Romy News - 12 March 2024

Hey there! It’s Tuesday, the day we put on our detective glasses to explore the world of adults, but with a magical twist, of course! I’m Romy, and today, we’re diving into an exciting adventure… First, we’ll land in an enchanted world where herons and boys win prizes – yes, you heard that right! Then, we’ll transform into mini-doctors to understand how our bodies heal our little boo-boos. And finally, we’ll play forest guardians by discovering why, oh why, it’s important to take care of trees so our beautiful planet stays at its best. So, ready for an extraordinary journey? Let’s go!

We’re heading to Hollywood for the Oscars, the annual ceremony in the United States that celebrates the best films, actors, and everyone who has made their mark in cinema. Remember, I told you about the movie “The Boy and the Heron” – a film where a young boy befriends a talking heron, all set against the backdrop of World War II. Well, guess what? This fantastic film has just earned its creator, Hayao Miyazaki, an Oscar! Winning an Oscar is one of the greatest honors for someone working in the film industry!

Hayao Miyazaki is no ordinary director, oh no! He’s a wizard of animation, whose works charm both children and adults. He had already won an Oscar in 2003 with the award-winning “Spirited Away”. His films are known worldwide for transporting us to amazing worlds and touching our hearts with their poetry.

In “The Boy and the Heron”, every scene is fantastic. The story follows a boy during the war, where he loses his mom and finds friendship with a heron in return. This encounter is like a glimmer of light in the darkness for the young hero.

Believe it or not, these characters are a reflection of Miyazaki’s real-life. During the war, his family was displaced, and it was his own mom who inspired him to create those strong and kind female figures that we all love in his films.

Miyazaki is also a great painter of moving images, drawing every detail by hand – incredibly rare in this digital age! “The Boy and the Heron” took time, a lot of time – almost ten years – but what a treasure it turned out to be in the end!

Miyazaki doesn’t stop at this Oscar. No, no, no! He has also received a Golden Globe for “The Boy and the Heron” and an Honorary Oscar for his colorful career. He even said he feels lucky to have been able to create his films by hand, like a true craftsman.

And you, if you could bring your drawings to life, what incredible story would you tell? Think of an adventure, draw it, and talk about it with those around you to see if you share ideas with your friends or family.

Let’s give a round of applause to the great Miyazaki, who with his brush, has painted a starry sky where each star is an animation he has shared with us. A huge thank you to him for so many colorful dreams!

And now, we’ll answer a question from Sandro, who lives in Cluses and is in 3rd grade. He wonders how the body heals itself when we get a cut or a boo-boo.

Grab your magnifying glass and let’s take a closer look at our skin – it’s like the fortress barrier, protecting everything inside our bodies from nasty germs and dirt. If the skin ever breaks, let’s say, from a nasty scratch, it goes into super-fast repair mode. Quick, quick, quick!

So, what happens, you ask? As soon as we get a scrape, our body sounds the alarm and sends special cells, called platelets, to the rescue. They rush to the scene to build a dam – it’s called a clot. It’s our custom-made bandage to keep the mean germs out!

But it doesn’t stop there. There’s an invisible repair team at work too. Tissues rebuild, new skin cells grow, and in the end, your skin becomes good as new, almost. There are also cleaning cells, those hungry ones that eat up bacteria and debris to keep everything clean. If the boo-boo was a bit serious, you’ll have a scar, which is actually a badge of honor from the healing battle that took place beneath your skin.

Ready for a little treasure hunt? With an adult, embark on a scientific expedition on your skin: look for scars you have on your knees or elbows. Can you remember how you got them?

To end on a high note, like every Tuesday, let’s talk about ecology. Today, let’s grab our backpacks and head out on an expedition to the vast forests of our beautiful planet. We’ll talk about deforestation. It sounds serious, and it is!

So, what is deforestation? Imagine a not-so-nice giant casually tearing up trees as if they were blades of grass. That’s a bit like deforestation. People cut or burn lots of trees, and the forest can’t grow back. Often, it’s for making farms, building our homes, or for the paper and furniture we use every day.

Trees are very important for our Earth. They absorb a gas, carbon dioxide, which in excessive amounts, isn’t good for living beings. And in return, they give us oxygen so we can breathe deeply. Trees also provide a cozy home for many animals and help keep our air and water clean.

If we let deforestation continue, it will cause a lot of trouble. It warms our planet, leaves our animal friends homeless, and can even cause landslides when it rains. Not good at all, right?

But hang on, because you and I can put on our hero capes and take action! If we think about recycling, saving our paper, and explaining to those around us why we need to cherish our forests, we can make a big difference!

Here’s your mission if you accept it: with the help of your parents, plant a small seed or sapling at home. Take care of it, it’s your personal contribution to help our Earth keep smiling.

We don’t want our forests to turn into deserts, do we? Show me that even though we’re small, we can make a big change. Together, ready to become tree defenders?

And there you have it, it’s already the end of our incredible journey this Tuesday! We discovered the Oscars winners, learned about our body’s amazing healing powers, and saw how every little action matters to protect our magnificent forests.

Before I let you go off to new adventures, remember that you can become a little reporter for ‘Romy News’ yourself! If you planted a seed, share its story with me. And for that, come to Instagram and show me how you’re taking care of your little plant. I’m curious to see how you’ll help it grow!

See you soon for more discoveries and laughter. Until then, keep your curiosity sparked like a firefly in the night. Bye!