Stump the Librarian

Episode 93 California Adventure

In today’s episode we explore the Muir Woods National Monument and the San Diego Zoo. We hear some trivia from Programming Specialist Hennie and Liz recommends a magical chapter book about our favorite time traveling siblings. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!    

Hennie’s Fact of the Day: The Colors of Nature by Catherine Barr 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1255994 

Liz’s book recommendation: Camp Time in California by Mary Pope Osborne 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C764960 

Concerning Muir Woods: 

The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C160135  

Wildheart: The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C663331  

"John Muir." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 29 Mar. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/John-Muir/54182. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.   

"Theodore Roosevelt." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 Dec. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/Theodore-Roosevelt/276787. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.   

https://www.savetheredwoods.org/redwoods/coast-redwoods/  

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

https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm  

https://www.nps.gov/articles/john-muir.htm  

https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/default.aspx  

John Muir quotes: https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=3BD48100-3981-45DD-B1DE-5BA909995897  

 

Concerning the San Diego Zoo’s animals: 

https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/story-hub/zoonooz/enrichment-is-serious-fun  

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/animal-enrichment  

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

https://www.nal.usda.gov/animal-health-and-welfare/behavioral-management-animals  

"zoo." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 Jan. 2026. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/zoo/276045. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMR12z5F9BE  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf2B1dT6Enc  

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/center-species-survival/news/cheetah-cubdate-9-treats-and-toys 

 

Episode 92 Big Walks and Tiny Treasures

Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “What is geocaching?” and “How long does it take to walk all the way around the world?” We have a fact about underwater creatures and a nonfiction book about wolves. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!  

 

Regarding geocaching... 

Go Geocaching! By Meghan Gottschall: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C875087 

Go Geocaching! by Heather Schwartz: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C910003 

https://cosmoquest.org/x/2021/04/random-space-fact-geocaching-on-the-iss/ 

https://www.geocaching.com/play 

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCB02X4 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterboxing_(hobby) 

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-parks/geocaching 

https://www.mi-geocaching.org/ 

Regarding Circumnavigation...

"Nellie Bly." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 11 Feb. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/Nellie-Bly/15794#main-ada. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026. 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/world-nellie-milestones/ 

https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/learn/women-forging-the-way/nellie-bly-around-the-world/ 

"Earth." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/Earth/110147. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2e30mxnmxdo 

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

https://youtu.be/FL4nMQsp828?si=FDze-hOY3vdM2v3m 

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/how-long-take-travel-around-world 

https://worldrunnersassociation.org/records/ 

https://circumnavigators.org/ 

Episode 91 Mummy Lake

In today’s episode we answer the questions, “What is white chocolate made of?” and “Which lake mummifies creatures that fall into it?” We hear some trivia from Programming Specialist Lauren and Liz recommends a chapter book about a Wonderland adventure. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!    

Liz’s book recommendation: Alice With a Why by Anna James 

Alice With a Why | Kent District Library | BiblioCommons  

 
Concerning white chocolate: 

"chocolate." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 Mar. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/chocolate/82278. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zngsqp3  

https://www.livescience.com/61754-chocolate-facts.html  

"chocolate." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/chocolate/273650. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.  

https://candyusa.com/story-of-chocolate/  

https://chocolate.mit.edu/science/  

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

https://www.thefoodhistorian.com/blog/before-nestle-a-history-of-white-chocolate  

 

Concerning Lake Natron: 

Amazing Earth by Anita Ganeri: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C825993  

Spooky Lakes by Geo Rutherford: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1154736  

https://www.brilliant-africa.com/tanzania/lake-natron  

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/lake-that-turns-animals-to-stone-not-so-deadly-as-photos-suggest  

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/lake-turns-animals-to-stone  

https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-natron-tanzania-90191/  

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-alkaline-african-lake-turns-animals-into-stone-445359/  

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

Lake Natron explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ia_McqhoA  

Episode 90 the Littlest Bear in the World

Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “Why do we use soap to wash our hands?” and “What is the smallest bear in the world?” We have a fact about bread bubbles and a sweet chapter book about animal friends. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!  

Regarding soap.... 

https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/data-research/facts-stats/index.html 

"soap and detergent." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/soap-and-detergent/277108. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026. 

https://www.livescience.com/57044-science-of-soap.html 

https://globalhandwashing.org/about-handwashing/history-of-handwashing/ 

"germ." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/germ/442739. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. 

Regarding bears... 

Sun Bear by Julie Murray: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1209298 

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/worlds-smallest-bears 

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/sun-bear-fact-sheet/ 

https://planetwild.com/blog/sun-bear 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sun-bear 

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

https://zooatlanta.org/animal/malayan-sun-bear/ 

 

Episode 89 Owl Moon

In today’s episode we answer the questions, “How do owls fly so quietly? What do owls eat and what happens to the parts they cannot digest? Can I have a pet owl?” and “Why can we see the moon in the daytime?” We hear some D&D trivia from Librarian Tabby and Jill recommends a chapter book about kids protecting owls. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   

Jill’s book recommendation: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen  

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C206833 

Concerning owls: 

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/owl  

"owl." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/owl/332197#main-ada. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.  

https://blandfordnaturecenter.org/ambassadors-2/?#owls  

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Strigiformes/  

https://www.thesprucepets.com/do-owls-make-good-pets-390707  

https://www.internationalowlcenter.org/owlsaspets.html  

https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/owls-1  

 

Concerning the moon: 

The Moon Tonight by Jung Chang-hoo: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C936619  

https://earthsky.org/moon-phases/do-we-all-see-the-same-moon-phase/  

https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/why-can-you-see-the-moon-during-the-day-we-asked-a-nasa-scientist-episode-19/  

https://science.nasa.gov/sun/facts/  

https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question43.html  

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/  

Moon doesn’t go around the Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4z0Z7vC6gE  

Solar time lapse: https://youtu.be/o-DHwNFDgOU  

 

 

Episode 88 Orange Cat, Orange Fruit, and the Color Orange

"orange." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 Jan. 2017. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/orange/57261#main-ada. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026. 

https://www.livescience.com/45057-oranges-nutrition-facts.html 

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-oranges 

https://www.uslanguageservices.com/blog/the-history-behind-english-color-names/ 

https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/color-etymology 

Episode 87 Turtle-Flour!

In today’s episode we answer the questions, “What is flour made of?” and “What do turtles do in winter?” We hear a library fact of the day from KDL’s Data Coordinator Sheri and Liz recommends a delicious graphic novel about two friends on an adventure. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!  

  

Liz’s book recommendation: Night Chef by Mika Song 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1229987 

 

Concerning flour: 

https://www.funkidslive.com/learn/homeschool/baking/mission-3-how-do-we-make-flour/  

"flour and flour milling." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 May. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/flour-and-flour-milling/274353. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.  

"bread." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Jan. 2022. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/bread/273343. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.  

"wheat." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/wheat/277720. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.  

https://fabflour.co.uk/fab-flour/how-is-flour-made/  

 

Concerning turtles:  

The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery & Matt Patterson  

"turtle." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/turtle/277471. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.  

https://blog.nature.org/2017/01/30/turtles-under-ice-winter-survival-hibernation-adaptation/#:~:text=Painted%20turtles%20spend%20most%20of,the%20mud%20beneath%20the%20water.  

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39771-Chrysemys-picta  

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/michigan-species/reptiles/turtles  

https://wildlifeinwinter.com/painted-turtle/  

https://www.sarett.org/painted-turtles  

https://virginiazoo.org/where-did-the-turtles-go-for-the-winter  

Turtles breathing underwater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcqcfFd2htg 

 

Episode 86 Slurp, Click, and Growl

Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “What year was the first phone invented?” and “What noise does a seahorse make?” We have a fact about buying books for the library and a road trip novel that you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!  

 

Regarding telephones... 

https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/telephone/110260 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone#:~:text=1667:%20Robert%20Hooke%20invents%20a,(non%2Delectrical)%20telephone. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/theres-a-1200-year-old-phone-in-the-smithsonian-collections-180947641/ 

"Alexander Graham Bell." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 May. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Alexander-Graham-Bell/15220. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026. 

Regarding Seahorses... 

Seahorses by Melissa Gish: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C921475 

Sea horse. (2024). Salem Press Primary Encyclopedia.  

https://www.livescience.com/46718-seahorses-growl.html 

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/sea-life/seahorse-facts/ 

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/seahorses-make-racket 

www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/seahorse-fact-sheet 

https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/fishkeeping-news/seahorses-growl-when-theyre-stressed/ 

https://projectseahorse.org/ 

https://www.theseahorsetrust.org/seahorse-facts/ 

Pygmy seahorse camouflage: https://youtu.be/Q3CtGoqz3ww?si=uspCBEInzoqShwKr 

 

 

Episode 85 Stink, Stank, SKUNK!

In this episode we answer the questions “How do skunks produce that stinky substance?” and “Which came first, Yeti or Bigfoot?” and “Is Bigfoot real?” We also share a turtle fact of the day from Librarian Laura and Liz recommends a heartwarming chapter book about a very important bear. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! 

 

Laura’s fact of the day: The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C922118  

Liz’s book recommendation: Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate 

https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1192274  

 

Concerning skunks: 

"skunk." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Jun. 2022. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/skunk/68133. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.   

https://www.discovermagazine.com/10-facts-about-the-striped-polecat-and-no-its-not-a-skunk-46050  

https://www.ourherald.com/articles/a-story-to-hang-onto-the-ultimate-skunk-remedy  

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/chemistry-skunk.html  

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-what-makes-skunk-spray-smell-so-terrible-180955553/  

Science of skunk spray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-4xNQuqZ1k  

 

Concerning Bigfoot & the Yeti: 

https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/online-exhibit/curators-choice/tracking-legend-bigfoot#:~:text=A%20Native%20American%20tradition%20in,the%20Sasquatch%20or%20Bigfoot%20legend  

https://www.history.com/articles/bigfoot-legend-newspaper  

 https://mil.wa.gov/the-legend-of-bigfoot  

https://www.livescience.com/24598-bigfoot.html  

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-so-many-people-still-believe-in-bigfoot-180970045/  

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220720-the-true-origin-of-sasquatch  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterson%E2%80%93Gimlin_film#  

  

 

Episode 84 Orange You Glad It’s Orangutan?

Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “Are Maine Coons the largest cat?” and “Do orangutans eat oranges?” We have a fact about animal jobs and an adventure novel that you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!  

Regarding Maine Coons... 

 

https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Why-Are-Maine-Coon-Cats-So-Big/648427 

https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Longhair-Cat-Breeds/649275#421786.toc 

https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Maine-coon-cat/472805 

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/maine-coon/#single-animal-text 

https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/big-cat-breeds 

https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/cat/106124 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150714021608/http://www.tica.org/index.php 

Regarding Orangutans... 

"Orangutan." World Book Kids, 2025, 

   www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar831672. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025. 

https://orangutan.org/ 

https://www.orangutan.org.uk/blog/orangutan-stories-the-art-of-nest-building 

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan/ 

Nest-building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAz26FGACZc 

Orangutans by Nicki Clausen-Grace: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C911137 

Orangutans by Mara Grunbaum: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C588337