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 Woohoo! I’m
making a
Happy New Year!
splash!
I hope you had a fab
festive break and are
excited about 2024. To
celebrate Chinese New Year
on 10 February – the Year of It's Tim!
the Dragon – we've scoured
the planet in search of some real-life 'dragons'.
Turn to page 18 to meet them!
This month's cute cover star is a harp
seal pup – on page 8, Nat Geo Explorer Bertie
Gregory watches one take its first swim in
the icy ocean! Also this issue, we learn
all about AI, discover the geology behind
birthstones, and check out some
award-winning wildlife photos.
Enjoy the puzzles and posters, too.
See you next month!
Editor Tim and the Nat Geo Kids team
8 HARP SEALS ON ICE!
Hanging out with fluffy pups
and their families

FREE this issue…

14 THE BIG INTERVIEW

Tech expert Mike Wooldridge tells
18 SPECIES SHOWCASE!
Meet seven remarkable
us all about Artificial Intelligence real-life ‘dragons’…

4 POSTERS! SCAN
COOL QR CODES
We’ve put some QR codes
in this month’s mag. If you
point a smart device at
them, you’ll be taken to more HERE
awesome stuff online. Try it here!

Write to NG KiDS 26 30 WILD WINNERS!

This page: Seal © Bertie Gregory; Gem © Bildagentur-online / th-foto / Alamy; Hippos © Mike Korostelev;

GEMS THAT ROCK!

Email kids@ngkids.co.uk Which star shares your birthstone Eight award-winning wildlife
Post NG KiDS, Unit 10, Tomas Seth Business Park, – and what does it mean? photos – which one’s YOUR fave?
Argent Road, Queenborough, Kent, ME11 5TS
Big Interview © Paul Wilkinson Photography; All other pictures © Getty Images UK.

PLUS!
Website natgeokids.com
Facebook facebook.com/natgeokids
Cover: Hippos © Mike Korostelev; All other pictures © Getty Images UK.

Instagram instagram.com/natgeokidsuk
X twitter.com/natgeokidsuk 4 Cool News Inspiring stories 37 Fun Stuff Four pages of
Pinterest pinterest.co.uk/natgeokidsuk from around the globe… brain-building puzzles

@ 6 Wacky World The planet’s

strangest photos
41 Make It Weave a lucky Mexican
handicraft – a God’s Eye!
For competition terms and conditions visit
natgeokids.com/uk/ts-and-cs/ 34 Junior Explorers’ Club 42 Puzzle Answers and Jokes
For subscriptions go to natgeokids.com Your letters, pictures and book reviews Oi, no cheating!
To find your nearest stockist of Nat Geo Kids
magazine, please visit seymour.magzene.com 36 Weird But True Facts about
National Geographic Society and Creature Media Limited
do not endorse any of the products in this magazine.
super squirrels, quirky comets and more!
National Geographic Kids is the world’s biggest-selling monthly
general-interest magazine for children, with a worldwide
circulation of 1.7 million in more than 20 countries.
COOL Inspiring
stories from
around the
globe…

It’s a De Winton’s
golden mole!
Return of the golden mole!
How cute is this De Winton’s golden mole?! The sweet
species was recently rediscovered in Port Nolloth,
South Africa, after being lost to science for 87 years!
Totally blind and relying on their sensitive hearing to navigate,
the moles ‘swim’ through sand dunes, leaving faint tracks
behind. The shy, speedy creatures are almost never seen –
Mole tracks in which is why conservationists thought they’d gone extinct.
their sandy habitat! In 2021, researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust
spotted moles they suspected were De Winton’s – but they
needed DNA evidence to be sure. Two long years later, they
finally found it in fresh mole trails on the sand. Brilliant!
The scientists now plan to train a scent detection dog to
find more of the critically endangered moles, so they can
be documented and their habitat protected. Hooray!

Britain wins World Cup!

Yep, you read that right! Team GB have
taken first place… at the first ever
Litter-Picking World Cup in Tokyo, Japan!
Last November, team captain Sarah Parry and
brothers Alex and Jonny Winship competed to
collect the most litter in just 90 minutes. They
cleared up a whopping 57kg of rubbish and
beat teams from 20 countries, including Japan,
USA and Australia, to take first place. Yay!
But the competition wasn’t just about winning.
Since 2008, local ‘SpoGomi’* contests have been
held all over Japan, encouraging communities to Three cheers for
work together to pick up litter in public spaces. the rubbish winners!
Organisers hope the events will inspire other The tidy team
countries to start the eco-friendly sport. Sign us up! in action!
*SpoGomi is a combo of the word ‘sport’ and Japanese ‘gomi-hiroi’, which means ‘trash-gathering’!
Sisters Mei and
Satsuki in My
STUDIO GHIBLI Neighbour
Totoro!
The stage version of Studio Ghibli’s iconic
animation My Neighbour Totoro is back! Let’s learn
about the Japanese animators behind the tale…

1stories
Known for their cute
characters and
of adventure,
2 The films’ iconic
hand-drawn art
style was created by
3 One of Studio Ghibli’s
best-loved films,
My Neighbour Totoro,
love and friendship, co-founder, animator has been brought to
Studio Ghibli’s and director Hayao life on stage*! In the
animated films have Miyazaki. Also a manga heart-warming Totoro and the girls in
captured the hearts of (Japanese comic) artist, production, cuddly the original animation
kids (and adults!) since he included many forest creature Totoro
1985. Each whimsical themes from his own and the enormous
tale transports viewers to life in the films, such as Catbus are brought to
a magical fantasy world! war and family illness. life by huge puppets. Wow!

*My Neighbour Totoro is now playing for a limited season at London’s Barbican until 23 March 2024.
 Sand rain on ‘Candyfloss’ planet!
Check out ‘Candyfloss’ planet – an exoplanet**
about 200 light-years away from Earth, where
sand falls like rain! Key events for
Nicknamed for its fluffy-looking atmosphere, the your diary!
planet was first detected in 2017. But thanks to images
from the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, which
was sent into space in December 2021, astronomers
have been able to learn more about it. They’ve found
clouds of sand in its atmosphere, as well as gases like
water vapour and toxic sulphur dioxide, which
smells like burnt matches!
Despite being bigger than 30 Earths, the planet – JAN
scientific name WASP-107b – has very little mass because
et has
it’s a ‘gas giant’, like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Burns Night 25
This weird plan We wonder what else will discovered on this fluffy
a ‘fluffy ’ atmosphere! Celebrate poet Robert Burns
faraway world?!
with a Burns Night supper!
**An exoplanet is any planet that orbits a star beyond our solar system.

Teen saves grandad! Henry and his FEB

Mayday, mayday! A quick-thinking teen

saved his grandad’s life last September after
grateful
grandad! 2
he fell into the sea from their sailing boat. World Wetlands Day
Thirteen-year-old Henry and his grandad David Say ‘yay’ for our precious bogs,
Richards, 70, were competing in a sailing race in swamps and marshes!
St. Austell Bay, Cornwall, when David tumbled
overboard. Left alone on the 5m-long boat, Henry
kept calm. He collapsed the spinnaker sail, slowing
the craft down, then radioed for urgent help.
Soon, the Fowey RNLI lifeboats arrived and their
volunteers scooped David from the waves before
helping Henry sail safely back to harbour. FEB FEB
Henry was reunited with
Thanks to Henry’s swift actions, David was rescued
after just 20 minutes in the water. He was cold and
the Fowey RNLI rescue crew
last month and they gave
5 –11
tired but otherwise unharmed. Well done, Henry! him a certificate of thanks! Children’s Mental
Health Week

Mole and tracks © JP Le Roux / Re:wild; Henry lifeboat (both) © RNLI / Ian Foster; Planet © LUCA School of Arts, Belgium /
Learn how to take care of your mind!

Susie Dent’s HAPPY WORD of the month!

Klaas Verpoest; Studio Ghibli stage show, photograph by Manuel Harlan © RSC with Nippon TV; My Neighbour Totoro
FEB

10

art © Studio Ghibli / Tokuma-Shoten / Nibariki / Kobal / Shutterstock; All others © Getty Images UK.
M EA N D Chinese New Year
Head to page 18 to welcome

In ancient times, a certain river,

ER in the Year of the Dragon!

named after the river god

Maeander, was celebrated for
its long and winding course.
It turned this way and that as it FEB
FEB
flowed through a region called Ionia
until it reached the Aegean Sea. This river still flows today in south- 14 –21
western Turkey, and is now called the Büyük Menderes River. The
Maeander River was so well known that ‘meandering’ became a word National Nestbox Month
in English for wandering aimlessly or following a winding course. Could you put up a nestbox
And the word can truly bring feelings of calm and serenity, as you to help local birds?
picture yourself meandering across a field on a lazy summer’s day.

This wonderful word is taken from Roots of Happiness: 100 Words for
Joy and Hope by Susie Dent, illustrated by Harriet Hobday. natgeokids.com 5
WACKY
WORLD!
Check out
the planet’s
strangest
pictures…

A dog’s life Jungle giants

Meet Toco, the collie. Or rather, ‘Toco’, the human who spends
his days dressed as a collie! The anonymous man, from Tokyo
in Japan, splashed £10,250 on his fetch-ing canine costume,
realising his childhood dream of becoming a ‘dog’. People stop
him when he’s out and about to take photos or stroke him – and
he’s even been interviewed in, er, pawson on TV. Howl strange!
Until 21 January, visitors to the Jardin des Plantes in
Paris, France, can head off on a magical nighttime walk
around the 17th-century botanical garden, getting up
close to gigantic lanterns shaped like rainforest plants
and animals from around the world. Very cool!

Pebble Picasso

Pebble Picasso © Justin Bateman; A dog’s life © Franck Robichon /

EPA-EFE / Shutterstock; ; All others © Getty Images UK.
Justin Bateman makes portraits of
people and animals out of a very
unusual material – stones! The artist,
from Portsmouth in Hampshire, can
take up to a month to painstakingly
position pebbles of different sizes and
colours into these amazing mosaics,
which range from 1m to 8m in size.
“Each piece can contain between 2,000
and 30,000 stones,” Jason explains. Whoa!

ROOFTOP
RELAXATION
This ‘giant ‘ was spotted
hanging out on the roof of
a house in Shanghai, China,
recently. Turns out it was
just a sculpture, placed
there to promote a
clothing brand!
HAIR-
LARIOUS
Check out this hairy pair!
The dad and son were two
of the competitors in the
Mulletfest 2023 Grand Final
in Australia’s Hunter Valley, WILD RIDE
raising money for brain Hundreds of people took to
cancer research. the skies in November during the
Trim-endous! 21st International Hot Air Balloon
Festival in Leon, Mexico. This bird-
shaped balloon was our fave flyer!
 On the Ice
With

Filmmaker and National Geographic

Explorer Bertie Gregory spent ten
days filming harp seals in the wild.
Here he tells us how he became just
another pup in this seal family…

I’m watching a ten-day-old harp seal pup peer

off the edge of a piece of sea ice in the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, off the coast of Canada. Its mum yelps at it
from the water, encouraging the pup to join her. The pup
looks at me with its big, black eyes as if to ask, ‘Should I do it?’
“I’ve been in Canada for ten days filming these newborns
during their first days of life. These pups are born into an
icy world where they must quickly learn how to survive –
and I want to show how tough these cute creatures are.
I also really want to film a pup diving into the ocean for
its first-ever swim.
“I’m shivering. I’ve been in the minus 1°C water for nearly half
an hour. But if I get out now, I might miss capturing the seal’s
first dive. My teeth chatter as I tighten my grip on my waterproof
camera. I’ve worked too hard to miss what happens next.

Bertie
observes a
harp seal pup

8 National Geographic Kids

 PUPS ON ICE
“Flash back to nearly two weeks ago: I’m peering
out of a helicopter’s window, looking at
thousands of harp seals gathered on floating
chunks of sea ice called floes. The females
are caring for their pups, which are born
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from late
February to early March.
I A “The helicopter lands on a floe
S E
at the edge of the harp seal

U
A
colony. Under the whirring

R
O
ARCTIC
propellers, I jump out. I’m

PE
OCEAN GR
(D EE
e
PACIFIC OCEA

followed by filmmaker

N ma
LA rk
n
ND )
Spencer Millsap and

CE NTIC
Norman Gregoire, a local ice

AN
expert who acts as our guide

A
Gulf of St. Lawrence

TL
and makes sure we don’t get
N

N O RT H

A
O
AMERICA Madeleine Islands into any unsafe situations.
(Canada)
“The ice is crowded with
hundreds of teeny-tiny pups
Where
harp seals that have just been born. Some are
live only 15 minutes old. The newborns
aren’t very cute – they’re pale yellow
and soggy. But in a few hours, their fur dries
out and puffs up, making them the cutest
animals on the planet!
“The pups are nervous. We hear their pitiful
squeaking, so we hang back. They’re also very
weak, not yet strong enough to lift their
heads. I think about how they’ll transform from
flabby little blobs to fluffy white sausages in
just a few days. Watching them drink their
mother’s milk, I know they’ll gain
blubber (fat) fast. They
have to. When they’re

Bertie with pup © Spencer Millsap; Bertie headshot © Getty Images UK.
about 12 days old, their Each year,
mums will disappear harp seals can
forever, migrating north migrate about
towards Greenland and 5,000km.
their feeding grounds.
“After about ten hours,
Main image and single pup © Bertie Gregory;

the helicopter arrives to take us

back to the nearby Madeleine Islands, where
we’ll be sleeping. We leave a GPS beacon
behind to mark the position of the colony.
Since the seals live on top of floating ice,
the wind and currents will move their
home to a different location. Tomorrow,
the seals could be 30km away, so we’ll
need the GPS to find them.”

Turn over to get up close to

these amazing animals…
A harp seal dives
into the icy water

natgeokids.com 9
 “But that’s when I spot a pup eyeing the
pool with its enormous eyes, like it’s thinking
about jumping into the water. I grab my
camera and gently enter the pool.
“At first, the pup’s mum is not happy to see
me. She circles me in the water, as if she’s
asking, ‘What are you?’ I know she’s just
protecting her baby. After watching me bob
in the water, she decides I’m a useless
Adult creature, not a threat! She then ignores
harp seals can me and starts swimming back and
dive as deep as forth along the ice’s edge, gently
300m – that’s calling to her pup to encourage it
almost as deep to test out the water.
as Paris’ Eiffel “Then, suddenly – splash! The pup
Tower is tall! bellyflops into the pool. It’s freaking
out, thrashing all over the place and
calling for its mother like a little sheep.
Mum swims towards the pup, calling out as
Staying warm in his drysuit, if to say, ‘You’ve got this!’
Bertie films in the freezing water

tiny bit of exposed skin on my upper lip,

PUP KISSES
“As the pup figures out how to stay afloat,
SHADOWING but I focus on the seals and not the
temperature. Maybe the pups sense how Mum zooms over to scare off some large
SEALS cold I am, because they don’t want to join
me. I don’t blame them!
male harp seals trying to enter the pool.
She doesn’t want anything harming her baby.
“Throughout our first week, we watch “With Mum busy, it’s just me and the pup.
the pups learn to move across the ice.
Unlike sea lions, which have longer INTO THE OCEAN The baby blinks at me, like it’s trying to
figure out what I might be. Wiggling its
flippers and a strong upper body to help “By day ten, we still haven’t seen a pup whiskers, it paddles forward. I stay still,
them ‘walk,’ seals have short flippers that take its first swim. I’m starting to worry not sure what’s going to happen. The pup
can’t lift their bodies. So pups and adults that lugging our equipment around this sniffs my face – then it leans forward and
move on the ground like fluffy frozen habitat has all been for nothing. tries to give me a kiss!
caterpillars, flopping all over the place.
“The pups spend much of their first week
alone on the ice, waiting for their mums A photo from a helicopter
to return from hunting. But during the shows two harp seals in a pool
second week, the mums begin calling out
for the pups to join them in the water.
The mothers must now teach their pups
how to swim before all the adults head
north for good. My chance to see a pup’s
first swimming lesson is close.
“Between floating pieces of ice are pools
of water – some as small as a garden
paddling pool – that are perfect for a pup’s
first swim. So I look for babies hanging out
near the edges, hoping they’ll soon splash
into the ocean.
“Wearing my drysuit, I quietly slip into
a pool where some mums are calling out
to their babies. The icy water stings the

Quick-
change
artists
Fast-growing 1 day old 3 days old 12 days old » 21 days old
harp seal pups Yellowcoat Whitecoat Greycoat Ragged jacket
don’t look the A newborn Bleached by Spots and As the pup sheds
same for long. harp seal is pale the sun, the darker fur its white coat, it
These eight yellow because seal’s soft fur start to show takes on a tattered
names describe its fur has been turns pure white through the appearance. Some
the seal’s stained by the and stays that pup’s white pups swim and
different stages fluids in its way for nearly fur, giving it a dive on their
of growth… mother’s womb. two weeks. greyish look. own at this stage.

Filming © Spencer Millsap; Seals in ice, mum and baby © Bertie Gregory; Yellowcoat © Jeff Foott /
10 National Geographic Kids
Getty Images; Whitecoat © Werner Bollmann / Getty Images; Greycoat © Gary Cralle / Getty Images;
Beater © Jennifer Hayes / National Geographic Image Collection; Adult © T. Nakamura Volvox Inc. / Getty Images.
A mum and baby get close
for a ‘harp seal kiss’
“This behaviour, called a ‘harp seal
kiss,’ is usually between the mum and
the baby so they can get to know each
other’s scent. I don’t want this pup to
think I’m a relative, so I float away from
the baby, as if to say, ‘Nope, I’m not
your mum!’
BENEATH THE ICE
“For an hour and a half, I watch the
pup go from flopping around in a panic to
excitedly doggy-paddling around the pool.
Still filming, I capture the baby dipping its
entire body underwater. Above the surface,
these creatures sound like sheep, but
down below, their echoes off the ice
sound like an alien invasion. Listening to
this strange sci-fi soundtrack, I watch the
Harp
seals are known
as ‘earless’ seals
mum and pup swirl through because they don’t a graceful underwater acrobat.
the water like ballet dancers. have external I feel especially grateful to have
“Soon the pup tires and is earflaps. (They been accepted into this harp
ready to get out. For the next do have ears, seal colony.
ten minutes, it tries to pull itself though!) “Before I saw a pup in person,
out of the water, with the mum I couldn’t imagine how a two-
nudging its backside with her nose. week-old seal could survive on its
Eventually, back on the ice, the own in such a harsh environment. But
exhausted pup drinks more milk
before falling asleep.
after watching how quickly these animals
adapt, I get it. They’re the ultimate
survivors. Hopefully when they’re
HARP SEALS older, the pups we’ve seen will be
teaching their own babies how
FOREVER to swim for the first time.
“I look at Spencer and Norman in
amazement: we’ve just seen a harp seal pup
Flipper over the page to see
swim for the first time! It’s been so incredible more pics of cute pups!
seeing this wobbly blob on the ice turn into

25 days old » 14 months old 4 years old » 5–10 years old

Beater Bedlamer Spotted harp Adult harp
The young seal is Another moult A black pattern Mature males
now silvery grey and the seal gets begins to appear and many
with black spots. a new name that on the coat as females also
The name ‘beater’ sounds like the the spots fade. develop black
refers to its clumsy French phrase Some females markings on
early attempts to ‘bête de la mer,’ or keep this their faces
swim and dive. ‘beast of the sea.’ ‘harp’ for life. and backs.

natgeokids.com 11
 SEAL SNAPS! TOA BABY SEAL TAKES
THE WAVES…

A brave
pup goes
for its
first swim…

...while its mum looks

on with encouragement!

2 “GO FOR IT, KID!”

1 “I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS, MUM...”

Harp
seals have a see-
through eyelid
that protects
their eyes
underwater.

The seal pup checks

out Bertie during
its first swim
3 “I DID IT! I’M SWIMMING!”

4 “SO… WHAT ARE YOU?”

 Shrinking

Pup looking down © Ingo Arndt / NPL / Minden Pictures; Mum, pup swimming and Bertie with pup ©
Bertie Gregory; Pup looking up © Fred Bruemmer / Getty Images; Pup resting © Mario Cyr / National
sea ice
In March 2021, harp seal
pups were photographed on
a snow-covered beach in
Canada (below). The problem?
Well, adult harp seals usually
give birth on the ice in the
middle of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence – not on land.
As the Earth’s temperature
rises, so does the temperature
of the ocean. And that means

Geographic Image Collection.

there’s less pack ice for harp
seals to give birth on. Helpless
newborn pups need stable sea
ice to rest on – if they’re born
on the shore, they risk being
eaten by land-based predators
such as coyotes or crushed by
chunks of ice.
Experts are using drone
technology to study these
animals and their habitat to
come up with ways to fight
climate change in the region.
The scientists hope they
can learn from these ‘eyes
in the sky’ and better protect
the harp seal pups in their
icy environment.

A pup rests on
a snow-covered
beach in a town
near Canada’s

5 “CAN I GO AGAIN?”
Gulf of St. Lawrence

ANIMALS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY IS STREAMING ON DISNEY+

natgeokids.com 13
 THE Artificial Intelligence
expert Professor Mike
Wooldridge explains the
tech everyone’s talking
about – and how it will

INTERVIEW completely change the

world. But don’t panic!

ridge
Name: Mike Woold
at
Job: Professor of AI ford
the Un iversity of Ox
s 14
Fun fact : Mike wa
en he got his first
wh
wa y ba ck
computer, e
in 1980. He fell in lov use
g be ca
with computin
it was so creative – s
and spent long hour
programming late
into the night!

Be careful
what you share
on social media!
AI technology –
Tech companies
known as neural use your info as
networks – was
inspired by looking at ‘training data’.
animal brains under
a microscope!
All images of Mike or Christmas Lectures © Paul Wilkinson Photography UK; All others © Getty Images UK.

Many AI

WANT TO WORK IN AI?

robots are based
on animals, not
humans! That’s
Here’s Mike’s advice! because they can move
and balance more
“If you want to be an AI researcher like me, don’t be afraid easily with four
of mathematics. Maths is the language of science and or more legs.
so it helps with AI. But actually you don’t need to be an AI
researcher to do amazing things. Young people growing
up with this technology will do things old fogeys like me
can only dream of!”
Watch: Tune into the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures at
8pm on BBC Four from 26–28 December, or watch on iPlayer.
Study: Maths! But also Science subjects and Psychology.
Read: Robots, Gadgets, and Artifical Intelligence from
Oxford University Press.

14 National Geographic Kids Mike with a talking robot dog!

 Hi Mike! First things
first: what exactly is
Artificial Intelligence?
AI – Artificial Intelligence
– is computer programs
that can do things which
previously only human brains,
bodies and nervous systems could do.
Can you give us some examples of
AI that we’re already using?
Voice assistant devices like Alexa and
Siri are very much AI. And those apps on
smartphones that can turn you into an
old person, or make you look like an
alien, they’re all Artificial Intelligence!
If you’ve ever used Google Translate
that’s AI, too. And you may
open your smartphone with
facial recognition – also AI.
Wow, so it’s everywhere
Intelligence
already! How does AI
learn to do things – like saving lives!”
recognise faces in photos,
for example?
Every time you upload a picture of
yourself onto social media and tag it
with your name, you’re providing what
we call ‘training data’ for the AI to use.
Got it. What’s the most incredible
thing that AI can already do?
It’s transforming healthcare right now!
There are computer programs that
can analyse X-rays or scans taken
at the hospital and recognise when
something’s wrong. That’s life-saving!
In the future, AI could improve our health
on a massive scale.
Can AI help wildlife, too?
AI drones with cameras are already being
used to monitor some national parks.
They can check the vegetation to ensure
that animals have enough to eat and
are healthy. They can also patrol parks,
looking for
AiDa Robot – the world’s first ultra-realistic
robot artist – will join Mike on stage during the
Christmas Lectures, and paint his portrait!
Expand your mind at the
Ri Christmas Lectures!
poachers. In the
decades ahead, I think
‘Environmental Monitoring’ Mike high-fives
will be one of the big and cool an AI robot!
uses – it could also help us
understand and prevent climate change.
Will AI ever be used to help us Fun! Can AI robots experience feelings
communicate or emotions?
“Artificial with animals? They can already pretend that they have
Oh yes. We’re going to emotions, but they don’t experience
see a super-cool anything. AI might make you think
is already example of it’s happy or sad, but it really,
this in the really isn’t.
Royal Will that ever happen?
Institution Christmas The truth is, most
Lectures (see bottom people working in AI
left). But I’m not don’t find the idea
allowed to tell you of machines with
any more about emotions very
it, I’m afraid! interesting. I mean,
You tease! You’re why would I build
also going to an AI toaster that
conduct a ‘Turing hated itself because
Test’ to see if people it burnt my toast?
can tell the difference It’s pointless!
between a human and British mathematician Alan Haha! Should we
an AI response. Please Turing, 1912 –1954 worry about AI taking
tell us more! over the world?
Well, this test was invented by Alan There’s an ‘extinction scenario’
Turing, who was one of the first serious theory that AI is going to take over from
thinkers about AI. He was fed up with the human race and get rid of us all –
people saying, “Oh, machines will never because why would intelligent machines
be able to understand or think.” So he need us? But I don’t believe that.
invented the Turing Test as a way of Phew!
shutting them up! Another scenario is that we will have
Ha! How does it work? robot servants doing everything
You have a human ‘judge’ who doesn’t for us and so we’ll never have to
know if they’re having a conversation work again. I don’t believe that either.
(via a computer screen) with a human There’s no doubt that AI will replace
or AI. Alan Turing said that if, after a some jobs, though! What kind of
short period of time asking them jobs do you think will be left when
questions, the judge can’t tell our readers grow up?
who’s who, then we should I’m an optimist about this. If we do it
just accept that AI has human- right then AI will take the jobs that we
like intelligence. really don’t want to do; the dangerous,
Has AI ever passed the test? boring jobs which don’t require much
There have been many attempts imagination. But most people will
since Turing invented it 70 encounter AI as just another tool that
years ago. But no computer they use like a computer. It won’t
programmers have got close replace them
until recently. So we’re going
to try this out at the Christmas Turn the page
Lectures with some special to learn more…
guest judges.
natgeokids.com 15
 That is optimistic. But it
turns out that AI is very The UK
good at creative things, Government hosted
too. It can write songs, a recent AI Safety
plays and poems, and Summit to talk about
produce artwork… British PM Rishi Sunak the risks of Artifical
Yes, over the last couple of years, and tech boss Elon Musk Intelligence and
AI has turned out to be surprisingly talk about AI safety how AI could be
creative. I don’t think J.K. Rowling or regulated.
Taylor Swift need to be worried – but
some kinds of creative jobs are a bit The only thing we can do is go to
under threat. trusted media sources where we can
So what jobs can’t AI do? have confidence that what we’re reading
Work that involves manual dexterity is accurate and has been fact-checked.
– using your hands. There’s no AI Do you think there should be more What do you
technology on the horizon that’s going rules around AI? think about kids using AI programmes
to replace physical jobs like plumbers, I do. Some companies use AI programs to like Chat GPT to help with homework?
carpenters or electricians. And we’re not call you up on your telephone and let you It can be a useful research tool – but
remotely near to having AI that could go believe that it’s a human being that you’re it’s not perfect. So always double check
in and tidy up a scruffy bedroom. talking to! Do you think that’s acceptable? that what it’s telling you is true. The
Oh, that’s a shame! I don’t. You should never be fooled into golden rule is to never pass off
Some of the things that humans find thinking that you’re talking something that AI
easy, like riding a bicycle, are actually to another human being. “AI can’t tidy produced as your
tremendously difficult for AI. That’s weird! We agree. own work.
That’s interesting to know. Are there It’s also sensible to have up a scruffy We think this would be
any other worries about AI? regulation around how bedroom yet – a good time to mention
data about you is used by
A risk that already concerns us is Artificial
AI algorithms and tech
unfortunately!” that we brainstormed
some of these questions
Intelligence spreading deepfakes* or
misinformation on social media. companies. If you care using ChatGPT!
Can you give us an example? about your privacy – and you should – Did you really?! I’m shocked and stunned.
Well, during elections, AI can be used then you need to think about what I feel cheated!
to produce fake stories about AI does with your data. Haha! Sorry, Mike. We wanted to try
politicians doing or saying *Deepfakes Why should we care it out as a research tool. For our final
something horrible. It can then are AI-generated about privacy? question – what do you think the
target people who it knows videos or images that Unfortunately, once data future of AI will look like?
are likely to believe these fake make it look like the about you is out there on In the best-case scenario, it’s going to
stories based on views they people in them are the internet it’s virtually free us from an awful lot of drudgery
have shared on social media. doing or saying things impossible to get rid of it. and enrich our lives. And your readers
By being fed disinformation they never actually So you might film yourself are going to be the ones that use this
in their ‘news feed’, people did or said! doing something which you technology in ways we can’t even begin
may be persuaded to vote in a think is funny at the age of to imagine right now. It’s going to be
way that they wouldn’t have nine and upload it on social weird, but it’s going to be wonderful!
otherwise. And that would be worrying. media. But in ten years’ time you Let’s hope so! Thanks, Mike.
Yikes! So how can we make sure might not think it’s funny at all. And it
that stories we’re hearing on social might come back to haunt you when NGK used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas
media are true? you’re applying for a job! for some of these questions.

EXPERIMENTING WITH AI ASK AN

A great way to figure out what AI can do is ADULT!
Mike © Paul Wilkinson Photography; All others © Getty Images UK.

to grab a grown-up and have a play around

with ChatGPT – a free ChatBot from OpenAI.
But you MUST do this WITH a responsible
adult, because it is not meant for kids under
13, and kids over 13 must have permission
from a parent. You can use Chat GPT as a
Chatbot, or you can give it prompts to
create poems, stories, letters and images.
IMPORTANT: Anything you type will be
remembered, so NEVER reveal any
personal information!

AI created this super-realistic

harp seal image!
 r e - o p e n i n g 2 5 t h j a n u a r y, 2 0 2 4

more than a hotel

©Disney

e x p l o r e m o r e o n d i s n e y l a n d pa r i s . c o m
SPECCIAESS
E!
SHOW

KOMODO DRAGON
From: Komodo and other Lesser Sunda islands in
Indonesia, Southeast Asia
The largest lizards on Earth, these fearsome reptiles can measure
3m long – that’s way longer than your bed! – and weigh more
than an adult human! Powerful hunters, their bite
contains a deadly venom that stops
blood clotting. After an attack,
they calmly follow prey,
waiting for the toxins
to take effect
before tucking
in. Scary!

Male Komodo
dragons fight for a
mate by wrestling
on their hind legs.
Using their tails
to balance, they
try to throw their
opponent to the
ground. Eek!

Flying draco lizard © Alamy; All others © Getty Images UK.

LEAFY SEADRAGON
From: Rocky reefs off the south coast of Australia
Thanks to their amazing leaflike camouflage,
these fish are perfectly hidden in seaweed. They
slurp up thousands of tiny shrimps each day using
their straw-like mouths, eventually growing to about
30cm in length – that’s almost the height of this mag!

DRACO LIZARD
From: Tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia
Also known as ‘flying dragons,’ these lizards
have ‘wings’ and can glide over 50m between
trees! The teacup-sized reptiles catch the
breeze using flaps of skin that unfold ‘Draco’ is
between their long ribs. Wow! Latin for
‘dragon’.
 According to the
Chinese New Year begins Chinese Zodiac, people
born in dragon years are
on 10 February – and 2024 natural leaders who
is the Year of the Dragon. don’t shy away from
We celebrate by checking challenges. The last
dragon year was 2012 –
out seven real-life ‘dragons’! do you know anyone
water, and are thought
The flying,
firebreathing,
In Chinese
mythology, dragons
people-chomping
monsters of myths,
are wise, powerful
films and novels don’t
creatures that
really exist – but
symbolise good
fortune. They live in
there’s plenty of
inspiration to be
found in nature!
to have power over
the wind and rain.

SPINY BUSH VIPER

From: Rainforests, woods and swamps in Central Africa
With their beady eyes and spiny scales, these scary
snakes might be mistaken for legless dragons (aka
‘wyrms‘ in mythology). They spend the day snoozing in
flowering bushes, waking up at night to ambush prey
with a fatal, venomous bite.

BLUE DRAGON
From: Temperate and tropical
oceans worldwide
This ‘dragon’ is a toxic sea slug
its back at the ocean’s surface
siphonophores (jellyfish-like creatures). It
cells inside its blue frills, making itself

SHOCKING PINK
DRAGON MILLIPEDE
From: Limestone caves in Thailand, Southeast Asia
Discovered in 2007, these millipedes are named for
their pink spines, which reminded scientists of
dragon scales! If threatened, the 3cm-long bugs roll
up like hedgehogs with their spines facing out. They
secrete a poisonous chemical from defence glands
on the sides of their bodies. Yikes!

BEARDED DRAGON
From: Deserts, savannahs and scrublands in Australia
These reptiles wave, bob their heads, and change the
colour of their spiny ‘beard’ to communicate with other
lizards. If their chin is puffed up and the spiky ‘beard’
scales are dark-coloured, steer clear – because it means
the beardy could be ready to attack!
 A DV E RT I S E M E N T

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done! 
 RED SQUiRREL

© Getty Images UK.

 POLAR BEAR

© Getty Images UK.

© Getty Images UK.
SNOWY OWL
© Getty Images UK.

BOBCAT
 15
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 WHAT YOUR BIRTHSTONE MIGHT SAYABOUT YOU…

These
descriptio
are just fo ns
r
so don’t w fun,
orr
if they don y
match you ’t
personailtyr
!

NORTH Aquamarine
AMERICA PAKISTAN
EUROPE
Turquoise
UNITED Emerald ASIA
STATES COLOMBIA JAPAN
AFRICA Pearl
Peridot
KENYA THAILAND
SOUTH
AMERICA Garnet Ruby
Amethyst TANZANIA SRI LANKA
BRAZIL Sapphire
Topaz
SOUTH AFRICA AUSTRALIA
Diamond Opal
Some places
where gems
are mined… ANTARCTICA

26 National Geographic Kids

JANUARY
GARNET
REPRESENTS LOYALTY
No one would describe you as a flaky friend. You stick
up for your BFFs if others put them down, and you’re
always ready to listen when a pal has a problem.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Some people believe that garnets
offer protection from poisons,
injuries and even scary dreams.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
You can find garnets in streams
where water has worn away
rock, exposing the gems.
Before they’re polished,
garnets look like small
pebbles. They come in
shades of red, black and
green (the rarest). Some
are even colourless.
Star with this stone:
Greta Thunberg
3 January 2003
MARCH
AQUAMARINE
REPRESENTS COURAGE
You stand up to bullies whether they’re bothering
you, your family or your friends. You’re never a coward.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
People used to believe that aquamarines could
protect sailors and their ships from disasters at
sea. The aquamarine was also thought to heal
illnesses that affected the stomach, liver,
jaws and throat, and was supposedly an
antidote to poison.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Aquamarines, which are a form of the
mineral beryl, range from blue-green
to deep blue. Naturally occurring
deep-blue aquamarines are the rarest
and most valuable. Some of these
crystals weigh more than 100kg!
Star with this
stone:
Halle Bailey
27 March 2000
Picture credits on page 42.
FEBRUARY
AMETHYST
REPRESENTS SINCERITY
Being two-faced or half-hearted isn’t your thing.
What you say to your friends and family is
genuine and honest.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Amethysts supposedly have good
powers. It was believed that they
helped people stay awake and think
clearly, protected against evil spells,
and brought victory in battle.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Amethysts are found in geodes, which look
like ugly rocks on the outside. But cracked
open, a geode reveals sparkling raw
amethyst crystals that range in colour
from light mauve to deep purple.
At one time, you could only wear
amethyst jewellery if you were royalty.
Star with this stone:
Harry Styles
1 February 1994
APRIL
DIAMOND
REPRESENTS ENDURING LOVE
You don’t carry grudges and are quick to
make up after arguing with someone in
your family or group of friends.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
People associated the sparkle of diamonds with
romance, mystery, power, greed and magic.
Many once believed that they were made by
bolts of lightning.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Diamonds develop deep in the ground under great
pressure. The gems are the crystalline form of
carbon. (Another form of carbon is graphite,
the lead in pencils.) Diamonds are the hardest
naturally occurring substance on Earth.
Star with this stone:
Melanie Martinez
28 April 1995
natgeokids.com 27
 MAY
EMERALD
REPRESENTS PURE LOVE
Your affection for those you love is clear. You’re not
embarrassed by hugs – even from your parents in
front of your friends!
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
An emerald can melt a snake’s eyes!
Well, that’s what people used to believe.
They also thought these gems would
relax your eyes if you looked through
them. Emeralds were believed to
stop bleeding, cure fevers and keep
the wearer calm. They even supposedly
held powers for predicting the future!
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Emeralds are sometimes found inside shale,
a rock with a very fine grain. Like aquamarines,
they’re a form of the mineral beryl. These gems
are light to deep green.
Star with this stone:
JoJo Siwa
19 May 2003
JULY
RUBY
REPRESENTS CONTENTMENT
You’re happy with yourself and your life. You don’t
feel the need to make changes.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Some people thought that rubies contained the
spark of life. Many believed that the gems
glowed from within and that royalty
and gods used rubies to light their
homes. That also meant that the stones
couldn’t be stolen, because they’d
shine through the thieves’ clothing. A
ruby supposedly brought good health,
cured bleeding, guarded against
wickedness and foretold bad luck.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Rubies are a red form of the mineral corundum.
All other colours of corundum are sapphires (see the
September section). Large gem-quality diamonds,
emeralds and sapphires are scarce, but rubies
are the rarest of all.
Star with this stone:
Selena Gomez
22 July 1992
28 National Geographic Kids
JUNE
PEARL
REPRESENTS INNOCENCE
To you, nothing’s better than being a kid and
having fun. You aren’t in any hurry to grow up.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Pearls were thought to possess magical
qualities. By law, only powerful, rich people
could own and wear the gemstones. According
to legend, wealthy Roman women wore pearls to
bed so that when they woke in the morning, they
instantly remembered how rich they were!
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
This is the only birthstone made by living
creatures – oysters and other shellfish.
If a grain of sand finds its way into an
oyster’s shell, the oyster covers the irritating
grit with layers of a shiny substance its body
produces over many years. Eventually the
grain is encased, becoming a pearl.
Star with this stone:
Bobby Brazier
2 June 2003
AUGUST
PERIDOT
REPRESENTS HAPPINESS
You’re cheery aren’t you?! You never get up on the wrong
side of the bed. ‘Grumpy’ definitely doesn’t describe you.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Peridots were once thought to glow in the dark.
People felt that they could ward off anxiety,
help one speak better and improve relationships.
Some believed that peridots protected anyone
wearing them from evil and enchantment.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Peridot is the gem-quality crystal of the olivine rock. It’s
one of the few gems found in meteorites from outer space!
Star with this stone: Jason Momoa
1 August 1979
SEPTEMBER
SAPPHIRE
REPRESENTS CLEAR THINKING
When you know what you want, nothing gets
in your way. You are goal-oriented and
strive to achieve your dreams.
OLD-SCHOOL
MYTHS
Once upon a time, many people
believed that a huge blue
sapphire held up the Earth
and gave the sky its colour.
Sapphires were a source of
protection for travellers and
brought peace and wisdom.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Some sapphires are pale, while others are
brilliant blue. They also come in orange,
green, yellow and pink. (Take a look at July
to see how sapphires are related to rubies.)
Star with this stone:
Jenna Ortega
27 September 2002
NOVEMBER
TOPAZ
REPRESENTS FAITHFULNESS
You’re devoted to those you care about.
Friends and family can always count on you.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
In Ancient Egypt the topaz’s golden glow was
said to come from the sun god Ra, and the stone
was supposedly a powerful amulet against
harm. Other legends proclaimed that a
topaz cleared people’s thinking, increased
strength, and warned of poisoned food
or drink. It supposedly cured insomnia
and asthma, and stopped bleeding.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Topazes come in a range of colours.
Many of them are golden, but some
are pink, green or colourless.
Star with this stone: Ryan Gosling
12 November 1980
OCTOBER
OPAL
REPRESENTS HOPE
You’re never a pessimist and always look at
the bright side of things, seeing something
good in every situation.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Wearing an opal will make you invisible –
according to legend. An opal was also
believed to bring beauty, success and
happiness, as well as medicinal powers
to ward off heart and kidney failure.
It was once said that the opal could
protect a person from lightning.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Opals form over millions of years where hot,
mineral-rich ooze – including the mineral silica
– seeps into rock cracks. Tiny spheres of silica stack up
and harden to become opals. The way light bounces
off the silica creates an opal’s colourful shimmer.
Star with this stone:
Marcus Rashford
31 October 1997
DECEMBER
TURQUOISE
REPRESENTS SUCCESS
Anything you put your mind to works out well,
including moneymaking projects. ‘Defeat’ is not
in your vocabulary.
OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS
Some people believed turquoise was a love charm.
If a man gave a woman turquoise jewellery, he was
pledging his love for her. Many Native Americans
thought turquoise could bring rain and ensured
accurate aim while hunting. Even today in certain
Native American cultures, the blue of turquoise
Picture credits on page 42.
symbolises the sky and the green symbolises Earth.
ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Turquoise forms where mineral-rich water seeps
into rocky gaps. Over time only the minerals remain –
as turquoise. The copper in turquoise gives the gem
its shades of blue and green.
Star with this stone: Billie Eilish
18 December 2001
 Rival male
WINNER ibex fight before
ANIMALS IN THEIR the mating season.
ENVIRONMENT Sometimes their
horns break
as they collide.
Ouch!

Life on the Edge

Amit Eshel, Israel
After hiking to a vantage point on a
clifftop in Israel’s Zin Desert, Amit crept
slowly closer to these clashing Nubian
ibex. He watched for 15 minutes as the
rival males rose up on their hind legs
and rammed each other with their
heads. Finally, one of them surrendered
and the pair parted without injury. Phew!

Lights Fantastic
Sriram Murali, India WINNER
This incredible photo of fireflies, taken BEHAVIOUR:
by Sriram in the Anamalai Tiger INVERTEBRATES
Reserve in Tamil Nadu, India, is a
combination of 50 different pictures!
Sriram used a long exposure on his
camera to show the thousands of
firefly flashes that lit up the dark
forest over a 16-minute period. Whoa!

Fireflies are
actually beetles.
They communicate
using bioluminescence
– a chemical reaction
in their bodies
that makes
them glow.
 Check out eight extraordinary
pictures from the Natural The winning
History Museum’s Wildlife photographs
Photographer of the Year were selected
competition – and discover from almost
50,000
the stories behind the entries!
winning shots…

WINNER
Hippo Nursery
Mike Korostelev, Russia
UNDERWATER Photographer Mike had spent two years
visiting the hippos in Kosi Bay, South
Africa, and so the 1,400kg mammals
were used to his boat. But he still knew
that his presence underwater could alarm
the protective mother, so he only spent
20 seconds snapping this amazing shot
of the mum and her two calves.

Adult hippos
can hold their
breath underwater
for up to five
minutes!

WINNER
BEHAVIOUR:
MAMMALS

Bertie Gregory
Whales Making Waves is an NG Explorer!
Bertie Gregory, UK You can read about
Battling freezing conditions, Bertie used a drone to his adventures
take this remarkable image of a pod of orcas preparing with harp seals
to ‘wave wash’ a Weddell seal in Antarctica. The orcas on page 8.
charge towards the ice floe, creating a wave that
washes the seal into the water. Clever!
natgeokids.com 31
 WINNER
BEHAVIOUR: AMPHIBIANS
AND REPTILES

The Tadpole Banquet

Juan Jesús Gonzalez Ahumada, Spain
This unfortunate little baby bird drowned
Common after tumbling into a pond on its first ever
toad tadpoles flight – and these common toad tadpoles
eat everything from took full advantage of the fallen feast. Eek!
algae to little insects, Photographer Juan witnessed this wild
but they tend to eat drama unfold near his house, showing you
more meat as don’t need to go far to capture fascinating –
they grow. and shocking – animal behaviour!

Fungi use spores

WINNER to reproduce. If the
PLANTS AND FUNGI spores land where
there’s moisture and
food, they’ll grow
into new fungus
networks.

Last Breath of Autumn

Agorastos Papatsanis, Greece
Crouching under an umbrella to keep
his camera dry, Agorastos snapped this
parasol mushroom releasing billions of
tiny spores from gills under its fleshy
cap. The wisps of colourful dust were
lit up in the dark by his camera flash
passing through the spore-laden air
currents and rain. Magical!
 WINNER
NATURAL ARTISTRY

The Art of Courtship

Rachel Bigsby, UK
Photographer Rachel had a mission: to Each summer,
showcase northern gannets gathering over 22,000
on the towering cliffs of Shetland’s Isle northern gannets
of Noss. But it was tricky – the turbulent gather to breed
swell rocked her boat, pushing her off on the Isle
balance. Finally, she snapped this pair, of Noss.
intertwining their necks in front of a cliff
streaked with bird poo. How romantic!

The Ancient Mariner

Laurent Ballesta, France
OVERALL Shuffling along the sea floor, a luminous,
WINNER alien-like creature searches for food. It’s
a tri-spine horseshoe crab, a now
endangered animal that’s been around
for over 100 million years! Laurent took
the pic in protected waters around the
Philippines, as three golden trevally
fish swam above, waiting for leftovers.

The bright
blue blood of
horseshoe crabs
is used to develop
life-saving vaccines,
but this has led to
overfishing.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year, featuring

100 incredible images, is on display at London’s
Natural History Museum until 30 June 2024.
JUNIOR
EXPLORERS’
ECO-HERO!
Hi NG KiDS!
Earlier this year, I
designed a poster
about littering,
plastic pollution
and dog waste. I
wrote to the Chief Eden met the M
ayor
and the Chief Ex
Executive of North ecutive
of her local Coun
East Lincolnshire cil
Council about it Eden’s poster on
and a few weeks later I one of the bins
received a letter back.
The Chief Executive said
that he wanted to put my

GORGEOUS
poster on some local bins
and I was invited to meet

GEORGIE
with the Mayor to talk about
my letter. My poster is now
displayed on ten bins across
our local community!
Eden, 9
O Top work, Eden!
We hope your poster Name: Georgie
encourages people to look Breed: Golden retriever
after the environment. Age: 4 months
Loves: Sitting in autumn leaves, getting
treats and eating people’s trousers!
Hates: Hula hoop toys, cats in the neighbour’s
SAVE OUR FISH! garden and being told “no”
Owners: Eva Zoe, 9, and Rachel, 8
Hi Nat Geo Kids,
Here is a poster I
made to educate
people on
the effects of
overfishing and
shark fin soup.
Please share it
to help spread
the word!
Monty, 10
OGreat poster,
Monty – and really
powerful words.
Well done!

Hello! I am really interested in learning

about birds and was inspired to draw
this gyrfalcon when reading the book
Wild About Fierce Creatures.
Phoebe , 8
O Brilliant drawing, Phoebe. Did you know
that gyrfalcons are the largest falcons in
the world? They can fly over 100kmph!

34 National Geographic Kids

 YOUR BOOK
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Send us pics of your amazing art projects, cute pets
and wonderful wildlife sightings, and tell us about the

REVIEWS
inspiring things you’ve been up to. Have you visited a cool
museum? Done something to help your community? Been
on a wild adventure? We want to know! Our fave reports
will appear on these pages. Email us at kids@ngkids.co.uk

AMAZING MUSEUM Clarity Jones and the

Magical Detective Agency Chris Smith
Set in a city in the realm of Rillia, this fun
Hi Nat Geo Kids, book is about the adventures of Clarity
Today I went to the Ashmolean Jones M.I (Magical Investigator) and her
Museum in Oxford. There gang of apprentice detectives when they
was an Egyptian tomb with a investigate the mysterious case of
statue of a god inside. I also a vanishing jester. It made me
saw a very amazing artefact laugh a lot and I didn’t want it
called the Alfred Jewel. to end! My favourite characters
We saw a statue of a were Mutt the lonely orphan
gladiator and he was wearing and Mirko the snow goblin who
a stone cloth which looked didn’t like getting dirty.
real. I got this postcard
there, too. It’s one of their Eve, 11
paintings. The museum is
well worth a visit! Call Of The Titanic Lindsay Galvin
Ruby, 8 Ruby with her
Ashmolean
As the shaggy dog opened his eyes, he
O What a fab day out, Ruby. wondered what the strange noise was
Did you know the Alfred postcard!
coming from the corner of the hold…
Jewel is over 1,000 years old?!
This book is realistic fiction and a real
page-turner. It’s about a girl
called Clara Scott, who’s a
survivor of the Titanic,

OUR
not to forget Rigel, a fluffy

Y
FUN STUFF
bear of a dog.
I recommend this book to
anyone who likes books based
in the past. I give it five stars.
MAKE ITS Krishan, 9

Thank you for the Christmas

Magic Keepers: Tunnel Trouble Linda Chapman
countdown activity in issue This mystery book is about a girl called Ava who lives in
223! I had great fun making it. her aunt’s old house with her mum,
I found lots of jokes and riddles younger sister Mai and dog Pepper –
to write inside it and it was but there’s something else there, too…
bigger than me in the end! One day, Mai finds a stray white
Jack, 5 petal on a shelf and puts
OWow, Jack, what a whopper! it into a stone gargoyle’s
We’re glad you enjoyed making it. mouth. The gargoyle comes
to life and starts to look after
Mai – but Ava and her friends
think it’s bad! Can they save
Mai before it’s too late?
Juliette, 7

FUNNY FAN! Mabel with

Hello! her fantastic
I really like Nat Geo Kids magazine because it is full of NGK posters
interesting facts and fun activities that I never get and animal toys!
bored of. The posters are really cute, the fact cards are
also really fun and I test my family on them all the time.
Here are some of my recent wildlife sightings:
my older brother; a ladybird; magpie; fish; foxes;
owls and Steve Backshall at Sheffield City Hall!
Mabel, 7½
O Haha, good wildlife spotting, Mabel! We’re so glad
you love the mag.
 Check out these
outrageous facts…

My memory
is snow
amazing!

There’s
a comet
shaped
like a
rubber duck.

PATO, THE
NATIONAL SPORT irrels
OF ARGENTINA, Squcan er
IS A MIX OF
membburied
re they nder
POLO AND

Shutterstock, image digitally composed; Frog © Blickwinkel / Alamy; Dog © Adogslifephoto / Dreamstime.
re n u

Comet © ESA / Rosetta / Navcam – Cc By-Sa Igo 3.0; Squirrel © Irinak / Shutterstock, Acorn © Dionisvera /
whe ts, eve w.
BASKETBALL. nu s no

The Argentine HONEYPOT

horned frog can WORKER ANTS,
WHICH STORE NECTAR IN
lift 3 times its THEIR BODIES, CAN SWELL
own weight TO THE SIZE OF A
with its
TONGUE.
GRAPE.

CHECK OUT
THE BOOK!
LISTENING TO CLASSICAL
MUSIC CAN HELP DOGS
RELAX,A STUDY FOUND.
36 National Geographic Kids
 STUFF
GAMES, LAUGHS, AND LOTS TO DO! Answers
on page
42

NEW YEAR
CROSSWORD
Have you made any resolutions this year? Check out
our good-habits crossword for inspiration!
ACROSS
4 Drink this to stay
hydrated! (5)
6 Do this after going to the
loo or before eating (4, 4, 5)
8 The ‘three Rs’ of looking
after the planet (6, 5, 7)
12 Jobs around the house (6)
13 Natural, healthy sweet
snack, e.g. an orange (5)
14 Climb these instead of
taking a lift (6)
17 Healthy, eco-friendly
vehicle (4)
18 Try to avoid veg packed
in this material (7)
19 Don’t be mean, be ____ (4)
22 Turn these off when you
leave a room! (6)
23 A special diary to write down
things you’re grateful for (9, 7)
24 Brush these twice a day (5) DOWN 3 Sort your space out before
25 Switch electrical items off 1 Mind your manners and a parent yells this! (4, 4, 4)
at the ____ (4) remember to say these 5 Take turns (5)
26 Your teacher will be happy words! (6, 3, 5, 3) 7 Eat plenty of these to
if you finish this on time! (8) 2 The parts of electronic stay healthy (10)
27 A place to store the money devices that emit blue 9 If you’re looking at NGK
you save (5, 4) light. (So don’t look at you’re already doing it! (7)
them before bed!) (7) 10 Apply this when Earth’s
star is shining (8)
1 2 11 If you avoid palm oil you’ll
3
help this orange animal (9)
15 Place to donate old
4 toys and clothes (7, 4)
16 Physical activity that
improves your fitness (8)
5 20 Environmentally-friendly
way of getting somewhere (7)
21 Aim to get 10–11 hours of
6 this per night! (5)
7
8 9

10

11 12 13

14

15 16 17 18

19 20 21

22

23

24 25
With thanks to Stephanie Jones-Berry.

26
TOP TIP!
If you get stuck
on one of the
clues, move on to
27
some others. You
can go back to it
when you’ve got
extra letters!
natgeokids.com 37
 2

BUG SAFARI STAR LINKS

Find the bugs listed below hidden in this grid. Draw lines to connect Here’s
Then see if you can spot which one is hidden twice! each pair of stars, so every example toan
square is filled. Only one you how it show
works!
W D M T G T C O L O P C D N R C line is allowed in each
grid square, and you
A L S H I V H E E A R G E F X O can’t use diagonal lines.
G K M Q G C R N N I D Q V Z O C Plus, the lines mustn’t
G cross or touch each other.
I W R A E E A C T S Y I J E K
S P V O E W Q K E N I N B Z K R
L F L Q J W E K E L C P S K F O
H F O B G T E A E T F I E S G A
X U K K L L D F B D V L E D B C
C A T E R P I L L A R L A V E H
E
H
D
R
E
L
P
J
I
M
L
I
L
E
I
X
M
K
N
E
T
H
L
C
E
L
V
H
I
A
K
X
1
L P J F J F R X E M G I F D F T
S M K L Q T T B V U M W Q B Q D
V T G R A S S H O P P E R P V R
U J N T D N M N V P M Z Q H B P
O C X A F R E D R I B Y D A L C

OANT OBEE OBEETLE OCATERPILLAR OCENTIPEDE

OCOCKROACH OCRICKET OEARWIG OFLEA
OGRASSHOPPER OLADYBIRD OMILLIPEDE 10

7
NUMBER GRID 2
Can you fit these figures into this grid? We’ve added a few numbers to help!

7663910
4629855 9
2240716
3552618
3 4
0076847
5685398 5
5793851
7600172
8110447
4008691
8 3
0
9
All images © Adobe Stock.

38 National Geographic Kids 3

 BIRD
Boost your brain
cells with these Answers
WATCH!
Which two birds only
mind-boggling on page appear once on
tests and 42 these pages?
challenges!

MEGA SUDOKU COLOUR QUEST

Complete this sudoku by filling all the empty squares Fill in the squares so that a four-letter word is formed either
so every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1–9. side. Get it right and you’ll reveal something colourful.

9 1 5 6 7 4 H A I A C E
5 4 8 A R E C I D
4 3 8 1 7 6 9 T A X N K Y
7 6 2 8 1 3 5 M O O E C K
5 6 C L U I R D
8 9 3 4 2 Z E R V E N
2 3 8 9 D R A O L F
2 8 7 9 5 1 3 6
OUT OF THIS CLUE!
The missin
3 9 7 1 6 WORLD! letters are
vowels –
g

A, E, I, O, an
Fill in the missing letters to reveal d U.
4 the names of some planets.

ROBO RUMBLE 1 V___N___S 5 J___P___T___R

Can you find the right route to reunite these robots
2 M___RS 6 ___R___N___S
3 N___PT___N___ 7 M___RC___RY
4 S___T___RN 8 ___ ___ RTH

MATHS MUDDLE
Which six sums have the same answer?
A 4 × 12 = G 60 – 17 =
B 22 + 22 = H 88 – 44 =
C 66 – 23 = I 24 + 22 =
D 100 – 56 = J 122 – 78 =
E 11 + 33 = K 92 ÷ 2 =
F 28 + 13 = L 4 × 11 =

natgeokids.com 39
 SPOT THE
DIFFERENCE
Can you find the Answers
TEN differences on page
42
between these
two wintry scenes?!

Illustration © Getty Images UK.

40 National Geographic Kids

 FUN STUFF
MAKE IT
What
you’ll
O Two small straight-ish twigs Start
or a bamboo skewer cut in half
here!
O PVA glue O Scissors
O Different coloured yarns
Now you can start to weave!
3 Bring the yarn under one of
the sticks, then loop it around
and continue to the next stick along.
Carry on in the same direction, pulling
firmly on the thread. Always bring
the yarn under the stick before
wrapping it around.
ALL ABOUT GOD’S EYES
This colourful craft has a long and spiritual history…
It’s thought that the
Ojo de Dios or God’s Eye
was first created by
the Huichol people of
Craft © Valerie Rowles. All other pictures © Getty Images UK.
western central Mexico.
This Indigenous group
has lived in the area
around the Sierra
Nevada Occidental
mountain range for over
15,000 years. Many of
their unique traditions
continue today.
GOD’S
EYE
Here’s how to weave an Ojo de Dios
– a lucky Mexican handicraft…
Tie the end of a yarn to the
Glue two sticks into a 2 centre of the cross. Crisscross
1 cross shape and leave
them to dry.
the yarn around the centre a
few times to cover up the middle.
When you’ve finished, tie the
4
To change colours, tie the new
shade of yarn to the previous
5 end of the yarn onto one of
the sticks. Leave some yarn
one, trim the ends and to hang it up by, if you like. Tuck
continue wrapping. all the tied ends to the back.
The God’s Eye was made as a protective talisman to
watch over its owner. The four points represented
the elements – fire, water, earth and air, as well
as the directions – north, south, east and west.
When a Huichol child
was born, the parents
would tie two sticks
into a cross. Then, each
year, until the child was
five, they would weave
another colour onto the
God’s Eye. It was said that
the item would protect
and watch over the child
during its lifetime.
natgeokids.com 41
 FUN STUFF
ANSWERS
NEW YEAR CROSSWORD (page 37) MEGA SUDOKU

THE LAST
1 2
P S

4
W A T
L
E
A
R
3
T
I
D
C
R
E
9 8 1 3 5 6 7 2 4

LAUGH
5

6 7 5 9 2 4 3 8 1
S Y S E
E Y H N
6
W A S H Y O U R H A N D S
7
N U R V

4 2 3 8 1 7 6 5 9
8 9
R E D U C E R E U S E R E C Y C L E
10
T R E G S
11 12 13
O H C H O R E S A E F R U I T
14
S T A I R S A O D T N

7 6 2 4 9 8 1 3 5
15 16 17 18
C A N E M B I K E P L A S T I C
19 20 21
H K I N D K X W S N B R
22

Q. Why are dragons

A G Y E A L I G H T S L E
23
G R A T I T U D E J O U R N A L E E A
I T U C K E S M
1 3 4 5 6 2 9 7 8 great musicians?
24 25
T E E T H A I I P L U G
Y N S N

8 5 9 7 3 1 4 6 2
S E G

A. They really know

26
H O M E W O R K
O
27
P I G G Y B A N K

5 1 6 2 4 3 8 9 7 their scales!
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN (page 38–39)
2 4 8 6 7 9 5 1 3
BIRD WATCH! 4
4 and 10 only 10 3 9 7 1 8 5 2 4 6
appear once. Q. How do dragons
BUG SAFARI
ROBO RUMBLE make plans?
FLEA is hidden twice. A. They don't. They
W D M T G T C O L O P C D N R C
just wing it!
A L S H I V H E E A R G E F X O
G K M Q G C R N N I D Q V Z O C
G I W R A E E A C T S Y I J E K
S P V O E W Q K E N I N B Z K R
L
H
F
F
L
O
Q
B
J
G
W
T
E
E
K
A
E
E
L
T
C
F
P
I
S
E
K
S
F
G
O
A
Q. Did you hear about
X U K K L L D F B D V L E D B C the angry dragon?
C A T E R P I L L A R L A V E H
E D E P I L L I M N T L E V I K A. It got all fired up!
H R L J M I E X K E H C L H A X
L P J F J F R X E M G I F D F T
S M K L Q T T B V U M W Q B Q D
V T G R A S S H O P P E R P V R
U J N T D N M N V P M Z Q H B P
O C X A F R E D R I B Y D A L C
Q. Why do dragons hate
NUMBER GRID
COLOUR QUEST
birthday cakes?
7 RAINBOW. A. They can't blow out
4 6
6
2 9 8 5 5
6
OUT OF THIS WORLD! their candles!
3 3 0 8 1 1 0 4 4 7
1-VENUS; 2-MARS; 3-NEPTUNE; 4-SATURN;
5 9 0 5 5-JUPITER; 6-URANUS; 7-MERCURY; 8-EARTH.
5 1 7 3 7 MATHS MUDDLE
2 2 4 0 7 1 6 9 6
6 8 8 0
B, D, E, H, J and L have the same answer – 44. Q. What do you call
1 4 0
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE (page 40) a famous seal?
4 0 0 8 6 9 1 5 7 9 3 8 5 1
7
A. A sealebrity!
2

STAR LINKS

Q. What's a harp seal's

favourite colour?
1 2
A. Sealver!

Gems picture credits, page 26: Diamond © LifetimeStock / Shutterstock; Garnet © PjrStudio / Alamy; Turquoise © Antony Souter / Alamy; Ruby © Corbis; Topaz © The
Natural History Museum / Alamy; Opal (both) © Peter Harholdt / SuperStock; Sapphire © Edward Karaa / Dreamstime; Emerald © Greg C Grace / Alamy; P Aquamarine
(both) © Pillyphotos / Alamy; Peridot (both) © photo33mm / Shutterstock; Pearl © Visage / Stockbyte / Getty Images; All others © Getty Images UK.
Page 27: Raw garnet © rep0rter / Alamy; Polished garnet, raw aquamarine © PjrStudio / Alamy; Raw amethyst © RF Company / Alamy; Polished amethyst © Greg C
Grace / Alamy; Amethyst ring © sommaiphoto / Getty Images; Polished aquamarine © Pillyphotos / Alamy; Raw diamonds © Eric Nathan / Alamy; Diamond necklace ©
Vstock LLC / Tetra Images / Corbis / Getty Images.
3 Page 28: Polished emerald © Greg C Grace / Alamy; Raw emerald © Jan Sochor / Alamy; Emerald jewellery © Bridgeman Images; Pearl in oyster © The Natural History
Museum / Alamy; Pearl jewellery © Christie’s Images / Bridgeman Images; Single pearl © Visage / Stockbyte / Getty Images; Raw ruby © Bildagentur-online / th-foto /
Alamy; Ruby rings © Borislav Marinic / Alamy; Raw peridot © Epitavi / Shutterstock; Polished peridot © photo33mm / Shutterstock; All others © Getty Images UK.
Page 29: Raw sapphires © Bigjo5 / iStockphoto / Getty Images; Polished sapphire © Edward Karaa / Dreamstime; Polished opal © Peter Harholdt / SuperStock; Raw opal
© John Cancalosi / Alamy; Opal necklace © Peter Harholdt / SuperStock; Topaz ring © Phil Degginger / Jack Clark / Alamy; Polished topaz © The Natural History Museum
/ Alamy; Raw turquoise © Shawn Hempel / Alamy; Turquoise jewellery © AR Images / Alamy; All others © Getty Images UK.

42 National Geographic Kids

natgeokids.com
Editor Tim Herbert
Art Editor Ed White
Features Editor Georgia Harrison
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