 Bringing Rain to Kapiti Plain is yet another book written in the cumulative dialogue / chain tale style. The younger children enjoyed this book though they took a little longer to follow the story. However, by the time we neared the end they got it and they were actually able to repeat some of the sentences. The story tells the tale of how Ki-pat helped to bring the rain to renew the land and the animals on the Kapiti Plain. "This was the shot that pierced the cloud An loosed the rain with thunder LOUD! A shot from a bow, so long and strong, And strung with a string, a leather thong; A bow for an arrow Ki-pat put together, With a slender stick and an eagle feather; From the eagle who happened to drop a feather, A feather that helped to change the weather. It fell near Ki-pat, who watched his herd As he stood on one leg like the big stork bird; Ki-pat, whose cows were so hungry and dry, They mooed for the rain to fall from the sky; To green-up the grass, all brown and dead, That needed the rain from the cloud overhead- The big, black cloud, all heavy with rain, That shadowed the groud on the Kapiti Plain." The children's passport entry consisted of a simple colouring exercise. They coloured the Kapiti Plain before and after the rains.  The older readers were treated to a reading of Planting The Trees of Kenya - The Story of Wangari Maathai. Wangari Maathai is the founder of the Green Belt Movement and a 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner. She was the first woman of East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. The story tells of Kenya before and after Wangari went to college in the USA. Before Wangari left for college the land was clothed with green. It was fertile and the people and animals were healthy. There was enough food and water for everyone. Five years later when she returned the earth was barren, millions of trees had be cut down and the people and animals no longer prospered. The women in the villages complained and blamed the government for their now hard life but Wangari was never a complainer. Instead, she taught the women how to plant trees to restore their land. Most of the women were uneducated but they did not need education to plant trees. Together the brought the land back to it's former glory and when the men saw their good work they too joined the mission to save the trees of Kenya. In thirty years, since Wangari's Green Belt Movement thirty million trees have been planted in Kenya and the people continue to plant. "When the soil is exposed" Wangari tells us, "it is crying out for help, it is naked and needs to be clothed in its dress. " The children's passport entry consisted of answering a few questions about the story. One of the questions was - How do you feel about Wangari Maathai? Most of them said they felt inspired by her and thought she was a good woman. The kind of woman we need! My heart is overflowing. :) Tomorrow, is the last day of camp!....It's bitter sweet. I will miss my discussions with the children but tomorrow isn't here yet! One more day to read out loud to the Imaginators!! Aunty Joanna is back! So here are some pictures of today's activities. See what the children did in their Arty Pants Studio sessions today!
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