South African writes best world children’s book
South African author Anita Pouroulis has scooped the Best World Children’s Book Award at the China Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) in Shanghai on 9 November.Anita’s books are a hit with children around the world. (Image: Anita Pouroulis, Facebook)Aneshree NaidooGood children’s books share qualities with good adult novels, according to Australian teacher Rosie Charles.“Quality writing is never boring,” she says on School A to Z, an Australian education website. “Good children’s books, no matter how simple or complex, have a sense of joy. They can make us laugh and cry. Regardless of how young, readers need strong characters who they can relate to and care about.”In writing just such a book, South African author Anita Pouroulis has scooped the Best World Children’s Book Award at the China Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) in Shanghai on 9 November. The fair’s Golden Pinwheel Best Children’s Book Awards are divided into two categories: China Original Children’s Book Award for books originally published in China, and International Original Picture Book Award for books published in any country including China. Pouroulis’s Oh, What a Tangle!, illustrated by Monika Filipina Trzpil, was voted Best International Children’s book.“The Shanghai jury explained that their decision was based on what they felt represented excellence in children’s storytelling,” said her publishers, Digital Leaf.Anita Pouroulis lives in Spain with her family. (Image: Fundaciotrams.org)Oh, What a Tangle! tells the tale of Kiki, who’s too busy having fun to brush her hair. Her adventures truly begin when a family of birds nests in her tangled tresses. Pouroulis says her daughter, who “refused to brush her hair for many years”, was the inspiration for the book. “Having been surrounded by children most of my life, since I was a school teacher for many years, then a mother, I would say that all the children I have known have most certainly given me a rich repertoire of personalities to draw from.”Published in the United Kingdom in 2012, Oh, What A Tangle!, was voted on to The Guardian website’s Family Favourites list by its readers, who praised it as “elegantly written”. And popular books blog The Bookbag called it “wonderfully funny”.About the Golden Pinwheel award, Pouroulis, who now lives in Spain, says: “I feel surprised… and quite delighted.” Oh, What a Tangle! is Pouroulis’s fourth book. It was published in South Africa earlier this year. A former primary school teacher, she left the classroom to begin her writing career at Blush, a local teen magazine that is no longer published.She holds a bachelor’s degree in primary education from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where she was born, and a second degree in psychology. As a teacher, she read “every single book in the libraries of the schools in which I taught”. She says: “I’ve always wanted to write books. As a child I would write countless stories in my old school exercise books. I just wish I could find them all!”And all she needs to write her best is “a cup of good, strong tea and some Ouma rusks”. Pouroulis has an “eclectic” taste when it comes to reading. Having loved Enid Blyton as a child and critically acclaimed writer Judy Blume as a teenager, she now counts South African author Jenny Hobbs among her favourites. Pouroulis also paints and draws, and plans to illustrate her next book. When she isn’t writing, she’s painting, or “being a mom”.Why children should readReading is often brought up in informal conversations on and research into childhood development and learning, and many authors and academics have weighed in on its benefits, specifically focusing on children’s literature. Asked once how to make children intelligent, Albert Einstein replied: “If you want your children to be intelligent read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”Charles adds that good books teach children things subtly while still telling a great story. A US education website says reading helps children gain new vocabulary, empathise with others’ feelings and problems, develop an interest in new subjects and hobbies, understand the heritage of their own and other cultures, stimulate cognitive development, stimulate and expand their imaginations, and stretch their attention spans.Building empathyCelebrated young adult and adult fantasy author, Neil Gaiman, agrees that reading fosters empathy, and says: “Empathy is a tool for building people into groups, for allowing us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals.” Yet he also takes a slightly different view of the importance of children’s literature: “I don’t think there is such a thing as a bad book for children.”Speaking at a Reading Agency lecture in 2012, hosted at London’s Barbican, Gaiman said: “Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child’s love of reading: stop them reading what they enjoy, or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like, the 21st-century equivalents of Victorian ‘improving’ literature. You’ll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and worse, unpleasant.”Pouroulis says she encouraged her “reluctant reader” daughter by reading to her at bedtimes: “When a child is tired and comfortable in layers of bed linen, there’s nothing better than having a story read out loud by a parent. With my daughter, her interest in books was roused by our bedtime reading ritual, and she now reads herself before going to sleep each night.”Gaiman is also a strong advocate of “escapist” fiction, saying it “opens a door, shows the sunlight outside, gives you a place to go where you are in control, are with people you want to be with (and books are real places, make no mistake about that); and more importantly, during your escape, books can also give you knowledge about the world and your predicament, give you weapons, give you armour: real things you can take back into your prison. Skills and knowledge and tools you can use to escape for real.”Pouroulis’s book is available in print, as an app and as an interactive iBook on Apple iTunes, Google Play and Amazon at £5.99 (R98.77) for the book and £1.99 (R32.81) on iTunes. It will also be translated into Spanish. She is working on a new series of children’s books, but hopes to dabble in teen fiction as well, saying: “As a teenager, I found novels relating to the teenage angst and dilemmas I was going through so inspirational and reassuring. I would love to give the same experience to a new generation of teen readers.”The Golden Pinwheel Best Children’s Book Awards were instituted to help stimulate advancement in a number of areas, including excellence in children’s publishing, reading among children, cultural diversity and international exchange. It also showcases leading children’s book publishers, the latest international children’s reading materials and aims to raise the overall quality of children’s reading materials, according to the CCBF website.This year, the fair ran from 7 to 9 November and featured children’s authors and illustrators from China and overseas. Children’s literature critics, early childhood education experts, and publishers, amongst others, selected the winners and presented the Golden Pinwheel Awards.Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See Using Brand South Africa material.
In one corner we have New Urbanism, an approach to urban planning that favors residential density and mixed use over suburban sprawl and dependence on the automobile. In the other corner is Landscape Urbanism, which sees suburban development not only as market-proven and integral to our way of life, but also as an opportunity to ecologically harmonize each community with its environment — in spite of suburbia’s reliance on the automobile.The New Urbanism has been around for about 30 years, and its theory has been applied to hundreds of projects, perhaps most famously to Seaside, a community on the Florida panhandle that began development in the early 1980s and now serves a substantial number of vacationers in addition to year-round residents. Landscape Urbanism has been gaining currency in many academic settings over the past decade, most notably at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, although, as a recent Boston Globe article on the two strategies points out, the theory has yet to be applied widely.Trading jabsThe relationship between New Urbanism and Landscape Urbanism factions is, apparently, robustly adversarial. The latter’s most prominent proponent, architect Charles Waldheim, who is chair of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, presents Landscape Urbanism as a vastly preferable – and decidedly more realistic – alternative to New Urbanism.“The overwhelming majority of discourse in urban planning and design has been biased, has been kind of prejudiced to the idea that Manhattan-ism is the most sustainable urban future,” Waldheim said recently. “On the one hand, we know that density addresses a number of issues, but on the other hand, as soon as you say, ‘Where does your milk come from?’ we have a whole different set of questions about sustainability.”Flag-bearers for New Urbanism, whose leaders include Andres Duany, an architect of the Seaside development, portray Landscape Urbanists as “lawn apologists,” a group of theorists who tout the virtues of automobile-based communities while sweetening their rhetoric with environmental catchphrases. (For another perspective on recent comments by Andres Duany, see “New Urbanist Andres Duany Lashes Out at LEED.”)Room for both approaches?A few readers responding to the Globe story write off the conflict as little more than an academic food fight. The reality is, though, that New Urbanism has been repeatedly put into practice and Landscape Urbanism likely will find its way into more than one community master plan – and both approaches will attract customers. Another, increasingly pressing reality is that if they expect their theories to prove and/or remain viable, both factions will have to focus more and more on better management of natural resources.Even Waldheim is acutely aware, for example, that reliance on the automobile – that lynchpin of suburbia that Landscape Urbanists refer to as automobility – is vulnerable to the onset of peak oil, after which the rate of oil extraction will soon begin an inexorable decline.“I think for many urban designers and planners, and many advocates of denser, more traditional urban form, there’s been a correlation that seems (to be) post-peak-oil is post-automobility,” Waldheim, in an interview conducted in 2008, said, adding that he and some of his colleagues expect that a set of carbon-neutral “bridging technologies” (presumably including electric cars) will keep automobility in the picture.And the green homebuilder’s role in all this? If these rivals practice what they preach, those who build energy efficient homes should find work in both types of development.
The U.P. police are yet to crack the case of murder of a bride early on Saturday morning near Meerut highway when she was on her way to her in-laws’ place along with the groom. Four teams of the crime branch and one of the local police have been formed to arrest those who killed Mehwish Parveen less than 800 metres away from the police station in the Daurala area of Meerut on Delhi-Dehradun highway.Meerut SSP Manzil Saini told the media that the police have registered a case of murder and loot against unidentified persons. “It seems to be a case of robbery…We are probing the matter. Three to four men are involved.” Mohammad Shahzeb, of Muzaffarnagar was returning home after marrying Parveen, of Dadri in Greater Noida. Car driver Omveer said the robbers overtook their car as they were crossing Mator village in Daurala on NH-58.
About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Brighton boss Potter proud of players in Aston Villa defeatby Paul Vegas6 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveBrighton boss Graham Potter was proud of his players following their last-gasp defeat to Aston Villa.The Seagulls fell to Matt Targett’s last-minute strike, with the hosts prevailing 2-1, and the head coach stressed how proud he was of the players having seen his side play for a large part of the contest with ten men.He said, “It’s tough to take because the players were amazing and gave me everything.“With 11 players we were really good and worthy of our lead – the sending off affects the game and we played for nearly an hour with a man less, while still contributing to the match. “We still attacked often, so it’s heartbreaking to lose with the last kick, but I’m really proud of the performance.”Despite being a man down, Potter’s men created chances throughout the match in the Midlands, and the boss discussed the attacking style his side continued to maintain. “We still looked to win the game and the best way of hanging onto something is to continue to be yourselves,” he continued. “We played through their defence numerous times and weren’t camped inside our own half trying to defend.“We were positive and that’s what makes it more difficult to take – the reaction of the fans afterwards showed that they saw the quality and courage, but the game can be cruel.” 
Facebook/Leah PaskeTravis Rudolph, a wide receiver for the Florida State Seminoles, made the day of a young fan and his mother.During a visit to a local middle school, Rudolph sat down to eat lunch with a student with autism, so that he wouldn’t have to eat alone.Leah Paske, the boy’s mother, received a picture of the gesture, and penned an amazingly heartwarming Facebook post thanking him. It is absolutely worth a read. The full text of the post:Several times lately I have tried to remember my time in middle school, did I like all my teachers, do I even remember them? Did I have many friends? Did I sit with anyone at lunch? Just how mean were kids really? I remember one kid on the bus called me “Tammy Fay Baker” bc I started awkwardly wearing eye liner in the sixth grade, I remember being tough and calling him a silly name back, but when he couldn’t see me anymore I cried. I do remember middle school being scary, and hard. Now that I have a child starting middle school, I have feelings of anxiety for him, and they can be overwhelming if I let them. Sometimes I’m grateful for his autism. That may sound like a terrible thing to say, but in some ways I think, I hope, it shields him. He doesn’t seem to notice when people stare at him when he flaps his hands. He doesn’t seem to notice that he doesn’t get invited to birthday parties anymore. And he doesn’t seem to mind if he eats lunch alone. It’s one of my daily questions for him. Was there a time today you felt sad? Who did you eat lunch with today? Sometimes the answer is a classmate, but most days it’s nobody. Those are the days I feel sad for him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He is a super sweet child, who always has a smile and hug for everyone he meets. A friend of mine sent this beautiful picture to me today and when I saw it with the caption “Travis Rudolph is eating lunch with your son” I replied “who is that?” He said “FSU football player”, then I had tears streaming down my face. Travis Rudolph, a wide receiver at Florida State, and several other FSU players visited my sons school today. I’m not sure what exactly made this incredibly kind man share a lunch table with my son, but I’m happy to say that it will not soon be forgotten. This is one day I didn’t have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes. Travis Rudolph thank you so much, you made this momma exceedingly happy, and have made us fans for life! #travisrudolph #gonoles#FSU #autismmom #fansforlifeRudolph was showed the post before practice, and his reaction was fantastic as well.Just spoke with #FSU WR Travis Rudolph. He told me he read the mother’s post before practice and that it nearly brought tears to his eyes.— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) August 30, 2016Travis Rudolph: “He’s a cool person, I’ll hang out with him any day. And for the mom, if he needs my (cell) number, he can get it.” #FSU— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) August 30, 2016Unfortunately, we have to deal with a lot of horrible issues in covering college football, often on a daily basis. It makes it far easier to know that the vast majority of players, like Travis Rudolph, are legitimately good people, and prove it with their actions off the field.[CBS Sports]
Gonzalo Higuain has explained that he decided to go to AC Milan due to their great desire to have him, whereas at Chelsea it felt like only Maurizio Sarri wanted himThe Argentine international had been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge over the past month following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Juventus that had deemed him surplus to requirements at Turin.At one point it looked certain that Higuain would be joining his former Napoli boss Sarri at Chelsea for the upcoming season with the Italian coach having been extremely keen on reuniting with the goalscorer for his debut season in English football.But it appears, despite Higuain’s record of 36 goals in 35 Serie A games under Sarri at Napoli, not everyone at Chelsea shared their new manager’s enthusiasm for the 30-year-old.“I have big respect for Sarri but he was the only one who wanted me at Chelsea,” said Higuain, according to the Evening Standard.
Fiorentina owner: “Ribery played better than Ronaldo!” Andrew Smyth – September 14, 2019 Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso was left gushing over Franck Ribery’s performance against Juventus, which he rates above that of even Cristiano Ronaldo’s.“Here at Milan everyone wanted me. That’s why I chose Milan. The motivation and conviction they showed at Milan was fundamental.”Higuain has joined Milan on a season-long loan deal for €18m with the club having the option to make the move permanent next summer for an additional €36m.#GH9 and #MC33 are at Milanello! ???? What a warm welcome from a longtime friend! ???? Gonzalo e Mattia sono a Milanello! ???? Il benvenuto di Lucas Biglia all’amico @G_Higuain! ????#weareacmilan pic.twitter.com/4LsfkuQpEi— AC Milan (@acmilan) August 3, 2018
Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Recommended for you UN appoints UB to investigate Bahamas Water Security Related Items:kazz forbes, oscar de laa renta, saint george fashion house, unesco, world fashion show Kazz Forbes no longer managing Miss TCI Universe; may not happen for 2015 Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsAppSouth Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands; Sunday, November 2nd 2014 – Kazz Forbes of Saint George Fashion House will showcase a haute couture collection at the sixth installment of Islands of the World Fashion Showcase, as a Guest Designer November 8th, at Fort Charlotte, Nassau, Bahamas.Highly anticipated, Islands of the World Fashion Showcase 2014 will be held November 7th and 8th and will feature fashion designers from Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Nigeria, Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas and the United States of America presenting an array of haute couture, prêt a porter, resort wear and swimwear collections at Fort Charlotte, that will be transformed into a Fashion Pavilion set to rival major runways around the world.“It is a pleasure to have Kazz Forbes representing Saint George Fashion House join us for this edition of Islands of the World Fashion Showcase. I have had the privilege of seeing Kazz make his debut into the fashion world several years ago in New York and I have observed his growth and that of Saint George Fashion House since then. He has made significant strides and it is hoped that his presentation at this event will catapult him even further. Could we possibly see the next Oscar de la Renta emerge from the soil of the Turks and Caicos?” said event producer Owen Bethel.Since 2008, Islands of the World Fashion Showcase has held to the platform it was charged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its promotion of cultural diversity, and as a means to bring value-added levels of production to the fledgling fashion industries in developing nations, particularly more vulnerable small island developing states.The intent of Islands of the World Fashion Show is to draw attention via international media and trade exposure to the skills and creativity across the spectrum of the fashion industry in the islands. To date in excess of 130 designer showcases representing 20 countries have presented their creations on the catwalks of Islands of the World Fashion Showcase.Closing out the event is what promises to be another unique experience. “Arte y Moda”, which translates to “Art and Fashion”, is a 26-piece collaborative collection hailing from Cuba. Attendees will experience a spectacle of fusion of art, fashion and music created by seven Cuban designers.For more information and updates visit www.islandsfashionweek.com.END EU Ambassador Concludes Hurricane Rebuild Project
Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp#TurksandCaicos, March 2, 2018 – Providenciales – Sunday 25 February 2018 was a beautiful day for 300 brunch guests to enjoy a delicious meal in a delightful setting while supporting a worthy cause. Food for Thought is a charity that provides breakfast to hundreds of children in Turks & Caicos.Mango Reef Chef Flourent put on a magnificent and tasty spread for the charity’s supporters, who sipped mimosas and enjoyed fabulous steel drum music while they ate. They further supported Food for Thought by participating in the raffle and silent auction to raise more money for the much needed breakfast programmes, and by bringing along some nonperishable food items for the charity’s food bank! The event’s younger supporters were kept entertained by face painting, a nail polish station, and colouring books. Header & First insert: Guests enjoying their buffet brunchSecond insert: Children waiting for the face paintingThird insert: Food for Thought supportersFourth insert: Val Kalliecharan on the Steel DrumsAs The event organisers would like to thank KB Home Center who generously sponsored the food, Gilley’s Enterprises for the mimosas, the wonderful Val Kalliecharan for donating his services, and all of the many sponsors and volunteers who made the event such a success. And, as always, thank you to our Partner Sponsor Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s International Real Estate for their ongoing support.Jeanne and Karen Savory (Food for Thought Co-Founders) wish to express their gratitude for all the community’s support for this event, and in general. “Providing breakfast to a few hundred students may not seem like much, but to some of the students it is really an important addition to their day. Teachers very quickly reported improved attention and attendance. We could not do it without the amazing support from the community. We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed, in so many ways, to the achievements of this charity.”“Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support our third annual Sunday Brunch – we were particularly pleased to welcome the Honourable Minister for Education to the event. It was heartwarming to see 300 members of the community come together to support this cause.Mango Reef did such a lovely job and we are so very thankful to Chef Flourent, Alexis, and the whole Mango Reef team for all their hard work. Thanks also to the kind event sponsors KB Home Center and Gilley’s Enterprises! And of course we cannot go without mentioning our awesome helpers, Joan and Tara, and the rest of our brilliant volunteers. We are aiming to expand our Programmes to reach even more children so the fundraising never stops! Please visit foodforthoughttci.com for more information about the charity’s work and details about donating, or contact us at info@foodforthoughttci.com or 242-FEED.”Food for Thought would like to thank the following wonderful sponsors of its brunch: Mango Reef, KB Home Center, Gilley’s Enterprises, Caya Hico Media, Val Kalliecharan, Rogdreka Rolle of Khye’s Body Art, Flowers by EA, Point Grace, Nautique Sports, Sailrock, Brilliant Studios, Goldsmith’s, The Addenda, The Spa at Seven Stars, Conch Shack, Kiss n Make Up, Flamingo Pharmacy, Bayview Motors, Grace Bay Club, West Bay Club, Caicos Tea, Solana, Tangled, Hezron Henry, Sun Charters, TCI Coffee Roasters, Fay Ninon, Olabasi, Sand Dollar Images, Turks and Caicos Kiteboarding, Swift Delivery Services, Island Fire Supplies, Sotheby’s, BCQS, Griffith’s & Partners, Coriats, Savory & Co., Mark Osmond Dental Clinic, Karam & Missick. Also, special thanks to Joan, Tara, Carol, Debi, Gerry, Matt, Rori, Shaqueena, Madi, Louise, and last but not least Richard and Robin Savory. Release: Food For Thought TCIPhoto credit: Cayo Hico Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Related Items: