Stump the Librarian

Episode 73 Myths and Drifts

In this episode we answer the questions “How did Poseidon get the sea?” and “What is a Portuguese Man of War?” We also share a fact of the day from Bookmobile Librarian Caleb and recommend a quirky chapter book. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!     

 

 

Jill’s book recommendation: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science  

by Kate McKinnon 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1140387 

 

Concerning Poseidon: 

"Poseidon." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 May. 2020. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Poseidon/61019. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.  

"Greek mythology." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Greek-mythology/110628. Accessed 1 May. 2025.  

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

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

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?department=13&searchField=All&showOnly=highlights&sortBy=relevance  

 

Concerning the Portuguese Man of War: 

https://angari.org/portuguese-man-o-war-deep-dive/  

https://www.britannica.com/animal/Portuguese-man-of-war  

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/portuguese-man-of-war  

"Portuguese man-of-war." World Book Kids, 2025,  

   www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar835307. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.  

"Siphonophore." World Book Kids, 2025,  

   www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar848650. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.  

Portuguese Man-of Wars by Bizzy Harris: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C944465  

  

  

 

Episode 72 Sleeping on the Wild Side

Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “Why do I lift out of my seat on a roller coaster?” and “How do animals stay up when they sleep?” We also have a fact about  hippos and an amazing book recommendation you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

 

Regarding Roller Coasters... 

 

https://coasterforce.com/physics/ 

https://physicsworld.com/a/twists-turns-thrills-and-spills-the-physics-of-rollercoasters/ 

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_rollercoaster_music_less 

https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/roller-coaster5.htm 

https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-roller-coasters-work 

The Thrills and Chills of Amusement Parks by Jordan D. Brown: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C263372 

Can You Feel the Force? by Richard Hammond: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C417708 

 

Regarding Sleep... 

https://www.bbcearth.com/news/the-extraordinary-ways-that-animals-sleep 

https://sleepopolis.com/education/sleep-habits-of-the-animal-kingdom-infographic/ 

https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Do-Animals-Dream/646172#main-ada 

https://youtu.be/muKuRQ8YnvE?si=PnrPSahqII06QCKR 

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

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

Sleepy- Suprising ways animals snooze https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1008378 

The Magic of Sleep https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C823619 

Snooze-o-rama https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C804141 

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

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/lists/animals-that-sleep-standing-up/ 

Episode 71 The Ink-redible Octopus

The Ink-redible Octopus 

In this episode we answer the questions “What’s the weirdest invention that actually worked?” and “Do all octopuses ink?” We also share a fact of the day from KDL’s Data Coordinator and share a nonfiction book about a daring dog. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!     

  

Jill’s book recommendation: Balto by Emma Carlson Berne 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C889662 

Concerning weird inventions: 

"invention." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2 Aug. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/invention/275080. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.  

https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/the-weirdest-inventions-ever-in-pictures  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynasphere_(vehicle)  

https://youtu.be/rvA7hDh_vhY?si=c2zOp5twqZ3Zds-E  

https://youtu.be/FEYdSIfPA_Q?si=92Q0q2u5R__N78Gp  

https://youtu.be/LmpeURi3cJY?si=9m8M6hTfqgydgjpI  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba#:~:text=Engineer%20Joe%20Jones%20first%20conceived,between%20Jones%20and%20his%20colleagues.  

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31590/13-patents-designed-build-better-mustache  

https://www.rosenberg-library-museum.org/treasures/nineteenth-century-mustache-cups#:~:text=It%20wasn't%20until%201830,cup%20from%20rim%20to%20rim.  

 

 

Concerning cephalopods: 

"octopus." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 Nov. 2023. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/octopus/276161. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.  

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/do-octopuses-have-ink-like-squids/  

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/aug/09/why-do-cephalopods-produce-ink-and-what-on-earth-is-it-anyway  

https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes  

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/cephalopods  

https://www.sheddaquarium.org/stories/eight-strange-and-wonderful-facts-about-octopuses  

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

Bobtail squid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ivMSCi-Y2Q  

The Incredible Octopus by Erin Spencer: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1021216  

 

Episode 70 Humming Along with Hummingbirds

Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “Why does cool air come out of a person's mouth when they blow (like to cool off hot soup), but warm air comes out when a person goes HAAAAAAH (think warming your hands on a cold day)?” and “Do hummingbirds really hum?” We also have a fact about gardens and a book recommendation you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

 

Regarding breathing... 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HfcDpxreJE 

"heat." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Nov. 2021. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/heat/39732. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025. 

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/thermalP/u18l1d.cfm 

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/750-heat-energy/ 

 

Regarding hummingbirds... 

"hummingbird." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2 Feb. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/hummingbird/353273. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025. 

https://www.audubon.org/news/get-know-bee-hummingbird-worlds-smallest-bird 

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/scientists-discover-worlds-largest-hummingbird-hiding-plain-sight 

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

https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/blog-posts/bird-tongues/ 

https://www.hummingbirdspot.com/anatomy 

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/hummingbirds 

https://sorama.eu/how-hummingbirds-hum/ 

Behold the Hummingbird by Suzanne Slade: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1127495 

Hummingbird chirps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43PRVtGk2To 

Hummingbird wing flaps: https://youtu.be/x5Wjz23EasA 

 

 

Episode 69 The Booger Episode

The Booger Episode  

In this episode we answer the questions “How do trees talk to each other?” and “Why are boogers green?” We also share a fact of the day from a Patron Services librarian and share a graphic novel about a student struggling with math. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!    

  

Joel’s Fact of the Day: The Animal Toolkit by Steve Jenkins  

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1179760 

 

Liz’s book recommendation: Very Bad at Math by Hope Larson  

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1179760 

 

Concerning talking trees:  

https://greenpop.org/how-do-trees-communicate/  

https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network  

https://nhm.org/stories/take-moment-listen-trees  

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too  

Wood Wide Web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWOqeyPIVRo  

The Magic of Forests by Vicky Woodgate: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C966816  

 

Concerning boogers: 

https://kidshealth.org/Advocate/en/kids/booger.html#:~:text=Yeah%2C%20we're%20talking%20about,name%20for%20nose%20mucus%3A%20snot.  

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2020/08/marvels-mucus-phlegm  

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/mucus  

"mucus." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 Sep. 2010. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/mucus/54123. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.  

"mucous membrane." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Feb. 2020. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/mucous-membrane/54122. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.  

 

 

Episode 68 Narwhals the Unicorn of the Sea

Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “Why do we get goosebumps?” and “Are narwhals the unicorn of the sea?” We also have a fact about bones and a book recommendation you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

Regarding Goosebumps.... 

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-you-get-goosebumps 

"skin." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Jun. 2019. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/skin/277082#main-ada. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025. 

https://youtu.be/KD78ZlViWt4?si=3WTY5OSQkL0n59K4 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-humans-get-goosebu/ 

https://online.kidsdiscover.com/quickread/what-causes-goose-bumps 

Regarding Narwhals... 

 www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar835226. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025. 

https://resources.arctickingdom.com/narwhal-tusk-facts-did-you-know 

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/narwhal-guide 

https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/narwhal-echolocation-abilities.htm 

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/november/the-siberian-unicorn-lived-at-the-same-time-as-modern-humans.html 

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/03/08/exactly-narwhal-tusk/ 

https://whalescientists.com/narwhals-tusk/ 

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

https://www.worldwildlife.org/videos/how-narwhals-use-their-tusks 

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic by Candice Fleming & Deena So’Oteh: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1031094 

Episode 67 Big Bad Bird

In this episode we answer the questions “Is seaweed a plant?” and “What is the most dangerous bird?” We also share an elephant fact of the day from a Plainfield Twp. librarian and recommend a fascinating nonfiction book about parasites! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

  

Lynn’s Fact of the Day: Fish Farts and Other Amazing Ways Animals Adapt by Joanne Settel 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1128924 

Liz’s book recommendation: Power to the Parasites! by Chelsea L. Wood. 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1151686 

Concerning seaweed: 

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/freshwater-algae/  

https://www.kvaroyarctic.com/22-seaweed-facts-to-know-in-2022  

https://lofotenseaweed.no/seaweed-vs-kelp-whats-the-difference/  

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-edible-seaweed  

https://nature.ca/en/seaweed-and-algae-what-are-the-differences/  

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/15/1163385168/sargassum-seaweed-florida-mexico-beaches  

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex2104/features/sargasso-sea/welcome.html  

https://www.sargassoseacommission.org/sargasso-sea  

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/seagrass-and-seagrass-beds  

Sea Otter Heroes by Patricia Newman  

 

Concerning dangerous birds: 

   

https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/zoology/item/worlds-most-dangerous-bird/#:~:text=Answer,%2DMonnett%20on%20Unsplash.com.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary#:~:text=The%20cassowary%20has%20often%20been,per%20year%20in%20South%20Africa.  

https://www.statista.com/statistics/448169/deadliest-creatures-in-the-world-by-number-of-human-deaths/  

https://www.britannica.com/list/6-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-birds  

"Cassowary." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Apr. 2019. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/cassowary/20674. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.  

https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/cassowary/  

https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/tetrapod-zoology/how-dangerous-are-cassowaries-really/  

Episode 66 Tall Mountains, Real Reindeer

Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “What’s the tallest mountain in the world?” and “Are reindeer real?” We also have a fact about a very fast shark and an adventure/fantasty book recommendation you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

Fact of the day book: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1124561 

Book recommendation:https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C868466 

Regarding Mountains: 

"Mount Everest." World Book Kids, 2025, 

   www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar831592. Accessed 08 Jan. 2025. 

https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest- LOTS OF INFO 

https://www.mos.org/blog/the-earth-around-us/Why-Hawaii#:~:text=By%20rising%20to%2013%2C800%20feet,Mount%20Everest%20by%20a%20mile! 

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/sir-edmund-hillary-tenzing-norgay-1953 

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/highestpoint.html#:~:text=Mount%20Everest's%20peak%20is%20the,center%20than%20Mount%20Everest's%20summit. 

Summiting Everest by Emma Carlson Berne 

Regarding Reindeer: 

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/reinderrvscaribou.htm 

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=santasreindeer.main#:~:text=All%20caribou%20and%20reindeer%20throughout,reindeer%20(R.t.%20fennicus)%2C%20Greenland 

https://www.rooftopreindeer.com/ 

"Reindeer." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2023. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/reindeer/63099. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025. 

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/caribou#caribou-standing-grass.jpg 

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/reindeer-facts/ 

https://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/tundra.html 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/29470/11-things-you-might-not-know-about-reindeer 

 

Episode 65 Magnificent Memory

In this episode we answer the questions “How is paper recycled?” and “How do we know elephants never forget?” We also share a fact of the day from an East Grand Rapids librarian and share a funny science fiction book about a boy from outer space! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

 

Monica’s Fact of the Day: Incredible Animal Trivia by Eric Braun 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C588948 

Liz’s book recommendation: Weird Kid by Greg Van Eekhout 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C820597 

Concerning paper recycling: 

Pirzada, Abdul Majeed, et al. “Waste Paper Management of Academic Institute: An Environmental and Economics Perspective of Paper Recycling.” FUUAST Journal of Biology, vol. 13, no. 2, Dec. 2023, pp. 123–30. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=1ad0536a-a843-3be0-8647-13ceb5974ca5.  

https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/paper/web/html/papermaking.html#:~:text=Recycled%20paper%20processing%20mills%20use,paper%20sheets%20from%20each%20other.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cI8fT-9Koo&t=36s  

https://papergatorrecycling.com/  

https://michiganrecycles.org/  

https://www.afandpa.org/  

 

Concerning elephants: 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/elephants-never-forget/  

"Elephant." World Book Kids, 2025,  

   www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar830685. Accessed 02 Jan. 2025.  

  

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9951961/#:~:text=Even%20though%20there%20is%20evidence,term%20olfactory%20memory%20in%20mammals.  

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

https://wildlifesos.org/chronological-news/the-remarkable-cognitive-abilities-of-elephants/  

How elephants listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYM9oXftLIQ  

Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel by Carl Safina  

 

Episode 64 The Vertebrate of the Year

Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “Why are school buses yellow?” and “What is up with the naked mole rat?” We also have a fact about the richest person in history and a book recommendation you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

Regarding School Buses... 

https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/why-are-school-buses-yellow-a-teachers-college-professor-said-so/?_r=0 

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety 

https://research.ebsco.com/c/5h4gt5/viewer/pdf/n6fxxky7cv 

"Bus." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2011. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/bus/110736. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/history-school-bus-180980554/ 

https://thenewswheel.com/history-of-the-school-bus/ 

https://schoolbusfacts.com/About 

https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/357533/ 

Regarding Naked Mole Rats... 

"naked mole rat." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/naked-mole-rat/312630. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024. 

https://www.cmzoo.org/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_mole-rat 

https://www.joelsartore.com/search/naked%20mole%20rat/ 

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/naked-mole-rat-cam