Have you ever wondered what is the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain?  This video explains it, plus a whole lot more! Enjoy! Mama Lisa

Little Orphant Annie is a poem written by James Whitcomb Riley in 1885.  The language is a little different from standard English because it was written in the Hoosier dialect of Indiana. You can find the poem below with two different mp3 recordings.  The first recording is more emotive, while the 2nd is very clear to...

A Father’s Day gift from a child can just be a nice gesture.  Check out this message I saw on the beach recently.  What papa could want more?

Who remembers the expression "I love you with a cherry on top"?  I remember saying it to my mother either to express love or to butter her up if I wanted something! You can make the expression even stronger, by adding more and more toppings as if your love was an ice cream sundae.  You can...

Many of us grew up watching Mr. Rogers.  He was on the kids’ show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that ran in some form from 1963 to 2001.  Here’s a Mr. Rogers video song remix called Sing Together that was just released by PBS (the station that ran his show).  It’s a sequel to the previous Mr....

The IBM 704 was the first computer to sing a song. You can see how big this computer was in the image above.  In 1961, the IBM 704 was programmed to sing the chorus of the song, "Daisy Bell" by Harry Dacre.  You can hear its rendition in the YouTube video below… Here is the chorus...

Here’s a poem called To the Gnat by Samuel Rogers.  It seems like a fitting poem with summer quickly approaching and bringing with it those pesky gnats!  You’ll find the words and an mp3 recording below.  After the poem you can find definitions to some of the words that are lesser known. MP3 of To The...

Here is a sweet video rendition of the German lullaby, Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf, followed by the German lyrics and an English translation. Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf, Der Vater hüt die Schaf, Die Mutter schüttelts Bäumelein, Da fällt herab ein Träumelein. ...

Here’s a short color film of New York city taken in 1939.  What’s interesting is how much it looks like today, though the city wasn’t as "tall".  Everyone was also more dressed up.  A lot of people wore hats in those days.  Enjoy! Mama Lisa Hattip: Kotke Photo: Wikipedia

Semamori (背守り) is an old tradition in Japan of embroidering a good luck symbol or amulet on the back of a baby’s clothing.  It was traditionally embroidered on the top back of the child’s kimono.  Semamori means "to protect the back".  It was believed that the devil came from behind a person and thus they...

We recently received a Persian children’s song called Lili Hozak with a link to a YouTube animation.  The style is very interesting.  Here’s what our correspondent Fatima wrote, "I love the animation. Such animations are the Iranian style of animation. They used old patterns of Iranian carpets for drawing the landscapes and the animals too." You...

Variations of the choosing game Rock, Paper Scissors can be found all over the world.  The Korean version is "kai, bai, bo" (sometimes pronounced "gawi, bawi, bo").  In Korean, the order is different.  It’s always: "Scissors (가위 – kai)", "Rock (바위 – bai)" and "Paper (보 – bo)".  You can see a youtube of the game...

Italian singer and songwriter, Giada de Gioia sent us the following song with this note, "I’d like to submit this song. I am the author of both lyrics and music. It was awarded in Bimbofestival 2011 as best lyrics of the whole competition. Published by Map Milano Italy." Here’s the mp3 recording, the song lyrics in...

Here’s the French poem Le Thé (Tea) by Théodore de Banville with an mp3 recording.  After the poem you’ll find an English translation. MP3 of Le Thé Le Thé Miss Ellen, versez-moi le Thé Dans la belle tasse chinoise, Où des poissons d’or cherchent noise ...

Here’s a lovely poem about The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson with a couple of mp3 renditions. MP3 of The Wind 2nd MP3 of The Wind The Wind   I saw you toss the kites on high And blow the birds about the sky; And all around I heard you pass, Like ladies’ skirts across the grass– O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind,...

Here’s a little poem about clouds by Christina Rossetti. MP3 of the Poem "Clouds" Clouds by Christina Rossetti White sheep, white sheep, On a blue hill, When the wind stops You all stand still When the wind blows You walk...