Imagine it’s Halloween evening and you’re out in your neighborhood trick-or-treating with your family and friends. It’s dark but all of the homes have their lights on, meaning they are welcoming you to stop by and ask for a treat. All of the kids you pass on the streets are wearing costumes and some of the adults, too. You enjoy seeing the variety of costumes. Some are cute and some are scary! You see someone dressed up as a vampire, and someone else as a mummy. You recognize these as classic monsters, the ones most people know about. But do you know the history of these classic monsters? Where do they come from? How they came to be?

Count Dracula

Let’s start with Count Dracula, who became the most famous vampire, Many, many years ago in the 1400s, there was a real person named Vlad III. He was a prince from a place called Wallachia, which is now part of modern-day Romania. Vlad III was not the kind of prince you wanted to mess with, especially if you were his enemy. This gave Vlad the reputation of being very dangerous.

Now, let’s fast forward to the late 1800s. A writer named Bram Stoker wrote a book and named it “Dracula” and created the character Count Dracula. He published his novel in 1897 and this book is where the legend of the vampire truly began. In Bram Stoker’s story, Count Dracula is a vampire who can transform into a bat, sleep in a coffin, and has sharp pointy teeth called fangs. But remember, this is just a story, it’s all fiction which means it isn’t real, just make-believe.

After Bram Stoker’s book, Count Dracula became a movie, the first one in 1931 starring Bela Lugosi. Many movies about Dracula were made after this, each movie added its own twists to the story.

But Dracula isn’t always portrayed as a terrifying monster. In the movie “Hotel Transylvania,” he’s a funny and friendly vampire who runs a hotel for monsters and their families. He’s a loving dad and a good friend. This version of Dracula is perfect for kids.

Today, Count Dracula is still a popular figure. You might see him in Halloween costumes, decorations, and even in cartoons. People love dressing up as Dracula with capes and fake fangs for a bit of spooky fun. But remember, it’s all pretend! Vampires like Dracula are creatures of fiction, and there’s nothing to fear in real life.

Count Dracula is a fascinating character with a history that stretches back hundreds of years. He’s been scary and silly, but no matter how he’s portrayed, he’s a legend in the world of literature and film.

Frankenstein

Next up is Frankenstein. The tale of Frankenstein begins in the early 19th century with a young woman named Mary Shelley. Mary was staying at a vacation home with some friends and one evening they were sitting around a fireplace telling ghost stories. Mary envisioned a monster that was made up of different parts, invented by a scientist and inventor named Dr. Frankenstein. She was only 18 at this time. Later, she turned the ghost story into a full novel called “Frankenstein” about the monster she created.

In the book, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, is a scientist. He becomes obsessed with creating life from lifeless parts. In his laboratory, Victor brings together body parts from different sources to create a creature. But things don’t go as planned, and the creature turns out much different than Victor expected.

Here’s the twist: The creature Victor creates isn’t evil from the start. He’s misunderstood and lonely. Imagine being brought to life and having nobody to talk to or guide you! The creature tries to find friendship and connection but is met with fear and rejection from humans.

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” became incredibly famous and was even turned into a play in London. But Frankenstein’s monster really became a superstar when he appeared in movies. The classic 1931 film starring Boris Karloff introduced the design of the monster we know today with bolts in his neck and flat head.

In recent years, Frankenstein’s monster has appeared in various movies, TV shows, and books. These modern versions often explore themes of science, ethics, and what it means to be truly alive.

One of the cool things about “Frankenstein” is its connection to science fiction. Victor Frankenstein’s experiment explores themes of science and ethics, making us think about the consequences of our actions and how we treat others.

So, there you have it! “Frankenstein” is more than just a scary monster; it’s a timeless story that makes us think about science, humanity, and what it means to be truly alive. When you encounter Frankenstein in books or movies, remember that there’s always more to the story than meets the eye. It’s all about exploring big ideas and having a bit of spooky fun along the way! Also, if you want to listen to a full episode about Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, be sure to look up the Bedtime History episode.

Werewolves

Have you ever heard of Wolfman or Werewolves? These tales date back to ancient times when people told stories around campfires. In these stories, humans could transform into wolves during full moons. Imagine having the power to become a wild animal!

One of the most famous legends is the idea that a person becomes a werewolf only during a full moon. This idea became widely known in European folklore. People believed that those bitten by a werewolf or born on a certain day could turn into these creatures when the moon was full.

Werewolves appeared in folklore from many parts of the world, including Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Each culture had its own unique twist on the story. Some portrayed werewolves as fierce monsters, while others saw them as people with a special connection to nature.

Werewolves made their way into movies in the early 20th century. In the 1941 film “The Wolf Man,” Lon Chaney Jr. became the Wolfman we recognize today. With his furry face and long claws, he became the face of the werewolf in Hollywood.

In recent years, werewolves have appeared in various movies, TV shows, and books. “Teen Wolf” and “New Moon” as part of the Twilight Trilogy are two modern examples. These films often explore themes of identity, transformation, and the struggle between human and animal instincts.

At its heart, the werewolf legend often teaches us about the duality of human nature—the struggle between our civilized selves and our primal instincts. It reminds us that we all have a bit of “wild” within us.

Mummies

Next up is mummies. Mummies are not just monsters; they have real-life origins dating back thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians were the masters of mummification. They believed in an afterlife and wanted to preserve the bodies of their loved ones for eternity. So, they developed a special process to keep bodies from getting old. This whole process was part of religious rituals, and mummies were often placed in beautiful tombs along with treasures for the afterlife.

Mummies didn’t start out as monsters in our stories. It wasn’t until the 1800s that mummies began to appear as spooky creatures in books. Writers like Bram Stoker (who wrote “Dracula”) and Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) started to include mummy tales in their stories.

One popular idea linked to mummies is the “mummy’s curse.” It’s believed that disturbing a mummy’s tomb or removing it from its resting place would bring bad luck to those involved. While this idea is mostly fiction, it adds an exciting twist to mummy tales.

Mummies became famous movie monsters thanks to films like “The Mummy” (1932), starring Boris Karloff. In these movies, mummies would come to life and often seek revenge. Over the years, mummy movies have ranged from spooky to action-packed.

In the real world, scientists have discovered and studied mummies found all around the globe. These mummies have taught us a lot about ancient civilizations, their customs, and even their health. It turns out that not all mummies are spooky; some are like time capsules from the past.

The story of mummies reminds us of the rich history and culture of ancient civilizations. While they might appear scary in movies, real mummies are an incredible source of knowledge about our shared human history. Embrace the adventure, and who knows what secrets you might uncover along the way!

The post Classic Monsters of Halloween for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

With a deep breath, Jackie leaps off the building, defying gravity as he soars through the air. Time seems to slow down as he executes a flip and slides down a rooftop.

As Jackie lands safely on the top of a moving truck. The satisfaction of nailing the stunt fills his veins, reminding him why he has dedicated his life to this craft. But there is no time to rest, the movie demands more. He swings himself into the front seat of the truck and continues a thrilling car chase through a narrow alleyway the final climactic fight scene against his most dangerous enemy.

With unwavering determination, Jackie embraces each challenge, pushing himself to the limit. He throws himself into fight scenes with unmatched energy, combining his martial arts skills with a touch of humor that makes audiences fall in love with him. Every punch, every kick is meticulously executed, leaving no room for error.

Being Jackie Chan in a blockbuster movie means embracing fear, defying gravity, and giving everything for the sake of entertainment. It is a journey filled with adrenaline, skill, and an unwavering dedication to creating movie magic. And for Jackie, there is no greater reward than seeing his hard work and breathtaking stunts come to life on the big screen, inspiring generations to chase their dreams, just as he has.

Kong-sang Chan, later known as Jackie Chan, was born on April 7, 1954,  in Hong Kong, China to Charles and Lee-Lee. At the time his parents were a cook and a housekeeper. They were poor at the time and worked for a French diplomat and lived in a small house in the back of his house. From a young age, Kong-sang’s father taught him to exercise and practice martial arts. Kung Fu was the popular martial arts style where he lived and used lots of kicks and acrobatic movements. Because they were poor, Kong-sang and his father had to find simple ways to exercise rather than going to a typical dojo.

Kong-sang struggled in school. He didn’t like to sit still and often got in trouble when he got restless. He often got into fights in his neighborhood and at school. Instead, he wanted to be outside and play which is natural for children! Fortunately, Kong-sang’s parents were attentive to his needs and started looking at other options for his school. They found a nearby school called The Chinese Drama Academy, which prepared students for Chinese opera and might be a good fit for a more active child like Kong-sang.

Kong-sang was surprised when he visited the school. Rather than sitting at desks and doing traditional school work, children at this school were doing kung fu and dancing around during the day. Kong-sang thought it looked like a pretty good school and his parents decided to enroll him for ten years! Little did Kong-sang know, what a challenge the Chinese Drama Academy would be! The masters of the school were very strict. Some of the kids made fun of him. He had to sleep on the floor at night and during the day they worked his body very hard. Every minute of the day they were busy running, kicking, punching, doing handstands, and cleaning. When students misbehaved, they got hit with a stick. And to Kong-sang’s surprise, he still had to do schoolwork on top of it all! 

Kong-sang missed his parents and only saw his mother once a week. Life at the Chinese Drama Academy was very hard, but he was determined to stick it out. When he saw other children performing on stage and being applauded, he wanted to work hard, be just like them, and get the same attention. Eventually, he got to perform on a stage and received his first role in a film called Big and Little Wong Tin Bar. 

By the time Kong-sang graduated from The Chinese Drama Academy, the opera wasn’t as popular so he knew his best would be to find a job in the movie industry. He auditioned to be a stuntman and got his first job. A stuntman is used in movies to do the dangerous work that actors avoid so they don’t get hurt. They might jump out of moving cars, off tall buildings, or take a punch to make the action look more realistic. Over time, Kong-sang got better and better at being a stuntman, but his real dream was to be a movie star not just someone who did the difficult work but that no one recognized. His next job was a stunt coordinator who helped direct all of the stunts. 

Finally, he got his first chance and was given a small role in a movie called Hand of Death. It wasn’t a big role, but it gave him hope that someday he might be a big star. He dreamed that he might be as popular as Bruce Lee, the most famous Chinese kung fu movie star. Unfortunately, movies weren’t as popular at that time in China and Kong-sang had to move to Australia where his parents now lived. He worked many different jobs to support himself. At one job, instead of using his real name, he introduced Kong-sang as “Jack.” His co-workers started calling him “Jackie.” 

Around this time – we’ll call him Jackie now – got a message from Hong Kong asking him to come back and star in a new movie, a remake of Bruce Lee’s Fists of Fury. He would be paid well and best of all, he’d be a star and be acting! Jackie hurried back to Hong Kong and starred in the new movie. Jackie had all of the moves and could do all of the stunts, but he was different than Bruce Lee. He liked being funnier rather than serious. At this time, he wrote his own movie and starred in it. It was called Half a Load of Kung Fu. Rather than trying to be just like Bruce Lee, Jackie wanted to be his own kind of action hero: a funny one who the audience would be impressed by but also laugh at.

Jackie Chan’s first big movie using his own style was Snake in Eagle’s Shadow about a kung fu student who is better than his own master and learns his moves from an old man on the street. The movie was a huge hit! Jackie was happy to know audiences enjoyed his funny action-hero persona. Drunken Master was his next big hit turned him into a popular movie star all over China. 

Jackie’s next job took him to the United States, to film a new movie in Texas. Unfortunately, Jackie struggled with English and didn’t feel as comfortable acting because of the language and the style that which U.S. films were shot. Next, he returned to Hong Kong and was able to continue his acting as a celebrity there. 

In Hong Kong, Jackie continued acting and doing dangerous stunts. It was one of his favorite parts of the job even though it was very dangerous. During one stunt he fell from a 50-foot-tall clock tower, through two cloth awnings, and to the ground. Another time, he slid down a 21-story building. A few times he was hurt very badly, but Jackie continued acting and doing stunts because it was his passion and he didn’t care about the risks.

In 1995, Jackie took another shot at filming in Hollywood and his first breakout American film was Rumble in the Bronx. He did some dangerous stunts and plenty of kung fu, and the film became a big hit. His next big film was a buddy-cop movie starring alongside comedian Chris Tucker. The name of the film was Rush Hour and ended up being a huge hit earning over $140 million dollars. Jackie was finally a star in the United States as well as Asia. 

For the next several years, Jackie continued to film hits in Hollywood including a second and third Rush Hour movies, Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights with Owen Wilson, The Tuxedo, Around the World in 80 Days, a new Karate Kid film, and also did the voice for Master Monkey in Kung Fu Panda. 

Later, he also started a stunt school for aspiring young actors and started his own coffee shops, restaurants, theaters, clothing lines, and other businesses across Asia. 

Not only has Jackie become known for his acting, kung fu, and stunts, but also for his charitable donations around the world. He’s taken his success and with gratitude used it to help others in need, which includes building schools and curing illnesses.

Like Jackie, you can remember the importance of physical exercise. Even when Jackie was poor and didn’t have access to a real gym or sports clubs, he ran through the neighborhoods near his home, used heavy objects to strengthen his muscles, kicked, and practiced his acrobatics. You can work through hard things even when they are difficult and continue to practice whatever it is you are passionate about. Jackie of often turned to humor when life was hard and even though everyone wanted him to be like Bruce Lee, he found his own way in the world, a unique way of acting that he made his own. 

Take a moment and think about how you can apply what you’ve learned about Jackie Chan to your own life.

Jackie once said, “If everyone does some good, think of what a good world this will be.”

When asked how he accomplished great things, Jackie said, “I do small things. I try to do good things every day.”

And finally, “Do not let circumstances control you. You [can] change your circumstances.”

The post Jackie Chan Story for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Imagine you’re in a painting studio. You take a deep breath and smell the sweet smell of the oil paints and the crisp air within the painting studio. You look around and see many paintings on the walls, each one telling a different story.

But your attention quickly turns back to the canvas in front of you, which seems to be calling out for your attention. You dip your paintbrush into a palette of different colors and then put it on the canvas. You feel happy and excited when you see the brush moving so easily on the canvas. You create a beautiful picture of a world you want to see, and it makes you feel calm and happy.

You continue to work, feeling the warmth of the paint beneath your brush, and the gentle strokes of color as you add dimension and texture to your creation. As you paint, you feel a sense of peace and contentment that comes from being fully immersed in the creative process.

You continue to work, feeling the warmth of the paint beneath your brush and you see how the colors mix together, creating something new and unique. You love how it feels to make something special with your hands.

When you’re done painting, you step back and admire your work. You feel so proud of what you made and can’t wait to share it with others. You know that it will make people happy and inspire them to look at the world in a different way.

This is what it’s like to be like Bob Ross, a painter who made people happy by showing them how to paint and see the world in a new way.

Bob Ross was born on October 29, 1942, in Daytona Beach, Florida. He grew up in a town called Orlando, where he spent a lot of time exploring the beautiful landscapes around him.

His dad was a carpenter named Jack, and his mom, Ollie, was a waitress. As a child, Bob loved to take care of injured animals which sometimes made his parents unhappy because they never knew what kind of animal they would find in the house! They might see a hurt alligator in their bathtub or an armadillo running around Bob’s room. 

Later, Bob didn’t finish high school. Instead, he left after 9th grade to work as a carpenter with his dad. One day, Bob had a terrible accident that injured his left index finger. He lost the tip of it! Even though he was hurt, Bob didn’t let that stop him. It was an injury he later hid from TV viewers most of the time with his paint palette.

When Bob turned 18, he joined the Air Force which he soon didn’t enjoy. He said that he had to be “mean” sometimes, and that made him unhappy. When he was in the Air Force, he was known for being tough on his fellow airmen, and they even gave him the nickname “Bust ’em up Bobby.”

Although he had a tough exterior, Bob Ross also had a softer side. He discovered his love for painting while attending an art class in Alaska during his time in the Air Force. Many of his painting instructors at the time were more interested in abstract art, but Bob was fascinated by nature and the beauty of the world around him. He found that painting allowed him to capture that beauty and share it with others.

After attending many art classes that focused on abstract painting, Ross found his passion for painting returned through a television show he found called The “Magic of Oil Painting”. The show was hosted by artist Bill Alexander Bill introduced Ross to an old painting technique known as “alla prima” which means “first attempt” in Italian. Ross was fascinated by “alla prima” because it allowed Alexander to finish a painting in just 30 minutes. Alla prima is also known as “wet-on-wet” painting, which means that wet layers of paint are added to paper to create an image. Bob loved this new technique and decided to master it himself.

Bob Ross started earning money by painting Alaskan mountainsides on the inside of gold pans, after observing Alexander’s Wet on Wet technique. He soon became well-known among the local Alaskan people for his artistic abilities and often taught children and the elderly how to paint, too. Eventually, Ross began making more money from selling paintings and offering art lessons than from his day job in the military. After serving in the Air Force for twenty years, Ross left the military and said that he would never yell or raise his voice again, he was known from then on to have a very soft and calming presence. 

In the 1980s after leaving the Air Force, Ross had a burning desire to truly master the art of wet-on-wet painting. He found his favorite artist Bill Alexander in Florida. There, Alexander was a part-time art teacher and happily shared all his knowledge with Ross.

Next, Bob Ross got a job as a traveling tutor for the Alexander Magic Art Supplies Company. He had a soothing, gentle voice, and an encouraging teaching style, and said things like “happy accidents” instead of the word “mistakes” to make people feel happier and more positive about painting and being ok with messing up. 

Have you ever made a mistake? Well, in painting it is very easy to make mistakes and Bob was excellent at helping people understand that even when we make mistakes we can turn those mistakes into something good! This idea that he used in his painting lessons caught the attention of a woman named Annette Kowalski. Annette was fascinated by Ross and thought they might find a way to sell the experience of painting with him. She saw potential in Ross’s teaching style and decided to work with him to build a successful business.

After a meeting with Annette Kowalski and her husband, Ross became convinced that he should leave the Alexander Magic Art Supplies Company and start his own teaching business. Kowalski was so confident in their potential for success that she spent all of her life savings on the business. Ross and his wife spent most of their money too! Unfortunately, their high hopes were met with a harsh reality: the business lost $20,000 in its first year open.

Low on money, Bob Ross decided to take a bold step and change his look. Gone were the days of the strict military haircut, and in its place emerged a new and unexpected style: the classic afro that would come to define him. Ross said that he decided to perm his hair and make it curly because then he could save money and he wouldn’t need to pay for haircuts every week. Little did he know that this bold decision to perm his hair would change his appearance forever. Ross’s afro was so different than what his hair used to look like that many of his friends only recognized him by his missing finger that he lost while working as a teenager. 

It is not totally clear how  Bob became a famous painter on TV. There are two stories about how he was able to get onto the PBS channel. One story says that Bob and his former teacher Bill Alexander filmed a commercial for his art classes, which happened to impress someone important. Another version suggests that his partner, Kowalski, took a video of one of Bob Ross’ 30-minute lessons and sent it to the TV station. It is possible that both stories are true. Either way, it is obvious that Bob Ross was so good that he couldn’t be ignored. Before long he was a famous TV star in a new show called “The Joy of Painting”!

While filming “The Joy of Painting,” Bob made it feel like he was talking to his audience one-on-one. Almost like a personal teaching lesson. 

Bob Ross put a lot of thought into every detail of his show. He took great care in selecting his clothes, wearing timeless jeans and casual shirts that wouldn’t look old in the future. He also sanded down his painting palette lightly to keep it from reflecting the studio lights, a trick he figured out over time by switching to a clear painting palette for the first few episodes. 

Bob never received payment for his appearances on the show, nor did he sell any of the paintings he created on air. The show served as a platform to promote his teaching business which grew to include Bob Ross paint brushes, paint, and other supplies, soon making him a millionaire!

Even though being on TV made Bob Ross very successful he remained humble and generous with his artwork. He gave away most of the paintings he created on the show, as well as thousands of others he made throughout his life. Some were donated to charitable causes to be auctioned off, while others were gifted to friends and acquaintances.

Bob Ross taught us that mistakes are not failures, they are just happy accidents. When you make a mistake, don’t give up. Instead, use your creativity and turn it into something beautiful. Just like Bob Ross, you can use your talents to make the world a brighter and more joyful place

The post History of Bob Ross for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Imagine you’re starring in a high-stakes action movie. You’re a rugged, charismatic hero who must save the world from a dangerous threat.

As the cameras roll, you leap from a helicopter onto the roof of a skyscraper, gunfire ringing out all around you. You slide down a cable and land gracefully on the ground, knocking out a group of enemies with expert hand-to-hand combat.

As the action intensifies, you find yourself racing through the streets on a high-speed motorcycle, dodging bullets and explosions. You finally make it to the villain’s stronghold and engage in a final, epic battle to save the day.

With the threat eliminated and the world safe once more, you stand victorious as the credits roll. The crowd erupts in applause and you can’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Ye this is just another day in the life of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a household name, known for his incredible career as a professional wrestler and successful acting career. But before he was known as “The People’s Champion” and one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, he was simply Dwayne Johnson, a young boy growing up in a humble family.

Dwayne was born in Hayward, California, the son of Ata Johnson and Rocky Johnson. His father was a professional wrestler and his mother was a homemaker. Dwayne’s parents were of Samoan and Black Nova Scotian descent, and his father was one of the first Black wrestlers to break the color barrier in the WWE. The WWE is a big show where strong and very athletic people put on a wrestling-type performance. They dress up in colorful costumes and have cool nicknames like “The Giant” and “The Superstar.” They pretend to fight each other and do cool flips, jumps and lift each other up to show their strength. These wrestlers are not only strong, but they are also great actors, telling stories and playing different characters to entertain the audience. They sometimes play the role of the hero who saves the day or the villain who tries to cause trouble. 

But even before Dwayne Johnson grew to fame in the WWE his parents instilled in him the importance of hard work, perseverance, and dedication, values that would later serve him well in his own career.

As a child, Dwayne was a natural athlete, excelling in football and track. He also loved to read and learn about history. Maybe he would have loved Bedtime History, just like you! Dwayne attended a number of schools, including President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Glencliff High School in Nashville, Tennessee.

After high school, Dwayne went to college at the University of Miami on a full football scholarship. This means he agreed to play football for them and they paid for his schooling in exchange. He earned a degree in Criminology and Physiology, and had wanted to become a professional football player. Sadly, while playing football he received many knee and shoulder injuries, but Dwayne refused to give up on his goals. He remembered the lessons his parents taught him about perseverance and determination. They taught him that success comes from hard work, and that the only way to achieve your dreams is to never give up, no matter how difficult the obstacle.

Dwayne put those lessons into practice, refusing to let his injury defeat him. He worked long hours and many days to fix his injury, and eventually, he was able to come back stronger than ever before. But this time he turned to professional wrestling, like his father. His father, Rocky Johnson, was a larger-than-life figure, known for his strength and athleticism in the ring. He was a trailblazer in the world of wrestling, breaking down barriers for black wrestlers and paving the way for future generations. Rocky Johnson not only was a wrestler but also a mentor to Dwayne. He taught him the skills and discipline necessary to succeed in the wrestling ring. He taught him a strong work ethic and a love for entertaining the audience. Dwayne learned from his father the importance of respect, humility and discipline.

Dwayne began his wrestling career in 1996, joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and quickly becoming one of the company’s top stars. He was a multiple-time WWF Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and Tag Team Champion, and was known for his iconic catchphrases, such as “If you smell what The Rock is cookin'” and “The People’s Champion.” He also became known for his intense rivalry with fellow wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin.

After leaving the WWF in 2004, Dwayne transitioned into acting, starring in a number of successful films. One of his first big movies was called “The Scorpion King.” In this movie he is a very strong and brave warrior leading an army of scorpions. He is very powerful and can do many amazing things, like jumping high and fight with a sword. In the movie, The Scorpion King goes on a big adventure to save his kingdom and his people from bad guys who want to take over. He has to fight battles and overcome many challenges, but with his strength and bravery, he is able to save his kingdom.

A few years later he was in a movie called Doom about a space marine who fights enemies on a moon near the planet Mars.

Have you seen the movie Moana? It’s a story about a courageous young girl who embarks on an adventure to save her island and her people. Along the way, she meets a demigod named Maui who joins her on her journey and he sings a very memorable song when they first meet call “You’re Welcome”. Maui’s voice is actually Dwayne Johnson and he even sang the song “You’re Welcome”! 

He’s also known for starring in movies like The Fast and The Furious, Jumanji: The Next Level, The Jungle Cruise, and recently Black Adam.

One story that is often shared is when he was filming the movie “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and he had to film a scene where he had to eat a live insect. He ended up eating it and then acted like it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted, much to the shock and amusement of his co-stars.

Dwayne has become one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and has been nominated for several awards for his performances.

Even with all his success, Dwayne has always remained humble. He is a loving husband and father to his wife Lauren and two daughters, Simone and Jasmine. He is also known for his philanthropy and business ventures, and has been a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Have you heard of the “Make a Wish Foundation?” The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a special organization that helps children who are very sick. Sometimes, when a child is very sick, they might have a dream or a wish that they would like to come true. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a group of kind and caring people who work hard to make those wishes come true.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is made up of volunteers and donors who want to help bring joy and happiness to children who are going through a tough time. They work hard to make sure that each child’s wish is special and unique, just like they are.

It is a wonderful organization that brings happiness and hope to children who are facing difficult times. They work to make the child’s dream come true and give them and their families memories that will last a lifetime.

Throughout his career, Dwayne has always taught about hard work and perseverance. He often encourages others to “never give up” and to always strive for their dreams. He has also been known to share a good laugh, with a quick wit and a great sense of humor. 

Like “The Rock”, we can learn that with hard work, perseverance and determination, we can overcome obstacles and reach our goals. He faced many challenges and setbacks in his life, but he never gave up and he kept pushing forward, and that is what led to his success. He also showed that one should never underestimate the power of a positive attitude and the importance of having a good role model and support system in the form of family and friends. He taught that we should never give up on our dreams, no matter how hard the road may be, and that we can achieve great things if we believe in ourselves and never lose sight of our goals.

“The Rock of Hollywood”

A man of muscle, a man of might,

A wrestler turned actor, a true delight.

Dwayne Johnson, known as “The Rock”,

A star in the ring and on the clock.

From football field to wrestling ring,

He’s achieved great success, it’s quite the thing.

Championships won, fans in thrall,

He conquered the WWE, stood tall.

But Hollywood called, and he made the leap,

Starring in films, his talent to keep.

Fast cars and action, a hero to be,

The Rock’s acting career, a thing to see.

He’s not just brawn, but brains as well,

A philanthropist, a man to tell.

Motivating speeches, wisdom to share,

The Rock’s impact, truly rare.

So here’s to Dwayne Johnson, a man of no shame,

A wrestler, actor, and true claim to fame.

The Rock of Hollywood, a shining star,

A legacy built, near and far.

The post Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Story for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Early Life

Jim Henson was born in September 1936 in Mississippi. His family loved jokes and laughing. Jim spent a lot of time with his grandparents, who helped him create amazing art projects. He also loved to go to the theater and watch movies – and especially loved Westerns and movies that took place in far-off places. He and his friends would spend their play time dressing up and acting out the movies they saw, using homemade props and their big imaginations. 

Jim also grew up listening to radio broadcast shows, and his favorite performer was Edgar Bergen, a ventriloquist. A ventriloquist is someone who can talk without moving his lips or mouth. Jim saw this and thought it was amazing. Later his family moved to Maryland, and they purchased their first TV when Jim was 13 years old. Jim watched a show called Kukla, Fran and Ollie which featured puppet performers. He loved the way the puppets appeared to be real creatures, that people could laugh with, share stories with, and be friends with. The puppets were alive in a way that was magical. Jim dreamed about being on television himself.

As soon as Jim turned 16, he started looking for a job in television with all the local stations. Sadly they all said no. While this was hard for Jim, he didn’t give up. He later heard that one of the stations was looking for a puppeteer, so he checked out some books on puppetry, built some puppets, and applied for the job. He got the job of building puppets for a Saturday morning children’s program called The Junior Morning Show. With hard work, practice, and determination, he was accomplishing his goal!

College

Jim Henson went to college at the University of Maryland, College Park. In college, he took a puppetry class and produced a puppet show called Sam and Friends for WRC-TV. The puppets in this show were early versions of what would later become the Muppets, including an early prototype (or version) of Kermit the Frog. While Jim worked on the show, he invented new puppetry and filming methods that are still in use today, such as allowing the puppeteer to work off-camera by using the frame defined by the camera shot. At this time, most puppets were made from wood and were not very expressive. Instead, Jim used fabric-covered foam rubber to give his puppets a greater ability to express emotion. Instead of strings, he used rods to manipulate the puppets which also increased the range of expression of the puppets. 

While Jim was working on the Sam and Friends show, he met and worked with Jane Nebel, another student at the University. They would later begin dating and eventually get married in 1959.

First TV Shows

The success of Sam and Friends led to Henson’s puppets appearing on talk shows like The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Paar Program, and The Ed Sullivan Show. These are similar to the Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Shows in our day. Henson’s puppets also became famous when they were used in TV commercials, such as the Wilkin Coffee Company commercial in Washington, D.C. 

Sesame Street

In 1969, Jim Henson was asked to join the team working on a new children’s program called Sesame Street. On the show, his Muppets would be characters who lived in the neighborhood of Sesame Street and interacted with the human characters. The show was meant to teach children how to read and count, as well as show children how to share, take turns, and get along. One thing kids loved was the variety of the Muppets; each character was a unique individual and represented a different type of personality. There was Big Bird, the eight-foot-tall yellow bird who is innocent and curious like a child; Oscar the Grouch, the monster that lives in the trash can and shows that it’s ok to be grouchy sometimes or have a different opinion; Elmo, the enthusiastic monster who loves to have fun and discover new things; Bert and Ernie, unlikely best friends who are completely opposite in just about every way (Bert loves oatmeal and pigeons while Ernie loves taking baths with is rubber duckie and playing jokes on Bert); Count von Count, the numbers-obsessed vampire; and Cookie Monster, who will do anything for his favorite food: cookies! It was a huge success, and the characters from Sesame Street are loved by many people who grew up with them. If you haven’t seen Sesame Street ask your parents because I’ll bet they have..

Jim Henson designed the puppets but also moved them around and performed them. These puppets included, Rowlf the dog, Ernie, Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, Guy Smiley, Dr. Teeth, Captain Vegetable…and many more!

To reach a wider audience, and bring his stories and characters to all kinds of people (kids and adults), Jim Henson created more Muppets and new shows for them to be the stars in. The Muppet Show was a variety show consisting of many different kinds of Muppets and a weekly guest star working together to put on a show for their television audience. With colorful characters like Miss Piggy (the demanding diva), Fozzie the Bear (the loveable stand-up comedian with the terrible jokes), Animal (the wild drummer for the band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem), Gonzo (the stunt performer with the chickens), Scooter (the stage manager of the show), and Kermit the Frog (the leader of the whole gang), and superstar guest hosts like Julie Andrews, Elton John, Vincent Price, and Steve Martin, there was something on The Muppet Show for everyone. Although much of the show was chaotic, it showed people everywhere that in spite of the chaos and our differences, the most important thing is to focus on being together and having fun. 

The Muppets

The Muppets went on to star in feature films like The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan. Jim Henson also created the Henson Foundation to teach puppetry and improve the art and design of puppetry in the United States. Jim Henson combined puppetry and animatronics (puppet-like robots). He was even involved in the creation of one of the most famous puppets of all time- Yoda from the Star Wars movies!

Conclusion

Over the years, Jim Henson never lost sight of his vision of sharing his characters and stories with as many people as possible. He even shared his work with his five children; all of them began working with Muppets at an early age and were able to spend time with their father in this way. 

When asked about his dream Jim Henson said “…it’s about singing and dancing and making people happy. That’s the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with.”

Jim Henson started out with a dream of being on television, and throughout his life, he was able to reach people through television and other ways. He is an example of never giving up on a dream, and of helping people to come together and laugh and share the things that they love and enjoy in order to learn and have fun together. 

The post History of Jim Henson for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Have you ever made up a magical creature in your daydreams? What would your creature be like? Would it be gentle or fierce? Friendly or unfriendly? Would it have magical powers? Maybe it would have a mix of parts from different animals, like the body of a bull, the head of a lion, and the feet of an octopus. 

Okay, that would be pretty weird! But people all over the world, for all of human history, have imagined strange and magical creatures. And oddly enough, cultures from every part of the world have all come up with legends of fierce, snake-like creatures with magical powers. Some of these creatures are even gods. Many have wings and claws. Some are benevolent and helpful, some are evil and destructive. Some hoard treasure and breath fire. 

Of course, I’m talking about dragons, and other, similar mythical creatures. Dragon-like creatures come up again and again in stories from different parts of the world, from ancient Babylonia, to China and Southeast Asia, to medieval Europe, and from the Americas, both ancient and modern. These different dragons have different features, but all are snake- or lizard-like with parts of other animals squished into one. Some are good, some evil, but all are fierce, strong, and magical.

Dragons in Various Cultures

Folklore in India, Malaysia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian cultures tells of Nagas – snake-like dragons that usually have no arms or legs, some with many heads.  The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was a feathered serpent, and looks a lot like a dragon in some artwork. The Ancient Egyptians had many snake-gods, as did other African cultures. And the powerful Hawaiian goddess Kiwahawine is a dragon with reddish hair who sometimes shape-shifts into a human woman. 

Ancient Greece had its share of dragon creatures too. One of the more famous is Ladon, who Hercules fought  in order to steal the golden apples he guarded for the goddess Hera.

Later, in ancient Rome, a naturalist named Pliny the Elder passed on the knowledge that a dragon could strangle an elephant with their tail. No one knows where he heard this, but he may have gotten confused by second-hand stories of pythons, snakes that can squeeze their prey to death. 

Philostratus, a Greek philosopher from the 3rd century CE gave descriptions of several kinds of dragons. Mountain dragons are fast and fierce, he says, with glittery golden scales. He claims they have a longer tail than plains dragons, along with bushy beards. Marsh dragons he describes as sluggish and lazy, with black scales on their backs. He was convinced that India was full of dragons, and that Indians knew how to enchant dragons by weaving magical cloaks and lulling them to sleep. The eyes of a dragon were supposedly made of stone, and rings set with this stone would have magic powers.

But the best-known dragon legends today are probably the ones based on Chinese and medieval European stories. Early natural scientists in both Europe and China wrote about dragons as though real but still magical. Chinese scholars grouped them with other animals that had scales, like snakes and lizards. 

Misunderstandings About Dragons

Like unicorns, dragons were also subject to cases of mistaken identity. In the past, people who unearthed dinosaur bones often thought they were dragon bones. This was before scientists were careful and methodical about reconstructing skeletons and dating them, which made them realize they were real, non magical, but extinct animals. It’s easy to see why people might confuse dinosaur bones for dragon bones though: both have sharp teeth and claws, long tails, and an overall shape similar to a lizard. Still, in ancient Chinese medicine, these “dragon bones” were used to treat madness, kidney problems, and diarrhea, among other ailments

Other animal fossils were also mistaken for dragons. From the middle ages on, the town of Klangenfurt, Austria was home to legends about a “lindwurm” – a dragon–that once lived in surrounding marshes. This dragon roamed the countryside, picking off people and farm animals. The local king ordered his knights to kill the dragon, and after several valiant attempts, they finally did. The skull of the dragon was put on display in the town hall. Centuries later, in the 1500s, a sculptor commemorated the event by creating a statue of the dragon, based on this skull. Only later did people realize that the skull actually came from an extinct ice age creature, the elephant-like Wooly Mammoth!

There are slight differences between dragons in legends from different areas–wyverns have two legs and wings, while knuckers have four legs and lived near water, but European dragons mostly follow the mold of the Klangefurt dragon: menacing and powerful. The early medieval English poem Beowulf kicks off this trend, telling of a dragon who burned down homes with his fiery breath. The “wurm” part of the name “lindwurm” comes from an old English word that meant dragon or snake. Maybe this is why medieval Europeans often associated dragons with snakes and evil. In Christian teachings, the devil appeared to Eve in the Garden of Eden as a snake. 

Tales of knights fighting dragons who have been terrorizing towns and farms, like in Klangefurt, were popular throughout the middle ages in Europe. Another famous story tells of St George, the dragonslayer. In a typical plotline, a dragon was terrorizing a village, breathing fire on people and farm animals. The villagers decided to sacrifice one sheep each day to the dragon, to keep him happy, but eventually, they ran out of sheep. Next, they started choosing a child at random each day to give to the dragon. One day, the king’s daughter was selected to be that child. Lucky for her, St George was passing through town that day, and was horrified to learn what was happening. He offered to slay the dragon so that no more children would need to be sacrificed. As he struggled against the dragon, he noticed a weak spot in its armor. He plunged his sword into this spot, under the dragon’s arm, and killed him, saving the princess. 

This story was probably made up by Christian soldiers called crusaders long after the real St George was dead. It’s very similar to other dragon stories of the middle ages, and dragon tales were very popular at the time. They were on coats of arms for many kingdoms and countries, banners, and coins, as a symbol of strength. And some people believed they were real for a long time: a scientist from the 17th century describes dragons winging throughout Africa, bludgeoning other large animals to death with their tails. My guess is that this guy never actually went to Africa, just like Philostratus probably never traveled to India. 

The dragons of Chinese folklore are a bit different from European dragons. Though they are fierce and magical, Chinese dragons, called “lung”, are benevolent and helpful. These four-legged creatures with scales, horns, claws, and fiery eyes, lived near water, such as streams, rivers, and oceans. In fact, lungs were originally divine beings who controlled water and rainfall. 

Other accounts from Chinese authors talk about four types of dragons. The Celestial Dragon, Tianlung, guards the home of the gods in heaven. You can see Tianlung as a group of stars coiled around the north star at night. In the west, this constellation is known as Draco, which also means dragon. Then there are the Dragons of Hidden Treasure, who guard buried treasures, creating volcanic eruptions when they burst out of their underground lairs. The Earth Dragon controls waterways, while the Spiritual dragon controls rain and winds. The Earth and Spiritual dragons were especially popular. In later folklore they morphed into “Dragon Kings” who lived in the oceans, sending rain, and protecting ships at sea. 

Modern Dragons

In modern times, dragons have remained very popular. You can still see an ancient ritual in many places around the world where people hold Chinese New Year’s parades: the dragon dance. People line up, holding a colorful and elaborate dragon costume above them as they wind and dance their way along the parade route. 

Many books, movies, and comics also feature dragons. Maybe you’ve read The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien, where Bilbo Baggins helps defeat the dragon Smaug, in a way very similar to St George; or the Chronicles of Narnia, where a character learns an important lesson when he is accidentally transformed into a dragon. More recently, series like Tui Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series and How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell, put a more modern spin on traditional dragon lore. The dragons in these series may look like medieval European dragons, but they aren’t all evil. Wings of Fire has dragons from different tribes, each with its own customs and powers, learning to cooperate, overcome their fears, and solve big problems. How to Train your Dragon follows a Viking boy and his dragon as they team up to overcome challenges, with plenty of silliness along the way. 

If you were making up your own version of a dragon, what would it be like? Helpful and benevolent, like the lung from ancient China? A fire-breathing terror who guards a treasure hoard, like the ones from medieval Europe? Or one of the more modern versions? What magical powers does it have? So many people throughout the ages have imagined different versions of these fascinating creatures. As you go to sleep tonight, try to imagine what your dragon-friend would be like!

Sources

https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/dragons/european-dragons

https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/dragons/natural-history-of-dragons

https://www.britannica.com/event/Crusades

https://www.britannica.com/topic/long

https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/draco-constellation/

https://www.livius.org/sources/content/philostratus-life-of-apollonius/philostratus-life-of-apollonius-3.6-10/

https://www.stgeorgessociety.org/news/2018/3/30/saint-george-the-man-the-myth-the-legend

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dragons_in_mythology_and_folklore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%81ga

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Close your eyes and imagine you step into the basket of a hot-air balloon. You grab the sides of the basket tight as the flame ignites, adding gas to the gigantic red balloon above you. The basket lifts off the ground and suddenly you’re floating in the air, moving higher and higher into the sky. You look down below at the field and trees which have become very small. Soon, you are rushing across the countryside and passing villages and farmland and then crossing over a wide river and then a city. You pass over an ancient castle and then the ocean, traveling further and further from home, then across countries, around and around the world. This is what it might have felt like to be Phileas Fogg, the main character in Jules Verne’s famous novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. Listen closely as we learn about the life of this visionary author who took his readers around the world, below the oceans, and into the earth with his fantastic and educational tales that defined the genre which became known as “science fiction.” 

Jules Verne was born on February 8th, 1828 in Nantes, France. The home they lived in was built on an island in the middle of the river! From their home, Jules loved watching ships arrive from all over the world with passengers and goods to trade in France. He imagined what it would be like to be on the ships, climb up their tall masts, and be sailing around the world on adventures.

When Jules and his brother, Paul, were old enough they attended a boarding school. A boarding school is a place where kids go to school and live. There he learned to write and write and do math. While they weren’t at school, Jules and Paul loved to play in the field and dream about adventures they might one day go on together. One of Jule’s favorite books was called Robinson Crusoe about a man who is shipwrecked and has to survive on an island by himself for many years. It was an adventure story and Jules thought about the kind of adventures he might write about someday, too.

Later more siblings joined their family, 3 sisters, and their family moved to a larger home. They attended school and while Jules struggled with many of the subjects he did like writing. Also, his father wanted him to become a lawyer like he was, but Jules wasn’t sure that’s what he wanted to do with his life. But as he grew older, Jules followed his father’s advice and went to school to become a lawyer. He moved to Paris with a friend and loved living in a big city with all of the sights, sounds, and commotion. He spent his free time writing poems, plays, and songs. His father wanted him to focus on school, but Jules loved writing too much to take his advice. In Paris, Jules met famous writers such as Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas who had written books like The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. At the time, Paris was the perfect place to live for someone who wanted to become a writer and learn from other great authors.

Living in Paris, Jules wrote his first play which became a live performance, and his first story was published in a local newspaper. The story was about a hot air balloon adventure. Airplanes weren’t invented yet, but hot air balloons were a popular form of travel and entertainment. Like ships, they filled Jules with wonder at the places they might take him someday and the adventures they might take people in his stories.

But, sadly, his father wasn’t happy with the success of his stories and plays. He told Jules he would stop sending him money and he had to come home and take over his business as a lawyer. By this time, Jules had made up his mind about what he wanted to do with his life. He told his father he would stay in Paris and do whatever he could to make a living as a writer. It was a risk he’d have to take, no longer receiving his father’s money, but writing was his passion so he stayed in Paris to fulfill that dream.

There, he took any job he could to make a living and spent most of his time continuing to write. Eventually, he met a woman named Honorine and they married and had two daughters. Jules was happy with his new family and writing in his free time. 

In 1859, Jules got his first chance to travel beyond France. He and a friend took a ship to England and Scotland. There, he saw many of the places he’d only read about as a child in books: castles, ruins, and huge mountain ranges. As they explored these wondrous places, his travels began to fill him with fresh ideas about how they might be used in the adventure stories he’d dreamed about writing since he was a child.

Sure enough, Jules’ travels inspired him to write his first novel in 1863 about a hot-air balloon adventure over Africa called Five Weeks in a Balloon. At first, it didn’t sell, but not long after a giant balloon was launched in France and people became excited about the idea of hot-air balloons and bought Jule’s book. Jules’ stories were different because they combined adventure with science and the many other advances in engineering that were taking place at this time. He lived in a time of many new inventions and scientific discoveries which included steam power and flight. Many new places like Africa were also being discovered around the world. It was an exciting time to live and Jules wanted to capture that sense of wonder and excitement in his novels. Little did he know, he was helping create a new category of writing called “science fiction.”

Jules’ publisher saw with how the world was changing, people would love these “science fiction” stories – even though they didn’t call them that at the time. He agreed to continue to publish each chapter of Jules’ stories in his magazine. Once the book was finished, it would be bound into a single copy for people to buy and read.

Jules began working on what became one of his most famous novels of all time. In the story, a professor and his nephew discover a volcano and Iceland and believe that if they can climb down into it they will find a path to the center of the earth! They travel far below the earth’s surface through caves and an underground river where they discover a huge cavern, fossils, and an underground sea. There they see fish, reptiles, and other mammals from the age of the dinosaurs. It became a chance to introduce readers to prehistoric life on earth as they imagined these now-extinct creatures living and battling in these caverns at the center of the earth. Of course, this story was fiction or made up, but it included many truths about living things and actual places like Iceland and volcanoes. If you’ve ever read science fiction, it’s made up but there are interesting things it can teach you about the world around you and science.

When Jules’ book was released in 1864, Journey to the Center of the Earth, was a huge success. People loved going on adventures through his characters and learning about new places and subjects like geography, geology, and the history of life on earth.

His following novels continued to mix exploration, science, and adventure. One was called From the Earth to the Moon about a group of soldiers who decided to use a huge cannon to launch one of them in a missile to the moon! Even though the book was written in the 1800s, it was thinking ahead about the big ideas like space travel and a real moon mission which wouldn’t happen until around 100 years later.

Although he was writing fiction, Jules Verne continued to be interested in science and innovation. He read papers about new scientific discoveries and met with scientists and great thinkers who lived in France and Europe. Every year he also spent time traveling to new places to be inspired by the world around him. In 1867 he traveled to the United States in a massive steamship and visited famous sites. He took notes about the places he visited, things he saw, and people he met. His travels and research gave him new ideas about what to write in his fantastic stories.

And he would need all the inspiration he could get because Jules had started on his most famous novel yet. Going back to his childhood, it included his dreams about ships and the vastness of the sea. This story would be about a massive submarine called the Nautilus. The Nautilus wasn’t like an ordinary submarine at the time, small and cramped. Instead, the inside was large and spacious, and richly designed. It was the home of its pilot, an adventurer named Captain Nemo. There, Nemo had a full library, an organ, a big bedroom, and an office. And on the Nautilus, Nemo and his crew traveled around the world visiting places like the North Pole and coral reefs. They even battle a giant squid! The book was later called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and became an instant success. In it, Jules Verne took readers deep below the sea where they not only learned about the oceans of the world and exotic sea life, but also the mechanics of a fantastic submarine, which was powered by electricity – still a very new idea and invention at the time! 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea eventually became Jules most popular book and in 1916 was made into a movie then later in 1954 by Walt Disney, along with later film adaptations.

Jules’ next book was also a big success. It was called Around the World in Eighty Days about an Englishman named Phileas Fogg who accepts a bet that in a hot air balloon he can circle the world in … you guessed it … 80 days! During the book, they visit new places across the globe, another chance for Jules to teach his readers about all of the amazing places he’s visited and see the wonder of the wider world through his eyes. It was also turned into a play and later a movie in 1956 and even won an Academy Award for best picture.

With the great success of his books, Jules became very wealthy. He built his family a large home in Amiens and a yacht he used to sail to exotic places across the world. He was treated as a celebrity wherever he visited. At home, he threw large parties for friends, family, and the people of Amiens. He joined the town council and used his money to take care of people around him who were poor. Also, later in life he and his father became close again, and he accepted the fact that he decided to become an author rather than a lawyer. His father was proud of what his son had accomplished. 

Jules Verne spent the rest of his life with his family in his home in Amiens where he consistently wrote around 2 novels a year later into his life. On March 24, 1905, Jules passed away at his home. His son went on to publish some of his other stories and add to them himself. Many of his books have been translated into at least 140 different languages and inspired many famous science fiction writers. Being one of the earliest authors to combine science, adventure, and technology, he has often been called “the father of science fiction” as one of the founders of the genre. Many great explorers and engineers also said reading Jules Verne’s books when they were young inspired them to dream big and accomplish great things in their life. These include Werner Von Braun, the rocket scientist and the astronomer Edward Hubble.

Take a moment to think about something you are curious about. What are you interested in? Like you, Jules Verne had many things he was curious about as a child. He loved big ships and the ocean. Now, what can you do next to learn more about the things you are curious about? You might go to the library or find a good book about that topic another way. There are lots of educational videos online, too. Like Jules Verne, you can take something you are curious about and learn more. Maybe you can even write a story about it like Jules did! Remember, all big things have small beginnings!

The post History of Jules Verne for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Imagine your dad or mom has just told you a magical story about a kind giant who brings pleasant dreams to children. As you close your eyes, you think about the giant–what he might look like, what you would do if you met him. Just then, you hear a gentle tapping on your open window, and a bamboo pole pokes through! A puff of air whiffs out of the tube in your direction. This is like the story you just heard! You wonder with excitement if it’s the friendly giant, blowing sweet dreams into your room. 

When Lucy Dahl was a little girl, this very thing happened to her. As a grown-up, she told a TV interviewer about it. Lucy’s father, Roald Dahl, told her the story of the big, friendly giant who puffed sweet dreams into the minds of children as they dropped off to sleep. He wrote that story, The BFG, and many others, as one of the most famous children’s authors of the twentieth century. Lucy and her siblings were lucky enough to hear many of his tales as bedtime stories.

Born in 1916, both of Roald’s parents were from Norway. They spoke Norwegian at home, and his mother told him Norwegian fairy tales as a child. They even named him after a famous Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundson, who was the first person to reach the South Pole. But his father, Harald, was convinced that England had the best schools in the world, and so that is where they lived. Harald was wealthy due to his work in the shipping industry, and the family lived in a very large house in Wales, which is in the southern part of the island of Great Britain. 

Despite the family’s wealth, Dahl’s childhood was sad at times. His older sister died of an infection when he was three, and his father passed away from an illness only a few weeks later.  This left his mother, Sophie, suddenly alone to raise 6 children, but she decided to stay in England so her children could attend school there, as Harald had wished. 

Unfortunately, some of the schools Roald attended were not quite what a loving parent would hope for. Roald loved to pull pranks, which didn’t go over so well with his elementary school’s headmaster. Once, he put a dead mouse in a jar of gobstoppers at a local candy shop. He and his friends thought the owner was mean-spirited and grumpy, and that may have been true, but the dead mouse may have taken things too far. The owner went to the headmaster of the school to complain. But what happened next should never have happened. The headmaster definitely took things too far: he punished Roald and his friends by hitting them!

Fortunately, Roald’s mother Sophie was a loving parent. She didn’t approve of the headmaster hitting her son, even though it was legal back then, and she told him so. She also took Roald out of that school and sent him to a boarding school–that is, where the students actually live at the school–the next year. 

Although Sophie wanted to improve her son’s situation, the boarding school was no better. Roald was watched over by another strict and cruel headmaster, and most of the other adults at the school, from the teachers to the nurse and dorm supervisor, followed his example. Roald wrote to his mother every week, but because the headmaster read the letters, he never wrote anything bad about the school. 

Though his school experiences were pretty awful on the whole, Roald did have happy times during his childhood. At one school, the students got to “test” Cadbury chocolates that the company provided. Roald dreamed of working in a candy lab, where he would invent a new candy that would impress Mr. Cadbury himself. Maybe this reminds you a little of Dahl’s book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! 

Summers were another happy time for Roald. His family spent every summer in Norway, where they would visit with his grandparents and share a huge feast, then vacation on a remote island. There, they would fish, boat, swim, and relax as a family.  

When he finished school, Roald didn’t want to continue on and go to college–understandable given how terrible his experiences with school had been so far. Instead, he wanted to travel the world. He found a job with the Shell Oil Company that took him to live in Tanzania. 

When World War II started, Roald joined the Royal Air Force to train as a fighter pilot. His service took him to many more countries: Iraq, Egypt, and Greece among them. But in September of 1940, something terrible happened: Dahl crashed his plane in the Egyptian desert. He managed to crawl away from the wreckage, but his skull was fractured and he had been blinded. He was rescued and taken to a hospital, where he slowly recovered and his eyesight returned. He was released from the hospital in February 1941. 

The air force returned Dahl to flying planes. They sent him to fight in Greece, where he took part in the Battle of Athens. He described fighting in these aerial battles as “an endless blur of enemy fighters whizzing towards me from every side”.  Can you imagine being in a tiny airplane, with lots of other planes swooping and buzzing past you? 

Soon after his time in Greece, Dahl began having headaches and blackouts related to injuries from the crash. This time, the air force sent him back home to England. He couldn’t fly a plane when he might suddenly get a terrible headache or lose consciousness. He took a diplomatic job for the British in the US but didn’t like it. The work felt unimportant after fighting in the war.

But one thing did happen while Dahl was working in Washington DC that would change his life, and the lives of millions of young readers, forever. Dahl met a famous novelist named CS Forester. Forester asked Dahl to write about some of his war experiences, which Forester planned to turn into a story for the magazine The Saturday Evening Post. So Dahl wrote down his adventures as a fighter pilot. When Forester got Dahl’s version of the story, he liked it so much, he decided to publish it just as Dahl had written it, instead of rewriting it himself. Without really trying, Roald Dahl was suddenly a writer!

Dahl would go on to do all kinds of writing. He wrote short stories for grown-ups, some of which were turned into television shows. He wrote scripts for two movies. One of these was the children’s movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, about a family’s special car. You might be surprised to learn that the other was actually for the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice! 

But of course, Dahl is best known for his beloved children’s books. If you’ve read them (and I do recommend you read them), you know that his books are wildly imaginative, funny, exciting, and sometimes a little scary. 

Many of Dahl’s children’s books started out as stories he made up and told his own children when they were young. These stories were full of magic and whimsy, like a fantastic chocolate factory, giants who bring dreams to children, gnome-like creatures who live in trees, and a giant peach that carries a boy and his insect friends across the ocean. Roald was inspired by the English countryside around his home, by the Norwegian fairy tales his mother told him, and by people he’d met over the years. The hero of his books is almost always a child. Usually, they have to face adults who are unfair, even cruel. But of course, the child wins in the end by using their intelligence, imagination, and kindness. There’s always at least one adult who is kind and who is on the child’s side, though often it’s the child who helps this grown-up with their problems, instead of the other way around! 

Does this sound a little like Dahl was recalling his own childhood? Like his characters, he had to face some scary and unfair grown-ups, though he also had his kind and loving mother to come home to. He enjoyed having fun and playing pranks, just like many of the children in his books, and just like them, he was strong enough to get through these tough situations.

Millions of Dahl’s books are still sold every year. Many have been made into films over the years, including Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach  and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was made into a film twice!  Matilda was also turned into a Broadway musical. Every year on his birthday, September 13th, fans around the world celebrate Roald Dahl Day by dressing up as characters from his books, throwing parties, and putting on performances inspired by his writing. 

Roald Dahl faced many hard situations in his life, but always kept his sense of humor and wonder. Sometimes, reading about someone who overcomes a scary situation can help us face our own challenges in real life. Whether it’s performing on stage, jumping off the diving board, or going to a new school, new experiences can be both exciting and scary. As Dahl put it, “Most of the really exciting things we do in our lives scare us to death. They wouldn’t be exciting if they didn’t.” Dahl knew that sometimes, life throws up challenges, but that there was also magic and wonder in it. It’s important to keep looking for the magic, even when the world seems ugly and dark. Again, Dahl himself put it best: “watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” And just like the children in Dahl’s books, you can get through hard situations, and you can find those unlikely places where beautiful things await you.

Sources

https://www.thebookseller.com/insight/eight-facts-about-roald-dahls-books-364066

https://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl

https://www.roalddahl.com/create-and-learn/join-in/roald-dahl-day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl

Interview with Lucy Dahl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvd_JiNXdz4&t=1s

Dahl, Roald, 1984. Boy: Tales of Childhood. Puffin Books, New York.

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Do you ever imagine your own worlds, where you meet strange creatures, fight goblins, or go on heroic quests? Maybe you’ve given your world a name, drawn maps of it, named and drawn the creatures who live there or even invented languages spoken there. Maybe you’ve even made up stories about your world. It can be fun to create fantasy worlds that are all your own, whether in your head or on the page. 

If you’ve ever let your imagination run wild, you’ll understand why an invented world became such an obsession for John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, better known as JRR Tolkien. He was the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books. Maybe you’ve read these, or seen the stunning movies that were based on them. Tolkien creates a whole new world called Middle Earth, alive with many fantastical creatures such as elves, wizards, goblins, dwarves, giant spiders … and tiny people called hobbits.  

JRR Tolkien was known as Ronald to his friends and family. He was born in 1892 in South Africa, where his father worked at a British bank. Ronald didn’t remember much from his time in South Africa, because he didn’t live there for long. One of his few memories of South Africa was being bitten by a large spider in his family’s garden. This may have inspired the giant spiders he included in his books later in life.

Sadly though, Ronald’s father passed away when he was four, and his mother moved with him and his brother back to England. There, they lived near his mother’s family, near the city of Birmingham. Mabel taught her boys at home for a time, and Ronald showed an early fascination with languages. When they moved to Birmingham itself, their house backed up to a railroad, where he would study the Welsh writing on the passing train cars. His mother taught him Latin at a young age as well.  

When Ronald was eight, his mother converted to Catholicism. Her family was against this change and stopped talking to her and her sons. Things became even worse in a few years when Mabel became sick and passed away. Fortunately, a local priest, Father Morgan had become a good friend and supporter of the family, and he took care of Ronald and Hilary.  Father Morgan arranged for the boys to live at a boarding house and go to school. Ronald would later say of Father Morgan “I first learned charity and forgiveness from him.”

As a teenager, Ronald spent much of his time learning languages. He studied Latin, Greek, Finnish, and Gothic. Gothic is a language that, like Latin, is no longer spoken, but it was spoken in Germany a very long time ago. Over his lifetime, he would learn about 35 different real languages! I say “real languages”, because as a teenager, Ronald also began making up his own languages.  Many of his constructed languages were inspired by the real languages he spent so much time studying. He invented many languages, though the most well-known are the languages of the Elves in Lord of the Rings. If you watch the Lord of the Rings movies closely, you can see examples of writing in these languages, and hear them spoken at times. These were languages created by Tolkien. 

Around the same time, he began inventing languages, Ronald and his school friends formed a club called the Tea Club and Barrovian Society. The  “Barrovian” part was after Barrows Store, a department store where they went to drink tea and hold their meetings. The friends would share stories they’d written. These friends would keep in touch for many years, and the special bonds of friendship come up again and again in his later writing.  It was the first of several special groups of friends and writers that Ronald would join. If you’ve read the Lord of the Rings, just think about the special friendships between the members of the Fellowship of the Ring!

When he was 16, Ronald met Edith Bratt. The two became close friends and began to fall in love. However, Father Morgan didn’t approve of the relationship and forbade Ronald from seeing, talking, or writing to Edith until he was 21. He didn’t like that she was Protestant (not Catholic) and that she was older than him.

Ronald respected his old priest’s wishes, even though it made him very unhappy. But, on his 21st birthday, he wrote Edith a letter saying he still loved her and asking her to marry him. It was almost too late! Edith had just gotten engaged to someone else because she thought Ronald no longer felt anything for her. But his letter changed everything: she quickly decided to marry Ronald instead. Later, Ronald would write a love story set in Middle Earth, in which he was a mortal man named Beren who married Edith, who was an elf named Luthien.

But before the couple could marry, the history of the real world would change in a dramatic way. World War I started in 1914, the biggest war the world had ever seen. Young men like Ronald were expected to become soldiers and fight for their country. For a while, Ronald delayed enlisting in the army in order to finish school, but in the summer of 1915, he had to enlist. For nearly a year, he trained in England and remained close to Edith. They married in March of 1916, during his training. 

But when training was over, Ronald had to leave England and Edith. This was very difficult, as both of them worried that Ronald might not return from the war. The military sent him to France, just as one of the longest and most terrible battles of the war was starting. This was called The Battle of the Somme (Som). And Ronald was sent directly into the heart of the battle. Life in the middle of this battle was chaotic and scary. The soldiers dug huge trenches in order to protect themselves. There they basically lived underground in dark, muddy, cramped spaces to protect themselves from enemy gunfire and poison gases. The Battle of the Somme dragged on for months. Many soldiers died, and many others got sick in the filthy conditions of the trenches.

Ronald was luckier than other soldiers: he got sick and had to go to the hospital. Sadly many of his friends from school didn’t survive the war. Ronald spent the rest of the war in and out of hospitals, too weak to fight. But his experiences in battle did influence his writing: during his time in the war, he began writing stories of the wars and battles of Middle Earth, which were dark and scary just like his time during World War I.

After the war, J.R.R Tolkien worked as a professor and eventually settled at Oxford University. At Oxford, he again formed a group of friends who enjoyed talking about writing, philosophy, and literature. They called themselves “The Inklings.” Tolkien and the other writers would share their work with the group. Not all of the Inklings were writers, but JRR Tolkien wasn’t the only famous author. C.S. Lewis, who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, was also part of the Inklings and a close friend of Tolkien! 

Over time, Tolkien and Edith’s family grew to include three sons and one daughter. Tolkien kept adding to the legends of Middle Earth, but now he began to tell these stories to his own children at bedtime. These bedtime stories grew into the book The Hobbit, published in 1937. As you may know, a hobbit is a tiny person he invented, about three feet tall, with large hairy feet, who lives in a hole in the side of a hill. The story follows the unlikely hero, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, as he sets off with a group of dwarves on a quest to find stolen treasure guarded by a ferocious dragon. The group doesn’t trust each other at first, but as they help each other through countless perils, adventures, and battles, they develop a strong friendship. 

When the book The Hobbit was published it was a great success. Tolkien’s publisher asked for a sequel. He agreed and began writing The Lord of the Rings. It took him 16 years to complete, and instead of one book, it was published as three. The books tell the story of a different hobbit, Frodo Baggins, who must destroy a powerful ring that threatens to destroy Middle Earth. Along the way, he joins with dwarves, elves, men, and a future king to move the ring across the map all while an epic battle between good and evil plays out across Middle Earth. The dark Lord Sauron has been building his forces of orcs and other dark creatures to steal back the ring so he can rule all races and have ultimate power. 

Not only did Tolkien tell the amazing, epic story, he also drew maps of Middle Earth and wrote parts of the text in Elvish and other languages he invented. These details helped readers enter the world of Middle Earth and feel like it was a real place. Readers loved it, but the books became even more successful when they were released in the United States a few years later.

Tolkien’s books triggered a new obsession with all kinds of fantasy literature. Readers were inspired to write similar stories or make fantasy films or games. Many of the popular fantasy books over the years have been influenced by Tolkien’s stories of wizards, dwarves, elves, and magic. After Tolkien passed away, his son Christopher continued to publish his stories about Middle Earth, so people could read more about the amazing world he’d imagined. 

Starting in 2001, Tolkien’s books were turned into several popular films, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies directed by Peter Jackson. The films were a huge hit, some of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and the 3rd movie, The Return of the King won several Academy Awards including best picture and best director. The trilogies introduced Tolkein’s books to a whole new generation of fans.

All this happened because one person couldn’t stop thinking about his invented world. JRR Tolkien used his imagination to explore all the possibilities of this world–its people, landscapes, creatures, and languages and kept exploring even when he was a grown-up. 

I hope learning about Tolkien’s life inspires you to imagine new worlds and new adventures, but if you need more inspiration, I definitely recommend reading his books! The Hobbit is a great place to start. If you could invent your own imagined world, what would it look like? Would it be science fiction or fantasy? What would the characters be like? What would be their superpowers? In what kind of places would they live? It’s fun to exercise your creative powers and imagination to build entirely new worlds.

Sources

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/battle-of-the-somme

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/03/31/books-bcst-question-tolkien-languages

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beren_and_L%C3%BAthien

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quenya

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Have you ever noticed how different music can make you feel different things? Some music makes you feel joyful and energetic, like you need to get up and dance. Some can make you feel sad, even make you cry. Other music might make you feel calm or hopeful. Music can remind you of things that happened a long time ago, or of people you love, and make you feel like they’re right there. But for some people, music doesn’t just change the way they feel. It changes their entire life.

Louis Armstrong didn’t start out with many advantages in life. Born in 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana, his family was extremely poor and their neighborhood was so dangerous, it was nicknamed “the Battlefield.” His father left the family when he was a baby. At different times, Louis lived with his mother and grandmother, and had to support his family by doing odd jobs even as a small child. 

But, Louis did have something special. He had a horn and a voice, and he could make music with both.  He would often hear jazz music coming from the clubs and dance halls of New Orleans. He learned to sing some of the songs that wafted out into the warm night air, and even play some of them on a beat-up old tin horn.

As a child, he organized a quartet with his friends and sang on street corners for coins. Some people think this is how he got the nickname Satchmo, which would stay with him all his life. The story goes that when passersby tossed coins on the sidewalk, Louis would snatch them up and put them in his cheeks so that the older boys couldn’t steal them. He was using his mouth like a satchel or bag, which led his friends to start calling him “Satchel Mouth,” then Satchmo for short. 

There are many stories about how Louis got his first real horn, many of which he told himself! One of the best known involves a family he worked for. At age 7, Louis went to work for the Karofskys, a Jewish family from Lithuania who ran a junkyard. The Karnofsky family treated Louis like family, sharing meals with him and treating him with kindness. Louis helped them deliver coal and collect junk. Sometimes, he would play his tin horn to attract business. Even though Louis managed to get tunes out of this horn, it was really just a toy.  He longed for a real horn.

Knowing how much Louis loved to play, the Karnofskys lent him money to buy his first real cornet, which is like a smaller version of a trumpet. For the rest of his life, Louis wore a Star of David, a Jewish symbol, on a necklace in honor of the family. 

Unfortunately, getting the cornet wasn’t quite a ticket out of Louis’s hard life. When he was 12, Louis took out his stepfather’s gun on New Year’s Eve, and shot it into the air. This was a common thing to do at celebrations in the past. No one was hurt, but Louis was arrested. He was sentenced to spend two years in the Waif’s Home for Boys. “Waif” is an old-fashioned word for a child who was unhealthy or uncared for. But the home was closer to being a prison than a real home. There were no mattresses to sleep on, meals were usually bread and molasses, and discipline was harsh. 

But, there was one good thing. There was music. There was a band, and a music teacher, Peter Davis, who came every week to teach music and conduct rehearsals. Davis taught Louis to play cornet, and then trumpet. Eventually, he made Louis the band’s leader. 

Louis was released from the Waifs’ Home after two years. He could play very well now, and he started performing in clubs and on riverboats as part of a band. He got to meet other musicians, including Joe Oliver, often called “King” Oliver. King Oliver was the best cornet players in New Orleans, and Louis idolized him. He began to take lessons with Oliver.

In 1922, Oliver asked Louis to join his band, the Creole Jazz. Band. They set off for Chicago, where they performed in clubs and made records. By now, Louis was becoming famous in his own right, and left Oliver’s band in 1924 in search of new opportunities. He moved to New York City. There he worked with many of the most famous jazz musicians of the time, and formed his own band, “The Hot Five” within a few years. 

Along the way, Louis developed his own unique style of playing and singing. At the time, most jazz was played in groups, but Louis would improvise amazing solos in the middle of his songs. Improvising means to make up something as you go along, and it isn’t easy to do it well, but Louis was one of the best. This is part of what made his music so new and exciting to listen to, and it would change jazz forever. 

Louis also continued to sing in addition to playing the horn. He became known for his unusual singing voice, which was deep and gravelly.   He was one of first performers to popularize scat singing, in his 1920s hit “Heebie Jeebies.” This technique involved singing improvised made-up syllables, like dee-dop-a-dee-ya, and would become very common in jazz.

In 1943, Louis moved back to New York and settled in Queens with his wife Lucille. He would live there for the rest of his life. But even though he had settled in one city, Louis’s career was far from winding down. He continued recording, performing, and making movies for nearly three more decades. Sometimes, he would play more than 300 shows per year. He was internationally famous by this time, and popular with both black and white audiences at a time when much of the United States was still segregated by race.  

Actually, some civil rights activists were critical of Louis because they thought he wasn’t a strong enough supporter of civil rights for black Americans. Louis didn’t like to get involved in politics though, and tried to keep a positive, happy outlook on life. But he understood that big changes needed to happen. He did eventually speak out against how the government handled school integration, saying that it hadn’t done enough to protect black students trying to go to schools that had previously been all-white. 

Louis’s career kept him busy throughout the 1950s and ‘60s. His single “Hello Dolly”, recorded in 1964, pushed the Beatles out of the number one spot on the Hot 100 chart, where they’d been for weeks. It was the best selling record of his career. He made more than thirty movies, with people like Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Barbara Streisand, and worked with many famous jazz musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby. 

Even though he loved playing music, the trumpet can be hard on a player’s mouth. Louis developed health problems, some of which were related to his playing, when he was in his 60s. He had to quit playing altogether at times. He always went back to his horn though. The last time he went against the advice of his doctors, he said, “My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn.” 

That was in 1971, and Louis’s health was deteriorating. He played his last concert just a few months before he passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Louis recorded his last major hit single, “What a Wonderful World,” in 1967. If you know one Louis Armstrong song it’s probably this one. In it, he sings about all the beautiful things in this world: trees of green, rainbows, blue skies, and friends. He ends by singing:

I hear babies cry

I watch them grow

They’ll learn much more

Than I’ll never know

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world 

I don’t know about you, but this song–and Louis’s story–make me feel hopeful. Louis Armstrong started his life having almost nothing, and lived through a lot of hardship early on. But he found something–music–that he excelled at and that he loved doing. Louis shared his gifts with everyone. He entertained the rich and famous, but also played his horn for neighborhood kids on the stoop of his house in New York.  His contributions to jazz changed music forever. Just as important, his music inspired millions of people around the world to see just what a wonderful world it is. 

Sources

https://www.biography.com/musician/louis-armstrong

https://www.commentary.org/articles/terry-teachout/satchmo-and-the-jews/

https://www.larmstrongsoc.org/quotes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong

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