(cheerful piano music begins)
♪ You are the best you the world will see ♪
♪ Come along now and share you with me. ♪
♪ Let's learn something new and share feelings too ♪
♪ 'Cause these are the things to do to be the best you ♪
(cheerful piano music continues)
(magical chime)
- Hello friends.
And hello, Possum.
- Hi Auntie Lena.
Guess what Mama Possum just told me.
- What, Possum?
- We're going on vacation with Grandpa and Grandma Possum.
- Oh! How exciting!
Well, where are you going?
- Well, I don't know yet,
but oh, I hope we go somewhere awesome.
- I'm sure you will.
Well, how long will you be gone?
- For a whole week.
Well, I'm a little nervous.
- Oh, well why is that, Possum?
- I've never been away from home that long.
Have you, Auntie Lena?
- Yes, I often visit my sister in Florida,
so I understand how you feel.
- Oh, you do?
- Mh-hmm.
And it's natural to feel excited
and nervous before a big trip.
When you travel it's fun to see and explore new places,
but they may be very different
from what you're familiar with at home.
- What if I get home sick?
That's what Turtle said she felt like
on vacation with her family.
- Missing home when you travel is also natural,
but that's why I usually bring something
that reminds me of home to help me feel better.
- Like what?
- Well, when I was a kid, it was my purple blankie.
For a girl named Sandy,
it's her favorite stuffed animal, Zooma.
- Who's Sandy?
- She's a young traveler like you.
Do you wanna read about her and Zoma's
adventures with our friends?
- Oh yes.
- Okay then, the story is called
"Sightseeing with Sandy: Fun in the Bahamian Sun"
by Sandiya Badmus and Shambrekia Wise.
Let's go to Green Bridge Library and listen.
(magical chime)
- [Together] Hi friends.
- My name is Miss Shambrekia
- And I'm Sandy.
- It's my little girl.
And we are the co-authors
of the "Sighting Seeing with Sandy" Series.
Today we are at Green Bridge Library here in Seattle,
Washington, and we are going to be taking you
on a trip to Nassau, Bahamas in "Fun in the Bahamian Sun".
You ready to go?
- [Sandiya] Yep.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Let's go.
- [Sandiya] Just one more feather
and your costume is complete.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Sandy squealed with excitement
as she glued the last feather onto Zooma's headband.
Zooma was Sandy's favorite stuffed animal,
a cheetah who traveled everywhere Sandy went.
On this trip, Sandy, her mom, and Zooma
were visiting Nana who lived in Nassau,
the beautiful capital city of The Bahamas.
Nassau was located on the island of New Providence,
one of over 700 islands in The Bahamas.
Today was the annual junior Junkanoo Carnival.
So they needed to look their very best.
- [Sandy] Nana, I'm ready to get dressed
- [Miss Shambrekia] Called Sandy.
I've double stitched every part of your costume.
That way the decorations will stay in place, said Nana
as she helped Sandy put on her outfit.
You know, Junkanoo is one of my favorite traditions.
- [Sandy] It's so beautiful. I can't wait to show Mommy!
- [Miss Shambrekia] Exclaimed Sandy,
admiring the dark blue turquoise feathers on her dress.
- [Sandy] Thank you.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Sandy stood in front of the mirror,
grinning ear to ear as Nana pinned her headband
to her beautiful curly bun.
Her headpiece was in the shape of a three-leaf clover
and decorated with turquoise jewels and feathers
that matched the beautiful hues of the Caribbean sea.
Sandy was in love with her look
and couldn't wait to celebrate with the new friends
she hoped to make at the carnival.
Sandy, are you ready?
Asked Sandy's mom.
- [Sandy] Almost mommy, but Zooma needs his costume on too.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Replied Sandy.
Nana carefully helped Sandy get Zooma's T-shirt on
without damaging his perfect headband.
Before leaving, Sandy kissed her puppy dog Chai goodbye
and grabbed her backpack,
which her mom had packed with swim gear and snacks.
Their hotel was only a mile away from Bay Street
where the celebration was held,
but it was still a little too far and too warm to walk.
- [Sandy] Nana, are we gonna hail a jitney?
- [Miss Shambrekia] No, we're not.
I'm driving, hop in.
On the way, Sandy saw Cuban Amazon parrots
flying above them in small groups.
- [Sandy] Mommy, maybe they're going to Junkanoo too.
- [Miss Shambrekia] When they arrived, Sandy was so excited
that she grabbed Zooma by the leg and leaped out the car.
Sandy, there will be a big crowd today.
You have to hold my hand
so we don't get separated, said Nana.
- [Sandy] I'm sorry, Nana.
Can you help me strap Zooma on my backpack?
He needs to be safe too.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Said Sandy.
Of course, said Nana.
Sandy triple checked to make sure Zooma was secure
and that everyone could still see his cool outfit.
Then she took Nana and Mommy's hands
and pulled the two women toward the island melodies.
Sandy skipped with excitement.
- [Sandy] This is amazing.
The music is so fun!
- [Miss Shambrekia] Yes, it is little one,
but do you know the meaning of Jankanoo?
Asked Nana.
- [Sandy] No, What is it?
- [Miss Shambrekia] Asked Sandy.
Realizing that this was a lesson best taught by Nana,
Sandy's mom ventured off to do her favorite thing, shop.
Plus she wanted to give Sandy and Nana
some alone time together.
Sit down right here and I'll tell you, said Nana.
Junkanoo is a national festival that we Bahamians
celebrate every year around Christmas time.
We play different musical instruments
and wear a sea of colors to show the love of our people
as well as our pride as Bahamians.
The festival takes place right here on Bay Street in Nassau.
- [Sandy] Is everyone in town invited?
- [Miss Shambrekia] Sandy was intrigued.
Yes, and almost everyone comes.
While there are several versions,
the story I was told as a girl was that the name Junkanoo
came from an African tribal chief
whom the Europeans had named John Canoe.
When he and the other Africans
were brought to the West Indies,
Junkanoo was what they called that time of the year
during the Christmas holidays.
It remains one of our grandest times of the year.
- [Sandy] Wow, that's so cool, Nana.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Said Sandy.
- [Sandy] And children get to play and celebrate too?
- [Miss Shambrekia] Children are the best part of the
celebration. We hope kids like you will carry on the
Junkanoo tradition and share our history with your future
children. Oh look
Sandy, the junior Junkanoo Parade is starting.
Mommy returned from shopping
and she, Sandy, and Nana watched as more than a hundred kids
paraded down the street in their costumes.
Sandy yanked Zooma out of his harness
and started dancing and singing.
Some of the kids stopped to dance with Sandy
- [Sandy] Nana, this is awesome.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Shouted Sandy.
After the junior Junkanoo festival ended,
Sandy, her mom, and Nana went to the beach
and were joined by a couple of the kids from the parade.
They snorkeled, collected seashells, and flew a kite.
Sandy even found an oyster with a small, pink pearl inside.
During dinner, Sandy drew pictures of all the day's
most memorable moments in her journal.
In between bites of grouper and conch salad,
Sandy's mom admired her drawings.
She was so entranced by her daughter's artwork
that she accidentally bit into a scotch bonnet pepper.
"Ouch!" she yelled.
Luckily, after several glasses of milk,
her mouth didn't burn as much.
Nana dropped Sandy and her mom off
at their hotel after dinner.
It was time to say goodbye.
- [Sandy] I'll miss you Nana, but I'll be back soon.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Said Sandy.
"I'll miss you too, but I'll be there sooner.
I love you!"
Sandy and her mom gave Nana one last hug
before going back to their room.
After getting cleaned up, Sandy's mom tucked her into bed,
pulled back the drapes,
and opened the sliding door to their balcony.
It was their last night in The Bahamas.
What better sound to fall asleep to
than the sound of the ocean?
Cooled by the salty breeze, Sandy held Zooma tightly
as she drifted to sleep, dreaming up her next big adventure.
That was pretty cool, huh?
- Yep.
- So what was your favorite part to write?
'Cause we got to write this together.
- When they're talking about Junkanoo.
- Yeah, I love that part too.
I loved interviewing your grandmother and your dad
to find out how they grew up in The Bahamas.
Well, thank you so much for joining us, and until next time.
- [Together] Bye friends.
(magic twinkling) - Wow!
Sandy and Zooma had so much fun in The Bahamas.
Well, I wanna go there someday.
- I do too.
What did you learn about The Bahamas from the story?
- Oh, I learned about Junkanoo.
I'd never heard of that.
- Me neither.
It looks like a fun celebration.
- Mh-hmm. And I learned that there are over
700 islands in The Bahamas.
That's a lot of islands.
- It sure is.
See, Possum.
Sandy showed us how exciting travel can be.
You learn a lot about different cultures and discover
fun facts that make every place in the world unique.
- Oh, I'm glad she has her grandma
to teach her about The Bahamas.
- Yes, Sandy has a very special connection to The Bahamas,
and I'm grateful that she's now sharing it with others.
- Well, do you think that Sandy learned
any recipes from her grandma?
- Actually, now that you mentioned it,
there was a recipe at the end of the story.
- Really? What was it?
- Bahamian fruit salad.
- Oh, that sounds yummy.
- I agree.
Do you want Sandy to teach us how to make it?
- Really? Sandy can teach us?
- Yes.
Let's learn with our friends at Childstrive in Everett.
(magical chime)
- [Together] Hi again, friends.
- I'm Miss Miss Shambrekia.
- And I'm Sandy.
- And we are gonna teach you all
how to make a bahamian fruit salad.
Would you like to tell us
what's so special about this recipe, Sandy?
- Yes.
So the cool thing about this is that my grandmother
is actually from The Bahamas, including my dad.
Grandma approved this recipe, so it's all good.
And so I'm so excited to show you
how to make this with your family and friends.
- Now, friends, you know it's always important
to have an adult in the room with you.
And who we also like to have in the room with us,
are our buddy Zoomas.
So they're gonna be joining in on the fun,
but not the eating.
So first of all, you're gonna have the limes.
We're gonna also have some sherry vinegar,
a little bit of corn syrup.
We have some golden raisins, some really sweet pineapple,
and some cut up oranges.
And of course, two bananas
and a little bit of cilantro
to garnish at the top when we're done.
So first thing, Sandy, we're gonna cut these limes open
and we're gonna juice them in a bowl.
Can we get started on that?
- Of course.
- Absolutely.
All right.
Let's move this out the way.
What else do you like to make with limes?
- Sometimes I like to make lime water.
- Mhm.
- Lime-aid.
- Sandy, you're doing a really good job at cutting.
I can help you too.
And remember kids, we are using child safe knives.
And they work just as good as the big people knives,
but you still wanna always have an adult in the room
with you and supervising when you're cooking, okay?
Sandy, you wanna squeeze that one in here too?
- Yes.
- Awesome.
Go for it.
(both laughing)
Need mama to help?
- Yes.
- Okay.
You're doing a good job.
The lime smells really good.
What we're gonna do now,
we're going to add in our lime juice.
You wanna add that in?
(water pouring)
Two tablespoons of corn syrup.
It's kind of sticky, so it's gonna go really slow,
but that's okay.
And then of course, the sherry vinegar.
I'm still pouring the corn syrup.
You wanna put that in there?
Okay, go ahead.
- All of it. - Yep.
So that would be two tablespoons of sherry vinegar as well.
So we're done with these,
we're gonna put these over to the side
and I'm gonna have my best helper whisk these together.
You got it? - Mh-hmm.
- Okay.
(liquid whisking)
Good job.
Okay.
I think we're good.
So we're gonna put this over here to the side.
And then we're gonna wanna cut up two bananas.
So you get yours and I'll get this one.
And we're just gonna cut these into small slices.
(knife cutting)
Good job. - And there we go.
- And then, the best part,
we're gonna dump it all in there.
Easy, easy recipe.
And now, we're going to add
in our one small pineapple that we cut up.
Would you like to add the golden raisins too?
- Yes.
- I'm gonna let Sandy do a third cup of golden raisins.
You can go ahead.
(raisins dropping)
And then finally, we have two oranges
that we cut up as well.
So we're gonna put those in there.
And now, we're gonna take our spoon.
And we're just gonna mix all this up.
Sandy, how about you give this a run for me?
- Of course.
- And you wanna kind of pick some of the juice up
and top it over.
There you go.
All right.
That looks perfect.
And now friends, for the very last thing,
cilantro to finish it off.
And Sandy, you wanna top that off for us?
- Yes.
(laughing)
- Add all the cilantro.
- Yeah.
And now just mix that up again.
And that's your Bahamian fruit salad.
What's your favorite thing to do
when we go to vacation in new places?
- I like to try new foods.
- Me too. - Buy new clothes.
And like for example, if we were to go to California.
- Mh-hmm.
- I would love to go to the beach.
- [Miss Shambrekia] Okay.
I like the beach, the beach would be nice right now.
- [Sandy] Okay, I think we're good.
- [Miss Shambrekia] I think we're good too.
Okay. - [Sandy] All right.
- All right.
Bon appetite. - Bon appetite.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
- Mhm.
I love it.
What things do you like to do when you go on vacation?
I know when I leave home sometimes I miss it,
but trying new things, it makes me really happy
and it helps me enjoy where we are.
We encourage you to do the same, right Sandy?
- Of course.
- Awesome.
Well friends, until next time,
or until I get hungry again, we'll see you later.
- [Together] Bye!
(cheery music)
- [Possum] It's time for Movement Minute.
(Possum bouncing)
- Hi friends.
Welcome to Movement Minute.
My name is Coach Alicia from Rainier Health and Fitness.
And I'm gonna show you an exercise
that's called the Tuck Jump.
First off, we're gonna do one that is a little easier,
and if you can do this one, then you can do the last one.
You're gonna bring your knees up
towards your hands as your target.
Next up, if you can do that,
go ahead and move at a faster pace,
bringing your knees up towards your hands.
All right, now this one's a little bit difficult
but you can do it.
Put your hands out,
you're gonna bring your knees up towards your hand,
jumping and tucking your knees up.
And, you're done.
Thank you for joining me for Movement Minute.
My name's Alicia. See you next time.
- Auntie Lena, remember when we painted rocks together?
- I do.
You painted a rainbow, right?
- Mh-hmm.
Oh, I'm gonna take my rock on my trip.
- Because it reminds you of home.
- Mh-hmm.
And then if I feel homesick,
well I'll think about you and our friends.
- That's a great idea, Possum.
You know what else might be helpful
and make you feel better?
- What Auntie Lena?
- A to-do list.
- You can make a to-do list for something besides chores?
- Yes.
Before I leave on a trip,
I like to write down all the things I have to pack.
It helps me to plan ahead
and make sure that I have everything I need.
- Hmm. Well, what should I bring besides my rock?
- Hmm. Well, let's go back to Childstrrive
and brainstorm some ideas with Miss Susan and our friends.
- Hi friends. I'm Miss Susan.
And today we're at Childstrive in Everett, Washington.
Today's activity is we're gonna be
making our very own suitcase, packing it with things
that we need to go on a trip.
Our materials that we need today are some magazines
from around the house that you've gotten permission
from your parents to cut things out of,
some construction paper, any color will do.
A glue stick, child safety scissors.
Some markers and then also, if you also have
some stickers laying around, that will be pretty handy too.
What we need to do first is take our favorite color,
mine is yellow.
We're gonna fold the piece of construction paper in half.
You see like that?
Just, what is that, hamburger style?
Ah!
And that's gonna make the body of our suitcase.
And then we're gonna choose another color for our handles.
And my other favorite color is purple.
So I'm gonna think, okay, how big do my handles need to be
to fit on this suitcase?
And then I'm gonna use a marker.
And then I'm gonna draw some handles here.
That I'm gonna glue to both sides
of my suitcase.
After I've drawn my handles,
I'm gonna use my scissors
and carefully cut out
these handles.
Sometimes when you travel,
you can travel by bus, or train
or plane, or car, or even by foot.
I'm Vietnamese and my husband's Korean.
So I definitely wanna go to Vietnam and Korea sometime soon.
I have a three-year-old son,
and I wanna show him where he comes from.
So I wanna go there.
Where are other places that you wanna travel to
that you've been meaning to?
Okay.
I've cut out my handles.
What I'm gonna do next is get this glue stick open.
Ooh.
Oh, I like the purple ones,
because I always know where the glue went.
And I'm gonna open the suitcase
and do two little dots for my handles.
There we go.
Press that down, on the inside.
And my other handle's on the other side.
Okay.
There we go.
And then I push it down to make sure it sticks.
Let's see.
Does that look like a suitcase with a handle?
Sure does, right?
What you can do, on the outside of your suitcase,
is to think about the places you want to travel to
or the places that you have traveled to.
So, I mentioned to you Vietnam.
And also Korea.
I really love both types of cuisines.
I also would like to go visit Vancouver,
because that's where my son's grandmother lives.
You know where I've never been to?
I've never been in Woodinville.
I'd like to also visit Woodinville one day,
because there's really exciting places just in our backyard.
All right, so on your suitcase,
write all the places that you'd like to travel
or maybe you've already been to.
It can be near and it can be far.
All right, so now that we've completed
the outside of our luggage,
what are we gonna put inside for our trip?
Well, that's where we can go to different magazines
and we can just start flipping through them
and finding things that inspire us.
Things that are really interesting
that would make us feel comfortable on our trip.
Now, I've already looked through some magazines.
And I've got a couple of things
that I would like to bring on my trip.
So let's think about the things
that you wanna bring on your trip.
Such as these stuffies.
My son really likes having some dolls with him,
so I know I've got to pack that.
Oh, I've got some books that I've
always been meaning to read that I never read,
but maybe we'll have a chance to read them on the trip.
Oh, I always need socks and underwears,
and I always pack extra.
'Cause you never know what's gonna happen.
Oh, I've got a really cool outfit.
Oh, I always bring a backpack,
'cause there's lots of things we gotta put in there.
I'm gonna open my luggage!
And then now I get to glue them all in.
So, you might be saying, well, Susan,
I might not have a whole bunch of magazines,
and that's okay.
One other way that we could be working with this
is you could draw all the things that you want
inside your luggage as well.
So, for example, one thing could be a teddy bear.
I'll draw this little teddy bear,
with the cute little nose.
And ears.
There's so many ways to do this activity.
It's about making sure you bring things
that make you feel good.
Okay.
All right, glue stick, in my hand.
What I do is I trace the edges of each of my objects,
and I put them, and I glue 'em down.
What do you enjoy most about going to new places?
Is it visiting friends? Is it trying new foods?
It's different for every single person
about what they like about traveling.
For me, I really like trying new foods.
All right, fold it again and make sure,
once you're done, you let it dry, face down,
open like this, so that
the glue doesn't stick everything together
and then you can't open it again.
All right.
Here is my finished suitcase, the inside,
and the outside.
Now I know going on a trip can make you feel nervous.
Nervousness is natural,
because there's a lot of things that we've never done before
and sometimes we've gotta take a deep belly breath.
Whoo.
Talk it out with someone who you care about,
and cares about you, and then you're off on your adventure.
So I wish you all the best in making your suitcase,
packing everything that you need physically and emotionally,
and I hope you have a wonderful trip.
Thanks so much everyone.
Bye-Bye. (magical chime)
- So Possum, now that you've got your rock,
and your list of what to pack,
are you feeling ready for your big trip?
- Yes, I am.
If you and Sandy can do it, then I can too.
- That's right.
And I'm excited to find out where you go.
- Oh, I hope we go to The Bahamas.
(laughing) - You never know Possum,
but wherever you go, I'm gonna miss you while you're gone.
- Oh, I'll miss you too, Auntie Lena.
And thank you for helping me feel better.
- You are welcome.
And friends, thank you for taking the time
to look, listen, and learn with us today.
Remember, you are the best you that the world will ever see.
- Bye for now.
(cheery music)
- [Auntie Lena] Please stay tuned after the credits
for Auntie Lena's parent tip.
(music continues)
- [Announcer] Brought to you by public health.
Protect yourself and your family from serious illness
by staying up to date on your covid boosters.
Resources and information at kingcounty.gov/vaccine.
(music fades)
- For early learners, spending time away from home
can be both exciting and an overwhelming experience.
Whether they're staying a couple of nights
at Grandma's house or going on a big trip like Possum,
it's common for children to miss the people and things
that make them feel comfortable at home.
Or in other words, they feel homesick.
As caring adults, we can help our little ones
navigate these difficult feelings
by preparing them ahead of time.
First, by acknowledging that it's okay
to feel nervous about spending time away from home.
Like Auntie Lena, try to brainstorm things
that your child can take with them
to comfort and remind them of home,
such as a favorite blankie or a stuffed animal.
Then make a to-do list with your child
of what they need to get ready before they leave.
By involving your child in the planning process,
you give them a better idea of what to expect
and can start to build excitement
around the fun parts of traveling,
like seeing new places, connecting with family,
or learning about communities outside of their own.
Once children know that they are safe and loved,
even when they're away from home,
it's easier for them to imagine all the adventures
and discoveries they have yet to make in the world.