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15 facts (and pictures!) that prove penguins are the world’s most adorable animals

Every day is a good day to appreciate these tuxedo-wearing birds. Nearly all penguins live in the southern hemisphere <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/01-can-penguins-Shutterstuck-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Contrary to media representations of the North Pole, no penguins live up there. The 17 penguin species (some scientists say there are 20) are spread out between Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa. The only exception is the Galapagos penguins, who live close to the equator on the Galapagos Islands and occasionally venture into northern hemisphere waters. Penguins have been around for a long time <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/02-emperor-penguins-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> An amateur fossil hunter discovered the bone of an extinct penguin ancestor, and scientists say it’s 61 million years old. That means it probably outlived the dinosaurs that went extinct 65.5 million years ago. Fossils also suggest that this prehistoric bird could fly and could grow up to 150 centimetres tall. They eat a lot <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/03-penguin-eating-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Penguins are carnivores, and their diets consist of fish, krill, crabs, squid, and other sea creatures. According to Smithsonian Magazine, they can eat over one kilogram of food every day during summer months, but eat only a third of that during the winter. They sneeze <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/04-sneeze-penguin-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Their sneezes serve an important purpose, though. Because they eat so much seafood, penguins also consume a lot of saltwater. To get rid of all that salt, their supraorbital glands above their eyes filter it out of the bloodstream, and then, the penguins excrete it through their bills or their sneezes. The littlest penguin may be the cutest <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/05-little-penguin-wildlife-park-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Little blue penguins (also called fairy penguins) really are little. They only grow to be 33-38 centimetres tall, and adults only weigh one kilogram. Emperor penguins are the largest species <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/06-emperor-penguins-sliding-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> They’re around 120 centimetres feet tall and can weigh up to 40 kilograms. Penguins are expert swimmers <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/07-swimming-penguin-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> No, these adorable birds can’t fly. Instead, they use their wings to fly through the water (so to speak) at speeds up to 40 kilometres per hour. They can’t help but waddle <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/08-gentoo-penguin-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Penguins’ bodies are shaped to easily glide through water, with a long body and short legs. So when they walk, the result is a clumsy-looking waddle. Penguins also get around on land by hopping and tobogganing, where they glide on their bellies and use their feet and wings to gain speed. They spend most of their time in the water <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/09-gentoo-penguins-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> According to Ocean Conservancy, penguins spend about 75 per cent of their lives in water. They go on land to mate, lay eggs, and raise their babies. Speaking of penguin babies… <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/10-emperor-penguin-chicks-Shuttersetock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> They’re called chicks or nestlings. They form little groups called crèches to look out for predators and keep each other warm while their parents look for food. Penguins are romantic <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/11-shutterstock_516711187-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Some penguin species mate for life, like the macaroni penguin. These guys and gals show their affection by performing an ‘ecstatic display,’ in which they swing their heads back and forth and cackle loudly. Birds of a feather mate together <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/12-king-penguins-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Most penguin species breed in large groups called colonies (only two species don’t) for protection. Those groups can range from a couple hundred to hundreds of thousands of penguins! Daddy penguins keep their eggs warm <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/13-dad-penguins-incubate-eggs-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> At least, male emperor penguins do, but not by sitting on them. These dads balance the eggs on their feet and cover them with feathered skin called a brood pouch. They stay like this for two months – without food and with no protection from the Antarctica weather – until the mums come back with food for the young ones. Talk about parents of the year! Their feathers keep them camouflaged <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/14-king-penguins-1-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> When penguins swim, their black backs keep them invisible from predators up above, and their white bellies blend into the bright sunlight coming through the waves. We bet your tuxedo can’t do that. Feathers also keep them warm <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/15-imperial-penguins-colony-Shutterstock-770.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="454" /> Penguins don’t have blubber like other sea animals, but their many feathers serve the same purpose. (In particular, emperor penguins have 100 feathers per six square centimetres). The feathers trap a layer of warm air next to their skin, and their surface feathers get colder than the surrounding air to keep their bodies warm. Written by Claire Nowak. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/animal-kingdom/15-facts-and-pictures-that-prove-penguins-are-the-worlds-most-adorable-animals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Images: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

Picture-perfect way to remember the Queen

A final tribute to Queen Elizabeth II has been released by the Royal Family depicting the late monarch doing what she loved most. The incredible image, which was taken in Balmoral in 1971, shows the Queen hiking through the heathlands in Scotland that she explored thoroughly over her many decades spent there. The Palace also shared a quote by Shakespeare – the same one uttered by King Charles III when he first addressed the nation following his ascent to the throne <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> ‘May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.’ In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 - 2022 <a href="https://t.co/byh5uVNDLq">pic.twitter.com/byh5uVNDLq</a> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1571959776095129601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a></blockquote> “May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest,” the caption read. “In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 - 2022.” Queen Elizabeth II was farewelled on September 19 in front of a crowd of 2,000 people inside Westminster Abbey, while millions of fans also gathered in central London for the state funeral as billions around the world tuned in on TV. After the service, the Queen’s coffin left the Abbey to head off to Windsor where she was privately buried at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel. Images: Twitter

Caring

"This is NOT what I look like": TV star takes a stand against altered pictures

Bethenny Frankel has taken a stand against "deceptive" photos on social media by posting what she really looks like. The Real Housewives of New York City star, 51, shared two images to her Instagram account: both in a bikini on the beach, but one had been clearly photoshopped to make her look slimmer. She shared the photos as a warning of how dangerous Photoshop can be when dealing with your self-image. In the caption, she wrote, "This is NOT what I look like…and you know that because I’m not vain and show you the real me." “But if I posted a version of this every day you might start to believe that it might be. This is just how distorted this has all gotten.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/Frankel.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Bethenny post-Photoshop (left) vs. all natural (right). Image credits: Instagram She pointed out that “filtering is lying” and “deceptive,” which causes women to “feel badly about themselves” and “young girls insecure and obsessed with an unattainable perfection”. Frankel continued, “It makes middle aged women and mothers feel insecure about themselves. This creates a false ideal for men.” She went on to call editing “destructive, irresponsible, insecure and inaccurate”, before concluding her inspirational post by reminding her followers that “there is a line between making an effort to look pretty and an outright falsehood”. Frankel has often pointed out the importance of living filter free, as earlier this year she posted an unedited photo of herself lounging by the pool in a tiny bikini telling fans the key to body acceptance is “balance”. She went on to encourage people to embrace their flaws and live for themselves, rather than their social media perception. Image credits: Instagram <div class="media image" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 705.1837768554688px; margin-bottom: 32px;"> </div>

Body

Tips on how to take a great profile picture

It’s not all about looks but a profile picture says a thousand words in the online dating world. It’s what draws someone in to read your profile and who knows what can happen after that. Choosing the perfect pic can be a daunting task – that many people unfortunately get wrong – so we’ve got some top tips to help put your best photo forward and ensure you don’t upload anything cringe-worthy. Lighting Make sure you take your photo in a well-lit area so people can see your face clearly. Nobody looks nice in the shadows – and people will tend to think you’re hiding something if they cannot clearly see you. Try and take the picture outside as natural light is much more flattering than indoor lighting. Right distance You don’t want to be so far away in the photo that people can’t see you clearly – that defeats the purpose of a profile picture. Make eye contact The old saying – the eyes are the window to a person soul – rings true for profile pictures. Eye contact is important for establishing a connection even online. Making eye contact through a picture says that you’re open, welcoming and helps someone engage with your picture. Use a proper camera These days it’s never been easier to take a photo especially with our smartphones and tablets. However, often the quality isn’t the best when you upload it onto a computer. Use a digital camera and take plenty of options. People often despair after a few shots but in our wonderful world of technology, take a few dozen photos until you find the one you like. Dress to impress This doesn’t mean expensive or flashy clothing, simply choose clothes that you are comfortable and feel great in. If you feel good, you will look good in your photos! Steer clear of clothes with big and busy patterns though as they can distract potential dates from the real subject of the photo – you. No hats or sunglasses either. Relax and smile! Feeling comfortable is key to taking a great photo. Get a good friend to take the photo for you and distract yourself by having a conversation. Don’t focus on having the photo taken and you’ll get a relaxed and natural looking picture. However, the most important thing is to smile! Nothing is more attractive than a big warm smile. Image: Getty

Relationships

Which of these pictures is a deepfake? Your brain knows the answer before you do

Deepfakes – AI-generated videos and pictures of people – are becoming more and more realistic. This makes them the perfect weapon for disinformation and fraud. But while you might consciously be tricked by a deepfake, new evidence suggests that your brain knows better. Fake portraits cause different signals to fire on brain scans, according to a paper <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2022.108079" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in Vision Research. While you consciously can’t spot the fake (for those playing at home, the face on the right is the phony), your neurons are more reliable. “Your brain sees the difference between the two images. You just can’t see it yet,” says co-author Associate Professor Thomas Carlson, a researcher at the University of Sydney’s School of Psychology. The researchers asked volunteers to view a series of several hundred photos, some of which were real and some of which were fakes generated by a GAN (a Generative Adversarial Network, a common way of making deepfakes). One group of 200 participants was asked to guess which images were real, and which were fake, by pressing a button. A different group of 22 participants didn’t guess, but underwent electroencephalography (EEG) tests while they were viewing the images. The EEGs showed distinct signals when participants were viewing deepfakes, compared to real images. “The brain is responding different than when it sees a real image,” says Carlson. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p197814-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/technology/deepfakes-brain-eegs/#wpcf7-f6-p197814-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “It’s sort of difficult to figure out what exactly it’s picking up on, because all you can really see is that it is different – that’s something we’ll have to do more research to figure out.” The EEG scans weren’t foolproof: they could only spot deepfakes 54% of the time. But that’s significantly better than the participants who were guessing consciously. People only found deepfakes 37% of the time – worse than if they’d just flipped a coin. “The fact that the brain can detect deepfakes means current deepfakes are flawed,” says Carlson. “If we can learn how the brain spots deepfakes, we could use this information to create algorithms to flag potential deepfakes on digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter.” It could also be used to prevent fraud and theft. “EEG-enabled helmets could have been helpful in preventing recent bank heist and corporate fraud cases in Dubai and the UK, where scammers used cloned voice technology to steal tens of millions of dollars,” says Carlson. “In these cases, finance personnel thought they heard the voice of a trusted client or associate and were duped into transferring funds.” But this is by no means a guarantee. The researchers point out in their paper that, even while they were doing the research, GANs got more advanced and generated better fake images than the ones they used in their study. It’s possible that, once the algorithms exist, deepfakers will just figure out ways to circumvent them. “That said, the deepfakes are always being generated by a computer that has an ‘idea’ of what a face is,” says Carlson. “As long as it’s generating these things from this ‘idea’, there might be just the slightest thing that’s wrong. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s wrong with it this time.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=197814&title=Which+of+these+pictures+is+a+deepfake%3F+Your+brain+knows+the+answer+before+you+do" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/deepfakes-brain-eegs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/ellen-phiddian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellen Phiddian</a>. Ellen Phiddian is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a BSc (Honours) in chemistry and science communication, and an MSc in science communication, both from the Australian National University. Image: Moshel et al. 2022, Vision Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2022.108079 </div>

Technology

Predictions for the Oscars 2022 best picture

There were some extraordinary films released in 2021: Ninja Thyberg’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8550054/">Pleasure</a>, an electric neon romp through the porn world, Ildikó Enyedi’s period epic, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8205028/">The Story of My Wife</a>, Paul Verhoeven’s nun-film, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823148/">Benedetta</a>. It should come as no surprise that this is not reflected in the Oscar nominees for Best Picture. <h2>Dune: Best Picture?</h2> A pulpy science-fiction narrative, not that far removed from an L. Ron Hubbard work, it seems strange to suggest that <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1160419/">Dune is 2021’s “Best Picture”</a>. It isn’t – but it is my choice for the Oscar, out of a ho-hum bunch of nominees. Denis Villeneuve’s latest film is certainly the most cinematic of the selection, and it works exceptionally well at a formal level. It’s a striking, hypnotic work – and totally coherent (unlike the previous <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/dune-2021-vs-dune-1984-the-differences/">Lynch/Smithee version!</a>) – a realisation of Herbert’s world both surreal and appropriately full of dread. The whole thing is anchored by the excellent production design of Patrice Vermette: desert planet Arakis seems ominously sparse, its weathered concrete monoliths straight from a deranged modernist’s dream. The sound design is also first rate (as is Hans Zimmer’s score, perfect as usual), and the combination of the surreal images and intense sounds creates a wholly immersive cinematic experience. Villeneuve effectively converts Herbert’s convoluted narrative of the power machinations of the Atreides, Harkonnen, etc. into a staggeringly clear – and relatively short, these days, for this kind of thing – genre film. Angsty heartthrob Timothée Chalamet, as main character Paul Atreides, has neither the presence or chops to carry an epic fantasy film like this, and, thankfully, he doesn’t have to – Josh Brolin and Jason Mamoa are suitably brutal, Oscar Isaac brings an air of stately gravity to the role of Duke Leto Atreides, father of Paul (though they look pretty close in age!), and Rebecca Ferguson, as Lady Jessica Atreides, does the mother-witch thing with a humane and slightly off-kilter bent, reminding one of a more benevolent Lady Macbeth. Villeneuve is a powerhouse director, one of the more interesting working in mainstream film today, and Dune plays well as a trashy fantasy film. That being said, it is only Part I of two, so we’ll see how the second part holds up now most of the compelling characters have been killed. <h2>The Power of the Dog: Worst Picture?</h2> At the opposite end of the list is another genre film, Jane Campion’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10293406/">The Power of the Dog</a>. Made for Netflix, Campion’s Western has received wide acclaim and has been film of the year on multiple lists. It’s hard to see why. Campion has made some good films in the past – <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107822/">The Piano</a> is a deliciously silly bodice ripper in the clothing of a serious film, and deserved its accolades (naked Harvey Keitel alone would warrant the acclaim!). The Power of the Dog, in contrast, is strained and tiresome, a long epic without an interesting story, meaningful panoramic cinematography (though I watched it on a TV screen, maybe it would have appeared spectacular in the cinema) or anything significant and original to say about its topic of interest: the American West and the Western genre. Its one point – revealing the <a href="https://offscreen.com/view/homosexuality_western">homoerotic impulses</a> often underpinning the masculine bravado of Western cowboy narratives – has been made numerous times before, with Westerns, American and otherwise, frequently making a similar statement since at least the 1940s, in films that are more dynamic, look better, and don’t suffer from the air of self-importance surrounding this one. Jesse Plemons is a good actor, but he’s wasted in a fairly thankless part; Kirsten Dunst seems lost, struggling to convince us as a hapless alcoholic woman trapped in a thankless man’s world; and Benedict Cumberbatch, in the lead part, gives a typically commanding but unnuanced performance, playing Phil Burbank with stagy gusto. While Australian Kody Smit-McPhee is fine as Peter Gordon, the point is that all of the characters are caricatures – unoriginal inversions of genre archetypes – and, in a serious film in which not much happens – that is, in a film that is supposed to be buoyed by emotional authenticity and emotional realism – this is fatal. That being said, it will not surprise me if this wins the Oscar for Best Picture. <h2>And… the rest</h2> Campion’s film is the weakest of the nominees; there are some others that are quite good. <a href="https://theconversation.com/comedies-in-serious-clothing-an-introduction-to-the-films-of-paul-thomas-anderson-174608">Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza</a> is a madcap LA teen romp, a 1970’s picaresque nostalgia film featuring stellar newcomers Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in the lead roles. It’s long and unwieldy, and would not be to everyone’s taste, but has the advantage of actually capturing an original, albeit fractured and fractious, vision of the world. Unlike some of P.T. Anderson’s other recent films, it is surprisingly good-natured. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7740496/">Nightmare Alley</a>, directed by Guillermo del Toro, also offers solid genre fare. It’s a remake of Edmund Goulding’s (considerably better) <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039661/">film-noir of the same name from 1947</a>, and follows the rise and fall of Stanton Carlisle, a mentalist who begins his trade in the circus before becoming a popular nightclub act. Like most of del Toro’s films, it is dripping in period and genre nostalgia, but this adds to, rather than detracts from, the colour, here. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11286314/">Don’t Look Up</a> is the global warming equivalent of Barry Levinson’s 1990s satire, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120885/">Wag the Dog</a>, and, like Wag the Dog, it is, at times, a little too clever for its own good. It comes across as irritatingly pontificating in places, with Jonah Hill’s characterisation as a Presidential son (a la Trump’s family) heavy-handedly hammering home its point. But – like all of Adam Mackay’s films – it’s well made and funny, a media-literate romp satirising (or maybe just demonstrating) life in the social media age. The rest of the nominees are watchable if unspectacular films, including the Irish nostalgia film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12789558/">Belfast</a>, the coming of age drama <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366460/">CODA</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9620288/">King Richard </a>a biopic about the struggle of the Williams family to make it in the tennis world, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14039582/">Drive My Car</a> a beautifully shot version of the eponymous Murakami story, and Spielberg’s latest, an un-engaging remake of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3581652/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1">West Side Story</a>. Which movie will win? Dune? The Power of the Dog? King Richard? In any case, I can guarantee it won’t be the best picture of 2021. This article originally appeared on<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-dune-to-the-power-of-the-dog-our-predictions-for-the-oscars-2022-best-picture-179660"> The Conversation</a>.

Diana: The Musical tipped to win "worst picture"

A Broadway musical based on the life of Princess Diana has been slammed by theatre critics, with many expecting it to win "worst picture" at the Razzie Awards. Diana: The Musical has been nominated for nine Razzie Awards, which name and shame the biggest film flops of the year, including worst picture, actress and actor. The musical debuted on Broadway in November 2021, after being delayed 18 months due to the pandemic, and a film version is set to be released on Netflix later this year. The Evening Standard, The Times and the Chicago Tribune all gave Diana: The Musical damning one-star reviews, while audiences slammed the songs for being insensitive and cringe-worthy. The show was created by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan (Bon Jovi’s keyboardist), and stars Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Judy Kaye as the Queen, and Erin Davie who "turns Camilla Parker Bowles into the Wicked Witch of the West". At one point, Diana sings how she "wishes Charles was Elton John" before adding, "Alright, I'm no intellect/but maybe there's a discotheque/where the prince could hear Prince and we'd all get Funkadellic." Later, she sings to her infant son, "Harry my ginger-haired son / You’ll always be second to none." In a review of the show for <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/10/10/maybe-a-princess-diana-musical-wasnt-such-a-great-idea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vanity Fair</a>, Richard Lawson wrote that the lyrics are not "meant to be silly and campy", despite how they might read on paper. "They are just the stilted, embarrassingly serious ramblings of a show that has no interest in real humanity." Theatre goers have also questioned the accuracy of the musical, with <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10058105/DAN-WOOTTON-Unless-Harry-resigns-Netflix-Diana-Musical-Prince-Hypocrisy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail's Dan Wootton</a> recalling, "Diana: The Musical is the most offensive and degrading portrayal of the late Princess of Wales in fiction since her death in 1997 – and in terms of accuracy it makes that other historically-derided Netflix series The Crown look like a royal encyclopaedia of truth." The Razzie winners will be announced on March 26th: the day before the 2022 Oscars. Image credits: Getty Images

Movies

Noodle the pug to star in his very own picture book

Image: NBC Noodle the pug will grace the pages of his own picture book this coming winter, Last year, the 13-year-old pug captured hearts last year when his morning ritual with his owner, Jonathan Graziano, went viral on TikTok. Every morning, Graziano gently wakes Noodle up and attempts to lift him to stand up. If Noodle stood on his own, Graziano declared the day a "Bones Day." If Noodle flopped over and refused to leave his bed, it was a "No Bones Day" — a sign to let yourself take a break and stay in. Though some speculated that Noodle's boneless predictions means that the day is doomed, Graziano's interpretation is less dark. "It's a No Bones Day and you know what that means: It means Noodle doesn't have to go on walkies and it means you must be kind to yourself," Graziano said in a bones prediction Monday. Graziano and Noodle will star in a picture book to spread that message.

Books

Why living in an Instagram hotspot isn’t picture perfect

<a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/alicccce/media" target="_blank">Alice Johnston</a>, a longtime resident of the London neighbourhood of Notting Hill, which is the setting for the Julia Roberts film of the same name, has found its growing popularity as a tourist hotspot comes with highs and lows. With its pastel-painted row houses, the area has become a popular destination as a background for Instagram pics, and Johnston has seen all kinds of crazy behaviour as visitors snap their photos. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTfFwCF3mu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTfFwCF3mu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Callista DeGraw (@callistagoesabroad)</a> </div> </blockquote> Johnston says there are some good stories, like the day she and a friend were walking his French bulldog. A tourist asked if they could “borrow” the dog for a photo and as a thank you for the snap, Johnston’s friend received five pounds. But, Johnston says other moments were less wholesome. “I was once woken up at 6am on Easter Sunday by French teenagers taking pictures outside,” she <a rel="noopener" href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/living-in-instagram-tourist-hotspot-neighbourhood-reality-for-residents/44522c73-395b-4a9f-b9c0-2576b190a9a9" target="_blank">says</a>. “One time I was changing after I got out of the shower and there was an elderly man taking a picture (of my windows) with an iPad.” Although her shutters were closed during that incident, she says she was still rattled by the experience. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVdgciYg57-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVdgciYg57-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Rowena Nathan (@rowenanathan_)</a> </div> </blockquote> With the influx of visitors to one pale-pink house near where she lives, Johnston says the nearby residents have given up trying to keep them away. Instead, they’ve installed a donation box asking visitors for a donation to charity in exchange for a photo. As busy and inconvenient as it can be, Johnston says she tries to be sympathetic to travellers visiting her hometown and recalls how she loved doing the same thing while visiting the Marais in Paris. “I love to travel, so I have to be pretty understanding when people travel to where I live, and I feel lucky that it’s cool enough that people want to come where I live,” she says. Image: homesite_estate_agents

Travel Trouble

Campaigner sparks controversy after blasting picture book

A British domestic violence campaigner has called out Judith Kerr’s 1968 picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as a reinforcement of problematic ideas. Rachel Adamson, the co-director of charity Zero Tolerance, which aims to end men’s violence against women, has claimed the book is an “old fashioned” depiction of women. “We know that gender stereotypes are harmful and they reinforce gender inequality, and that gender inequality is the cause of violence against women and girls,” she told BBC Radio Scotland. Kerr’s picture book tells the story of a tiger who arrives on a family’s doorstep and, once invited in for tea, proceeds to consume all of their food and drinks. Adamson criticised the “stereotypical” ending to the book, where the dad comes home from work and saves the day by taking his family to a cafe. The campaigner also questioned why the tiger was not female or gender neutral. “We need to recognise these aren’t just stories… it is reflective of a society that we need to think more closely about,” she said. Adamson described Kerr as a “wonderful author”, but was aware that her comments would “make a lot of people unhappy”. Despite her strong views about the book, Adamson has stressed that she doesn’t want it banned. Instead, she believes it could be used to “raise a conversation” in nurseries. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Meghan Gallacher, the Scottish Conservatives spokesperson for children and young people, described Adamson’s language as “completely unhelpful”. “While attitudes change over time, parents will be left bemused at some of these claims by Zero Tolerance,” Gallacher <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9920825/Tiger-Came-Tea-lead-rape-harassment-campaigner-claims.html" target="_blank">said</a>. “This sort of language is completely unhelpful as we try to educate children about much-loved publications from days gone by. “There are far better ways for this publicly funded group to go about changing attitudes, rather than simply calling for these books to be banned from nurseries.” Kerr, who had fled Nazi Germany when she was just 13, had previously denied claims there was a darker meaning to the story. The idea came to her while she was a stay-at-home mother of her two small children. “It got really very boring,” she later recalled. “We’d go for a walk and have tea, and that was it really. And we wished someone would come. So I thought, why not have a tiger come?” Kerr continued to write and illustrate books from 1968 until she passed away in May of 2019. Image: Instagram, Rachel Adamson

Books

Blast from the past! Queen shares never-before-seen pictures

Queen Elizabeth has released a series of rare photographs to mark World Photography Day. The Royal Family shared three images, as they capture "a few moments where the Queen has been pictured behind the lens”. The first photograph shows Her Majesty teaching her two eldest, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, how to use a camera during their annual stay at Balmoral in 1952. The sweet image was followed by another showing the Monarch squinting behind a yellow camera and snapping photos during a visit to the South Sea islands of Tuvalu in 1982. It’s a memory that is sure to have been bittersweet for the Queen as she is sat alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. The third photograph was captured of the Queen during her 1977 Australian tour, posing with the same camera in Lindsay Park Stud. The post follows behind Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William taking to social media to celebrate World Photography Day. The couple recognised a few of Britain's youngest and most hopeful photographers. "Photography has an amazing ability to create a lasting record of what we have all experienced & are experiencing,” the pair wrote in an official statement to Twitter. "That's why this #WorldPhotographyDay we wanted to celebrate the youth of the #HoldStill2020 photography project and share images from the youngest finalists". The #HoldStill2020 project is an initiative made by the couple during lockdown. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked the public to take images they believed reflected the pandemic. Over 31,000 entries were submitted to the project by hopeful photographers, with just 100 selected by five judges. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Photography has an amazing ability to create a lasting record of what we have all experienced & are experiencing. That’s why this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldPhotographyDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldPhotographyDay</a> we wanted to celebrate the youth of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoldStill2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HoldStill2020</a> photography project and share images from the youngest finalists. <a href="https://t.co/MIyBJJqFlr">pic.twitter.com/MIyBJJqFlr</a> — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1428308671432470533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote> A few images from young finalists were shared on social media: "there is so much talent, creativity, and curiosity displayed in each and every one of these pictures". Duchess Kate released a book of some of the images titled Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020. The royal mother kicked off the book with her own words, writing: "when we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in decades to come, we will think of the challenges we all faced – the loved ones we lost, the extended isolation from our families and friends and the strain placed on our key workers." "But we will also remember the positives: the incredible acts of kindness, the helpers and heroes who emerged from all walks of life, and how together we adapted to a new normal. "Through Hold Still, I wanted to use the power of photography to create a lasting record of what we were all experiencing – to capture individuals' stories and document significant moments for families and communities as we lived through the pandemic."

Beauty & Style

Adam Goodes to release first picture book

Former footy player Adam Goodes is set to release his first picture book this year. Titled <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/somebody-s-land-welcome-to-our-country-adam-goodes/book/9781760526726.html?irclickid=2MXT8RXVdxyLRd8ztDxgm11DUkByTbxdtyxlxo0&bk_source=1426251&bk_source_id=1426251&irgwc=1&utm_campaign=Good%20Reading%20Magazine&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=Impact" target="_blank">Somebody’s Land</a>, Goodes co-authored the book with journalist and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker of NSW Parliament Ellie Laing, illustrated by Barkinjill artist David Hardy. Goodes said fatherhood inspired his debut book. “I love reading to my daughter Adelaide,” he said. “I hope the series gives readers the opportunity to learn something new and have more conversations because of it. This book is a reflection of me. I’m incredibly hopeful. I choose to be positive, to help us heal as a nation.” The first in a five-part book series called Welcome to Country published by Allen & Unwin Children’s Books, the picture books aim to educate young readers between four to eight-years-old about terra nullius and Indigenous sovereignty. Somebody’s Land will be available in November 2021, and can now be pre-ordered. Image: Booktopia / Twitter

Books

In 20 years of award-winning picture books, non-white people made up just 12% of main characters

A highlight for Australian children’s literature is the announcements of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year award winners. This year’s winners will be announced on Friday October 16 — right before the start of CBCA’s Book Week on October 19. Making the <a href="https://cbca.org.au/shortlist-2020">shortlist</a> brings great exposure for the books and their creators. The shortlisted books are put on special display in public school libraries and supermarket shelves. They are even made into teaching <a href="https://petaa.edu.au/w/Teaching_Resources/CBCA2020/2020_CBCA_Guide.aspx">resources</a>, suggesting an exploration of the book’s themes, for instance. Crucially, award lists contribute to the “canon” of literary works that become widely read. This canon is distributed through libraries, schools and homes. Sometimes, benevolent relatives <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-i-always-get-children-picture-books-for-christmas-127801">give them as gifts</a>. We investigated the diversity — including ethnicity, gender and sexuality — of the 118 shortlisted books in the early childhood category of Book of the Year between 2001 and 2020. We also examined diversity among the 103 authors and illustrators who have made the shortlist over the past 20 years. Our yet unpublished study found most (88%) human main characters in the shortlisted books were white; none of the main characters were Asian, Black or Middle Eastern. <h2>Why diversity matters</h2> The <a href="https://cbca.org.au/">CBCA</a> was formed in 1945, as a national not-for-profit organisation promoting children’s literary experiences and supporting Australian writers and illustrators. The first awards began in 1946. There were originally three categories for Book of the Year: older readers, younger readers and picture book. In 2001, “early childhood” was added as a category. This was for picture books for children up to six years old. Picture books are significant for not only developing early literacy skills, but also for the messages and values they convey about society. They <a href="https://www.betterreading.com.au/podcast/new-6-part-podcast-series-a-conversation-about-diversity-in-childrens-books/">help children learn about their world</a>. The diversity children see represented in that world <a href="https://theconversation.com/bias-starts-early-most-books-in-childcare-centres-have-white-middle-class-heroes-130208">affects their sense of belonging and inclusion</a>. At this age, cultural values and bias settle in and become the foundation for how we develop. These values and biases have a profound influence on our successes and struggles in our adult lives. <h2>A positive for gender diversity, but not ethnicity</h2> We used visual content analysis to examine ethnic diversity, we well as gender, disability, sexuality and linguistic variation in the 118 early childhood category shortlisted books — between 2001 and 2020. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363296/original/file-20201013-13-1teg5bo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363296/original/file-20201013-13-1teg5bo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="The cover of picture book Go Home Cheeky Animals" /></a> Illustrator Dion Beasley. <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/childrens/picture-books/Go-Home-Cheeky-Animals-Johanna-Bell-illustrated-by-Dion-Beasley-9781760291655" class="source">Allen & Unwin</a> We also examined diversity among the 103 authors and illustrators who have made the shortlist over the past 20 years. Only one person — Alywarr illustrator Dion Beasley, from the Northern Territory, and winner in 2017 for <a href="https://cbca.org.au/book/go-home-cheeky-animals">Go Home Cheeky Animals</a> — identifies as Indigenous. Female authors and illustrators, however, were more represented (66%) than male (34%). Looking at the picture books, we first identified four major types of characters: human (52.5%), animal (41.5%), object (4.4%) and imaginary (1.4%). We then distinguished between main characters and those in supporting roles that make up the story world in which the main characters act. One of the most encouraging findings was the gender parity among main characters. We identified 52 solo human main characters across all 118 books. Fifty-one of these are children, with 25 boy and 24 girl main characters (two main characters were not identified by gender). This placed boys and girls equally in the role of the protagonist, which stands in contrast to <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-looked-at-100-best-selling-picture-books-female-protagonists-were-largely-invisible-115843">previous research looking at best-selling picture books</a>. But in terms of ethnicity, the human main characters are overwhelmingly white (88%). There are just two Indigenous main characters and one who is multiracial. There have been no Asian, Black or Middle Eastern main characters. Looking at the wider story world, supporting characters are still overwhelmingly white. But this world does marginally include characters of Asian, Black and Middle Eastern heritage. Overall, human characters appear in 85 (72%) of the 118 books. White characters appear in 74 of these books, and only nine books have no white characters. Non-white characters appear in a total of 18 books (21%). Our results for ethnic diversity don’t correlate well with the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/migration-australia/latest-release">latest Australian census data</a> (from 2016). The cultural heritage of Australia’s population is described as: 76.8% white, 10% East and Southeast Asian, 4.6% South Asian, 3.1% West Asian and Arabic, 2.8% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, 1.5% Maori and Pacific Islander, 0.7% African, 0.6% Latin American. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362846/original/file-20201012-12-21c85x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362846/original/file-20201012-12-21c85x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The 2020 Early Childhood Book of the Year shortlist. <a href="https://cbca.org.au/shortlist-2020" class="source">CBCA/Screenshot</a> The CBCA early childhood shortlist minimally represents other forms of diversity. We see only two main characters living with a disability and no characters who are sexually and gender diverse. <h2>Other types of diversity</h2> Linguistic variation is also minimal, in only four books, which does not reflect the linguistic diversity of the wider Australian population. In response to our queries regarding their judging criteria, the CBCA said: <blockquote> we do not select books for entry into our awards. It is the publishers and creators who select the books for entry. Our main criterion is literary merit, we do not actively exclude diversity, themes or genre. </blockquote> Only two of the six 2020 shortlisted books in the early childhood category have human main characters. And these are both white. The age of zero to six years is a crucial stage of development. It is important for young readers to see people and surroundings that are like their own to cultivate a sense of belonging. It is equally important to see a different world they are not familiar with. If award-winning books sit at the top of reading lists, these books also need to embrace and reflect the full and rich diversity that makes up our country.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147026/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-caple-730360">Helen Caple</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ping-tian-1124969">Ping Tian</a>, Lecturer , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-20-years-of-award-winning-picture-books-non-white-people-made-up-just-12-of-main-characters-147026">original article</a>.

Books

A life in pictures: Remembering Prince Philip

<div id="page1" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide"> <div class="slide-description"> Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has passed away at Windsor Castle, at the age of 99. The news of the death of Queen’s Elizabeth II’s husband has seen a celebration of a most extraordinary life. Born on 10 June 1921, this year would have marked the 100th birthday of Prince Philip. How much do you know about this royal, who spent decades upon decades travelling as an ambassador for the United Kingdom alongside his wife, Queen Elizabeth II? To look at Prince Philip’s photos throughout the years is to understand more about the man who helped keep the British monarchy alive and well, sometimes quietly and other times not so quietly. To mark his passing, check out these images that tell the story of Prince Philip’s life. <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos">Toddler life </div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840669/prince-philip-life-in-photos-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/256c98fd6aff49388a8f83937cebcb37" /></div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"> He was originally Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, and he was born on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921. The son of Prince Andrew and Princess Alice, he had an unconventional childhood marked with controversy. His family fled Greece when he was a baby, and his mother experienced mental health issues, which led her to become institutionalised (and not of her own choice). Looking at this early Prince Philip photo, taken in 1922 when he was just around just a year old, you’d never guess at commotion surrounding him. Schoolboy days <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840668/prince-philip-life-in-photos-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/12c8a122c66c439aac4aa7b5938c18f0" /> <div id="primary" class="contentAreaLeft"> <div id="page3" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide"> <div class="slide-description"> Despite his tumultuous family life, early Prince Philip photos reveal a child who doesn’t look unlike many of his peers. When he reached school age, the young prince attended the MacJannet American School in Saint-Cloud, France, outside Paris. Here, he engages in a round of archery with some classmates, appearing as though they are pretending to be Robin Hood. Can you spot the Queen’s future husband? Spoiler alert: He’s second from the left. It’s not all that surprising to see Philip engaging in sport at an early age, as he continued to participate in various games throughout his life. <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos">Stage star </div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840667/prince-philip-life-in-photos-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a846ad9f7c7540c188278bc23a622adc" /></div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"> <div id="page5" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide"> <div class="slide-description"> Who would have thought that Prince Philip was a man of the theatre? Sure, we’ve seen the royal on many an occasion showing an appreciation for the arts, but apparently in his younger years (back in 1935, to be exact), he even took to the stage in a school production of Macbeth. Prince Philip would have been around 14 years old when this photo was taken of him wearing his costume and preparing to recite lines written by the Bard. Given the drama that has played out in the royal family over the years, learning the ins and outs of this tragedy may have been good preparation. <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos">Military time </div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840666/prince-philip-life-in-photos-6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e2712f1262df4076bc4fdc80e1644f0b" /></div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"> <div id="page7" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide"> <div class="slide-description"> You might be wondering what Prince Philip did for work in between the time he graduated from high school and eventually met his wife, Queen Elizabeth (then a princess). After graduating from Gordonstoun, Philip enlisted as a cadet in the Royal Navy, according to Army Cadet History. After training at RNC Dartmouth, he went on to work as a midshipman on the HMS Ramillies in 1940. That stint was followed by time aboard the HMS Valiant, a battleship stationed in Alexandria. There are many Prince Philip photos of his time with the Royal Navy, but here he is pictured in 1947, giving a salute as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. This was just a few months before he and Queen Elizabeth married. <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos">Royal wedding time - a true partnership </div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840665/prince-philip-life-in-photos-7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/352b0f80b03d4592a2bd2039a39f568c" /></div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"> As you can probably imagine, Elizabeth and Philip had quite an elaborate celebration when they married on November 20, 1947. According to the official royal website, their wedding cake was a 2.7 metres tall, and 2000 guests were invited to the ceremony. The service, performed at Westminster Abbey, aired on BBC Radio with an audience of 200 million people globally. Although their engagement was just four months long, Elizabeth and Philip had known each other for quite some time. They originally met at another royal wedding that took place in 1934, when Philip was a teenager. <div id="primary" class="contentAreaLeft"> <div id="page9" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide"> <div class="slide-description"> Ahead of the wedding, Prince Philip was given the title The Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London. Try to say that three times fast! His first cousin David Mountbatten served as the best man at the wedding, while Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids. The Duke added a loving touch to the engagement ring he gave to Elizabeth: It used diamonds from a tiara that belonged to his mother, Princess Alice. Needless to say, the platinum and diamond bauble, which was crafted by jeweller Philip Antrobus, is a stunner. A future king is born! <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="advertisement"> <div data-fuse="21928475029"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840664/prince-philip-life-in-photos-8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/578cfb5985e241b2b4ec7d6ba574dba0" /></div> </div> </div> <div class="contentAreaRight vc_hidden-xs"> <div class="advertisement"> Before Elizabeth became Queen, she and Prince Philip welcomed their first child into the world. Prince Charles was born on November 14, 1948, almost a year to the date of his parents’ first wedding anniversary. He was actually born at Buckingham Palace and weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces (3.34 kilograms) at birth. He was later christened at the Palace on December 15 of the same year. T here are rumours that have long swirled about tension between Prince Philip and Prince Charles, most notably around the Duke of Edinburgh’s decision to send Charles to his alma mater, Gordonstoun School, which Charles described as “hell on earth,” according to Express. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="page8" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide">Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth would go on to have three more children after Charles, including Princess Anne in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960 and then Prince Edward in 1964. </div> <div class="slide listicle-slide"></div> <div class="slide listicle-slide">Family reunion </div> <div class="slide listicle-slide"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840663/prince-philip-life-in-photos-9.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3d92d76a262f4d868a03c6968f82669f" /></div> <div class="slide listicle-slide"> It’s fair to say that Prince Philip didn’t spend a lot of time with his mother, Princess Alice of Greece, while growing up as she reportedly battled mental health issues during his teen years. However, he is pictured with her here at the wedding of Princess Margeritha of Baden and Prince Tomislavof of Yugoslavia in 1957. According to CNN, Princess Alice became the founder of the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary, an order of nuns, in 1949. Their primary goal was to care for the sick. Her nickname for Prince Philip? Bubbikins. A life at home <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840662/prince-philip-life-in-photos-10.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f791636f0a764f1eb95fbe616f66859d" /> In terms of Prince Philip photos, we have to admit the best ones are those that seemingly depict him and his famous family in candid, casual moments. It’s naive to think that these photos weren’t staged, at least in some respect, but as Philip and Elizabeth look on at Balmoral Estate while a young Charles and Anne play on a makeshift teeter-totter (simply a piece of plywood atop a log), they almost look “normal.” The castle, one of the family’s many lavish residences, is situated in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="page6" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide">Artistic endeavours </div> <div class="slide listicle-slide"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840661/prince-philip-life-in-photos-11.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f896f4e443f146c8950422cdda1d45b5" /></div> <div class="slide listicle-slide"> For an entire year in 1969, Philip and Elizabeth’s family was filmed for a BBC documentary appropriately titled Royal Family. It was broadcast on both BBC One and ITV, and while the still photos, like this one of Prince Philip painting, are all kinds of fascinating, the doc was widely panned by audiences and critics alike. According to History.com, the film was produced in an effort to make the Queen appear more, but it backfired. Still, we wouldn’t mind watching the documentary today with a modern-day perspective. Charles and Diana's wedding <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840660/prince-philip-life-in-photos-12.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a7c976b1b854465eaf98300c872ea711" /> It was 1981 when the world couldn’t get enough of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s seemingly fairy-tale wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral. For the big day, Prince Philip rode to the ceremony alongside Diana’s mother, Mrs Shand Kydd. Though Charles and Diana’s marriage ended in divorce, letters released by The Telegraph between Prince Philip and his former daughter-in-law appear to prove they remained good friends despite no longer being family. In one letter, Philip wrote, “I will always do my utmost to help you and Charles to the best of my ability.” Portrait of a Prince <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840659/prince-philip-life-in-photos-13.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a2aebd143ca94947a90e3c08fb645bc7" /> <div id="page7" class="slide-show"> <div id="test" class="slide listicle-slide"> <div class="slide-description"> In 2017, Prince Philip announced that he was taking a step back from public life as a royal. The same year, this stunning painting of him standing in the halls of Buckingham Palace was released. According to Sky News, the Duke of Edinburgh had carried out 22,191 single engagements since his wife’s coronation in 1952. That doesn’t include the countless events he performed alongside Queen Elizabeth. The fact that he acknowledged this was the right move for him, personally, makes a huge statement to his desire to maintain his health as best he possibly can. <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos">The Queen lost her husband, the father of her children, and her lifelong best friend after nearly 73 years of marriage on April 9, 2021. In a personal statement from 1997 that was posted on Instagram to honour the couple, it read: “𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴, 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.”</div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos"></div> </div> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNevnXFnaoR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNevnXFnaoR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a> </div> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="slide listicle-slide"></div> <div class="slide listicle-slide">Written by Kelly Bryant. This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/history/prince-philips-life-in-50-photos?pages=1" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our <a rel="noopener" href="https://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V" target="_blank">best subscription offer.</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /> Photo: Getty Images </div> </div>

Art

Empathy starts early: 5 Australian picture books that celebrate diversity

Early exposure to diverse story characters, including in ethnicity, gender and ability, helps young people develop a strong sense of identity and belonging. It is also crucial in cultivating compassion towards others. Children from minority backgrounds rarely see themselves reflected in the books they’re exposed to. Research over the past two decades shows the world presented in children’s books is overwhelmingly white, male and middle class. A 2020 study in four Western Australian childcare centres showed only 18% of books available included non-white characters. Animal characters made up around half the books available and largely led “human” lives, adhering to the values of middle-class Caucasians. In our recent research of award-winning and shortlisted picture books, we looked at diversity in representations of Indigenous Australians, linguistically and culturally diverse characters, characters from regional or rural Australia, gender, sex and sexually diverse characters, and characters with a disability. From these, we have compiled a list of recommended picture books that depict each of these five aspects of diversity. Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander characters Tom Tom, by Rosemary Sullivan and Dee Huxley (2010), depicts the daily life of a young Aboriginal boy Tom (Tommy) in a fictional Aboriginal community — Lemonade Springs. The community’s landscape, in many ways, resembles the Top End of Australia. Tom’s 22 cousins and other relatives call him Tom Tom. His day starts with a swim with cousins in the waters of Lemonade Springs, which is covered with budding and blossoming water lilies. The children swing on paperbark branches and splash into the water. Tom Tom walks to Granny Annie’s for lunch and spends the night at Granny May’s. At preschool, he enjoys painting. Through this picture book, non-Indigenous readers will have a glimpse of the intimate relationship between people and nature and how, in Lemonade Springs, a whole village comes together to raise a child. Characters from other cultures That’s not a daffodil! by Elizabeth Honey (2012) is a story about a young boy’s (Tom) relationship with his neighbour, Mr Yilmaz, who comes from Turkey. Together, Tom and Mr Yilmaz plant, nurture and watch a seed grow into a beautiful daffodil. The author uses the last page of the book to explain that, in Turkish, Mr Yilmaz’s name does not have a dotted “i”, as in the English alphabet, and his name should be pronounced “Yuhlmuz”. While non-white characters, Mr Yilmaz and his grandchildren, only play supporting roles in the story, the book nevertheless captures the reality of our everyday encounters with neighbours from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Characters from rural Australia All I Want for Christmas is Rain, by Cori Brooke and Megan Forward (2017), depicts scenery and characters from regional or rural Australia. The story centres on the little girl Jane’s experience of severe drought on the farm. The story can encourage students’ discussion of sustainability. In terms of diversity, it is equally important to meet children living in remote and regional areas as it is to see children’s lives in the city. Gender non-conforming characters Granny Grommet and Me, by Dianne Wolfer and Karen Blair (2014), is full of beautiful illustrations of the Australian beach and surfing grannies. Told from the first-person point of view, it documents the narrator’s experiences of going snorkelling, surfing and rockpool swimming with granny and her grommet (amateur surfer) friends. In an age of parents’ increasing concern about gender stereotyping (blue for boy, pink for girl) of story characters in popular culture, Granny Grommet and Me’s representation of its main character “Me” is uniquely free from such bias. The main character wears a black wetsuit and a white sunhat and is not named in the book (a potential means of assigning gender). This gender-neutral representation of the character does not reduce the pleasure of reading this book. And it shows we can minimise attributes that symbolise stereotypes such as clothing, other accessories and naming. Characters living with a disability Boy, by Phil Cummings and Shane Devries (2018), is a story about a boy who is Deaf. He uses sign language to communicate but people who live in the same village rarely understand him. That is, until he steps into the middle of a war between the king and the dragon that frightens the villagers. He resolves the conflict using his unique communication style and the villagers resolve to learn to communicate better with him by learning his language. Written by Ping Tian and Helen Caple. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/empathy-starts-early-5-australian-picture-books-that-celebrate-diversity-153629">The Conversation</a>.

Books

Stunning picture captures moment Joe Biden won US election

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A fast-thinking member of the Biden household captured the moment Joe Biden learned he had won the 2020 election. Biden was with family members in his home in Delaware where he learned he would be the 46th President of the United States. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 11.07.20 <a href="https://t.co/HHVJMmIoAW">pic.twitter.com/HHVJMmIoAW</a> — Naomi Biden (@NaomiBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiBiden/status/1325190941058113536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2020</a></blockquote> His grandchildren were the ones who broke the good news to Biden, as he was relaxing with his wife Jill on their veranda. “Pop, Pop! We won!” they told the now-president-elect, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/2020-11-07-trump-biden-election-results-n1246882/ncrd1246979#liveBlogHeader" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">NBC News</a>. Despite Biden being in a "cautious mood" before his victory was announced, he's celebrating now and has pushed forward with his plans for office. In the first steps in his transition plans, there would be more COVID-19 testing and Americans would be asked to wear masks. He also announced that there will be a focus on the economy, with plans to tackle racism and climate change. In his first speech as president-elect on Saturday, Mr Biden said it was "time to heal" the US and vowed "not to divide but to unify" the country. Addressing Trump supporters directly, he said: "We have to stop treating our opponents as enemies." However, current US President Donald Trump is yet to concede, despite Biden congratulating him on a hard-fought campaign. Trump has vowed to contest the election results on several fronts, with a recount being held in Georgia and plans for the same outcome in Wisconsin. Trump has also vowed to take legal action to the Supreme Court, alleging voting fraud without evidence. </div> </div> </div>

News

Prince Louis’ most precious moments in pictures

It may be his goofy expressions or his attempt at perfecting the royal wave, but Prince Louis has managed to win the hearts of royal fans around the globe. The 2-year-old and the youngest of the Cambridge clan gets into plenty of mischief and thankfully, it’s all caught on camera. We’ve watched him grow from a newborn into a handsome little boy, and it seems people just can’t seem to get enough of the Prince. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CF4dvUDFPEK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CF4dvUDFPEK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">We've got some questions for you, @DavidAttenborough...🌍🕷️🐒</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Duke and Duchess of Cambridge</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on Oct 3, 2020 at 5:59am PDT </div> </blockquote> While he may never become king, that doesn’t take away from his popularity, and due to being the youngest, there is a certain fascination surrounding him. His most recent appearance was when he asked the famous Sir David Attenborough a question about animals, marking the first time people heard him speak. With his cherub face and golden hair, Louis has forged a name for himself. Take a look at some of Prince Louis’ most precious moments throughout the years.

Art

Comedy awards reveal the funniest animal pictures of 2020

The annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has come back around again for 2020 and this year has definitely taken the cake. Each year, keen-eyed photographers from all around the globe capture some of the funniest photos of animals stuck in moments that seem to replicate human emotions or other hilarious poses. Together the founders Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks set out to create the contest in order to raise awareness and funds for wildlife conservation. The hilarious photographs are used to encourage people to shop responsibly, be mindful of their water use as well as giving people everywhere a good chuckle. See Over60’s top 11 picks here! Image credits: Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2020 / Marcuss Wesyberg, Petr Sochman, Olin Rogers, Martin Grace, Mark Fitzpatrick, Luis Martí, Kay Kotzian, Arthur Telle Thiemann, Sally Lloyd, Yarin Klein, Roland Kranitz.

Family & Pets

Why you should always get children picture books for Christmas

The end of the year is slowly approaching. If you’re wondering what to get your child, your friends’ children, your nieces and nephews for Christmas – I highly recommend picture books. Many people can remember a favourite book when they were a kid. Some of my favourites were the Berenstain Bears with Papa Bear trying, unsuccessfully, to teach his children how to ride a bike or gather honey. Sadly, a 2011 report from the UK showed the number of young people who say they own a book is decreasing. The report also showed a clear relationship between receiving books as presents and reading ability. Children who said they had never been given a book as a present were more likely to be reading below the expected level for their age. Most people can remember a favourite book when they were kids. The Berenstain Bears/Screenshot There are lots of benefits of reading aloud to young children, including developing children’s language and print awareness. These include knowing that the squiggles on the page represent words, and that the words tell a story. Such knowledge gives children a head start when they go on to reading at school. 1. Reading to kids increases their vocabulary Research shows books have a greater variety of words than conversations. But it also suggests the conversations had during reading matter most. Adults should discuss ideas in books with children, as they occur, as opposed to just reading a book from start to finish. Talking about the pictures, or what has happened, can lead to rich conversations and enhance language development. The more words you know, the simpler it is to recognise them and comprehend the meaning of the text. Children who read more become better readers and more successful students. 2. Books can increase children’s maths and science skills Picture books show children maths and science concepts through a story, which helps kids grasp them easier. Some books (like How Many Legs and How Big is a Million) explicitly explore concepts such as numbers. Other stories, like the Three Little Pigs, have concepts embedded in them. Children can learn about the properties of materials when adults talk about the strength of hay, sticks and bricks. A study in the Netherlands found kindergarten children who were read picture books, and were engaged in discussions of the maths concepts in the books, increased their maths performance, compared to a control group of children who weren’t read these books. Early Learning STEM Australia has created a booklist which gives parents and teachers ideas for books that contain STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) ideas. These include: <ul> <li>They All Saw a Cat, which shows the perspectives of different animals</li> <li>Lucy in the City, where a cat loses her way home and an owl helps her</li> <li>Dreaming Up, which contrasts children’s constructions with notable works of architecture.</li> </ul> 3. Books are mirrors and windows Nearly 30 years ago, children’s literature professor, Rudine Sims Bishop, wrote how books can be windows, through which we see other worlds. These windows can become sliding doors when we use our imaginations and become part of them. Books can also be mirrors, when we see our own lives and experiences in them. In this way, they reaffirm our place in the world. Children need both types of books to understand people come from different cultures and have different ways of thinking and doing things. Books can show that children of all cultures are valued in society. Children who never see themselves represented in books may feel marginalised. Unfortunately, the majority of books feature white children or animals, so many children only experience books as windows. Examples of books that show the lives of Indigenous children include Big Rain Coming and Kick with My Left Foot (which is also a great book about left and right). 4. Books can counter stereotypes Children learn gender stereotypes from a very young age. Research shows by the age of six, girls are already less likely than boys to think girls are “really, really smart” and they begin to avoid activities thought to be for “really, really smart” children. Picture books can challenge these and other stereotypes. Reading books that portray atypical behaviours such as girls playing with trucks or with girls in traditional male roles such as being doctors, scientists or engineers, can change children’s beliefs and activities. <a href="https://www.rif.org/literacy-central/book/iggy-peck-architect">Iggy Peck, Architect</a>; <a href="https://storytimefromspace.com/rosie-revere-engineer-2/">Rosie Revere, Engineer</a>; and <a href="https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/ada-twist-scientist_9781419721373/">Ada Twist, Scientist</a> are very popular. And <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/79329-andrea-beaty-and-david-roberts-welcome-a-new-questioneer.html">Sofia Valdez, Future Prez</a> have been released more recently. The City of Monash in Melbourne has created a list of children’s picture books that promote gender equality and challenge gender stereotypes. This includes one of my favourite books, The Paperbag Princess, who saves herself from a dragon and decides not to marry the prince after he complains she is a mess. 5. Just having more books makes you more educated A study that looked at data from 27 countries, including Australia, found children growing up in homes with many books got three years more education than children from bookless homes. This was independent of their parents’ education, occupation and class. Adults need to model good reading habits and their enjoyment of reading. Giving children a love of reading can be the best present we ever give. Written by Misha Ketchell. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-i-always-get-children-picture-books-for-christmas-127801">The Conversation</a>.

Books

Why people post 'couple photos' as their social media profile pictures

As you scroll through your Facebook news feed, you see it: Your friend has posted a new profile picture. But instead of a picture of just your friend, it’s a couple photo – a picture of your friend and their romantic partner. “Why would someone choose that as their profile picture?” you wonder. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IhivPfwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">We are social</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4LI2RO0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">psychology researchers</a> interested in understanding people’s behavior in close relationships and on social media. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219893998">Our research</a> and that of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214549944">other scholars</a> provides insight into why people use these types of “I’m part of a couple!” displays on social media. Choosing profile photos that include their romantic partner, posting their relationship status and mentioning their partner in their updates can all be signs of how people feel in their relationship – and may send an important message to potential rivals. Who does this? What we social psychologists call <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219893998">“dyadic displays” are relatively common</a>. In a recent study that we conducted, 29% of romantically involved Facebook users had a “couple” photo as their current profile picture. Seventy percent had a dyadic relationship status posted – such as “In a relationship” or “Married.” And participants mentioned their romantic partner in 15% of their recent Facebook updates. <iframe id="mr84v" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mr84v/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none;" frameborder="0"></iframe> Certain people are more likely to use these dyadic displays than others. People who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2011.0291">very satisfied with</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0060">committed to</a> their romantic relationship are more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612460059">post couple profile photos</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219893998">represent their relationships on social media</a> in other ways. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00214">more in love a coupled-up person is, and the more jealousy they report</a>, the more likely they are to post their relationship status publicly on Facebook. People who have an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.350">anxious attachment style</a> – who worry about their partner rejecting or abandoning them – are also more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214549944">use a dyadic profile photo and post a dyadic relationship status on Facebook</a>. In contrast, people who have an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.350">avoidant attachment style</a> – who are uncomfortable depending on others and who prioritize maintaining their independence – are unlikely to showcase their couplehood in these ways. Whether someone underscores their romantic status online can also change according to how a person is feeling at a given time. People are more likely to post relationship-relevant information on Facebook on days when they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214549944">feel more insecure</a> about their partner’s feelings for them than they typically do and on days when they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612460059">feel more satisfied</a> with their relationship. Why display couplehood this way? One possible reason, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612460059">proposed by other scholars</a>, is that these displays accurately represent how many romantically involved people see themselves. People in close relationships often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.63.4.596">include their partner in their self-concept</a> – they see their partner as part of themselves. People may display their couplehood on social media, then, because doing so accurately represents how they see themselves: as intertwined with their partner. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219893998">Our recent survey</a> of 236 romantically involved adult Facebook users supported this idea. We found that people – especially those who are very satisfied with their relationships – use dyadic displays partly because they see their partner as part of who they are. We also found another, more strategic reason that people perform these displays: They’re motivated to protect their relationships from threats that exist on social media. Using Facebook, Twitter and all the rest exposes people to a variety of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2008.0263">things that could potentially harm</a> their relationship, including ex-partners, alternative partners they could start a relationship with and romantic rivals who could attempt to steal their current sweethearts. Outside of social media, research has shown that committed people engage in a host of behaviors to defend their relationships against threats posed by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.01.011">alternative partners</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0162-3095(88)90010-6">romantic rivals</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023647">Mentioning their partner or relationship</a> is one way people may try to ward off these potential troublemakers. We found that people who were more motivated to protect their relationships from these kinds of threats were more likely to use dyadic displays. Wanting to keep the good thing they had going was one reason why highly satisfied and committed people were particularly likely to feature their partner on their social media profiles. Other researchers have found that some people feature their partner and relationship in their social media profiles because having other people know that they are in a relationship <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214549944">gives them a self-esteem boost</a>. This motive to feel good about themselves is one reason why anxiously attached people want their Facebook friends to be able to tell that they are in a relationship – and why avoidantly attached people don’t. How do others interpret these displays? Interestingly, viewers tend to form <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612442904">fairly accurate impressions</a> of others based on their social media profiles and posts. In experiments, researchers have manipulated social media profiles to investigate the consequences of advertising your coupledom in these ways. Posting couple photos and using other dyadic displays leads other people to perceive the profile owner as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12059">more likable and as more likely to be in a satisfying and committed relationship</a>. These dyadic displays not only <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407512468370">communicate commitment</a>, but also suggest that the profile owner is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219893998">unlikely to be receptive to romantic advances</a> from other people. This may discourage others from trying to get closer to the profile owner, perhaps protecting the relationship. If you’ve never done it, it may seem surprising that people would choose a “couple photo” as their profile picture. But doing so has the potential to produce positive outcomes for that person and their relationship. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amanda-l-forest-941415">Amanda L. Forest</a>, Assistant Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-pittsburgh-854">University of Pittsburgh</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kori-krueger-950797">Kori Krueger</a>, Ph.D. Student in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-pittsburgh-854">University of Pittsburgh</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-people-post-couple-photos-as-their-social-media-profile-pictures-130661">original article</a>.

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Why people post 'couple photos' as their social media profile pictures

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

15 facts (and pictures!) that prove penguins are the world’s most adorable animals

Picture-perfect way to remember the Queen

"This is NOT what I look like": TV star takes a stand against altered pictures

Tips on how to take a great profile picture

Which of these pictures is a deepfake? Your brain knows the answer before you do

Predictions for the Oscars 2022 best picture

Diana: The Musical tipped to win "worst picture"

Noodle the pug to star in his very own picture book

Why living in an Instagram hotspot isn’t picture perfect

Campaigner sparks controversy after blasting picture book

Blast from the past! Queen shares never-before-seen pictures

Adam Goodes to release first picture book

In 20 years of award-winning picture books, non-white people made up just 12% of main characters

A life in pictures: Remembering Prince Philip

Empathy starts early: 5 Australian picture books that celebrate diversity

Stunning picture captures moment Joe Biden won US election

Prince Louis’ most precious moments in pictures

Comedy awards reveal the funniest animal pictures of 2020

Why you should always get children picture books for Christmas

Why people post 'couple photos' as their social media profile pictures

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