two real people, this is Alex, the little grandson and his papa who is his grandfather, he called him Papa and it's written by his grandmother Diane Polharilo and I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing that right but I would like to spell her last name, P-O-H-O-R-I-L-O Polharilo is the way I'm pronouncing it. Okay look at these beautiful pictures that were made by Barbara Lee, Papa used a motorized wheelchair because his legs did not work, he would say, Alex do you want to ride with me? I always said yes because I love to sit on his lap and press the buttons that made the seat go up and down. Papa would laugh when I took his wallet from the side pocket of the wheelchair, I would take out his money and business cards but I was always good and put everything back. Papa left us in July, it was a warm summer afternoon and the air was still, then that evening it began to rain, the raindrops were like giant teardrops, everyone in my family was sad because they missed Papa. I went to Nana and Papa's house and saw the wheelchair where Papa always sat. Papa was not there, where was he? I thought and thought, then I told Mama that Papa was on the moon, she said, is that right? I think he will be very happy there. A few months after Papa left us I was having a birthday party and I wanted Papa to come and meet my friends, Colby, Nathan and Che. Mama said that Papa could not be at the party because he was still on the moon. I was sad, then I decided that I was going to take a trip to the moon to visit him. First I built a rocket ship and painted it red and blue. I made sure my name was on it so Papa knew it was me landing on the moon. I made sure I had a comfortable seat for the long trip. Next I made a spacesuit from the old green and white striped curtains in my bedroom. I used scissors, needle and thread. I made sure I put in plenty of pockets for me to carry letters from home to give to Papa. I got my football helmet to protect my head during blast off. I decided I was going on my journey when the next full moon appeared. I wanted the moonlight to guide me through the sky. It was a cold, clear night in late January, right around my Papa's birthday when I decided to launch into space for my trip to the moon. I packed two peanut butter sandwiches, one for me and one for Papa. I filled my pockets with letters from Dada, Mama, Aunt Meg, Uncle B and Nana. I also added an apple and some cheese in case I got really hungry on the way. I got into my rocket ship and blasted off into space. Higher and higher and higher I went until I could see the moon craters and Papa smiling. I landed with a thump, opened the rocket ship door and ran into Papa's arms. Papa was tall and strong with white hair and bright white teeth. He picked me up and danced around with me in his arms. We were both so happy. I sat on a moon crater and ate our peanut butter sandwiches. He told me how much he loved me and missed me. I asked him to come back with me in the rocket ship and he said he couldn't because going back would mean he would not be able to walk and dance and run. I started to cry because I was so sad. Papa made me feel better by making me a promise. He said, whenever you feel sad or scared, look up to the moon and know that I love you and I think you are very special. I am watching over you always. You will feel me in your heart and I will guide you. He wiped the tears from my eyes, gave me a big hug and kiss and helped me board my rocket ship for the journey home. Before closing the door, Papa reached over, took my hand and put a milky white moon rock in my palm. He said, Alex, this is a reminder of my promise to you. When I arrived home my family was there to welcome me with hugs and kisses. Every night when I go to bed I look up at the sky and I wait for the full moon to appear so I can see Papa's smile. I remember his promise and know he is sending me love and watching over me. I know I am strong and can achieve anything because of him. Okay, Tiger, what did you think of that beautiful story? Yes, yes. So it was written by a real grandmother about a real grandfather and their real grandson. But did he really, really go to live on the moon? You know, I think that was a way that Alex felt he could always picture his grandfather still watching over him, even though when he died his body was gone from earth and from the wheelchair. And I don't really know what happens when we die, but like Alex, I remember with love all the beings, the people and the animals. I just hold them in my heart and sometimes I have written a song about my pets and people that I have loved who are no longer with me. Yes, I do. I have one about my dog, Rama. So I'll sing to you about Rama. You watch and listen there. Sing along if you want to. Okay. Rama had great big brown eyes. Rama was of big round sides. Rama seemed so very wise. My best best dog friend Rama. Shake, shake, shake my best best dog friend. He warmed my feet just like and swimming with me and loving the lake. And Tiger, I also had a cat and his name was Bardsley. And when he died I made a song about him too. He was really different than Rama, but he was a lot of fun too. So he is in this song. Bardsley was a funny cat when we met. He was so fat like a milk jug when he sat. I was our pudgy Bardsley cat. And we loved him just like that. His daily food just like that. We're sad when we have to say goodbye to dear ones that we love. It's so good to have that glow in your heart forever. Always. So I have another friend named Carrie. She's thought a lot about how things live and die and new things live and die. And it just goes on and on and on. And that's the way life is on our planet. And she calls her song on and on. She even thinks about the plants too. Life comes up. Life plays low. And all the time between is when when mosquitoes get squished. One last song for you. And it's what I imagined when my mother died. Just like Alex imagined his grandfather was on the moon. I imagined that my mother is still with me in different ways. And I thought I'd share it with you. It's just different ways. Okay. Could you like your seat over here? Here you go. I imagine this is my mother singing to me. I'm gonna be a mystery somehow. But true. Sometimes when there is. It's time for us to go. And let's keep singing no matter what. No matter what. We'll get through it with a song. Just like my friend Carrie said in her song, Carrie Kovic. I hope I told you her name. She's the one that wrote the wonderful song on and on. And I love this verse. She says, And all some lives are short. Some lives are long. And all the time we live we sing our song. And as we sing this we know it all goes on and on. So here we go. Let's sing our goodbye song. Keep singing. Keep looking up. Keep asking questions and never give up. Keep singing. Keep looking up. Keep asking questions and never give up. Bye bye. We'll see you next time. Take care. I'm gonna be a mystery somehow. But true is that.