What if a picture book could harness the power of technology and music to transport readers from their cozy armchair to the forests of Borneo, where orangutans roam? In her new children’s book, I am an Orangutan, author/songwriter Lisa Moody combines the magic of storytelling, songs and QR codes to share the story of Putra, a young orangutan who becomes separated from his mother in the Borean forest and must rely on his instincts and lessons passed down through his family to survive, and hopefully be reunited with his mother.

Moody worked for many years as a television writer, focusing on wildlife and conservation programming for outlets like the Discovery Channel. She has written and produced for Jack Hanna’s beloved programs, which aired in 65 countries. She also won an Emmy for her work on Saving a Species: The Great Penguin Rescue. For 11 years, she worked at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. This Saturday, April 27 from 10am to 1pm, she’s celebrating the launch of her book, I am an Orangutan, at Bookstore1Sarasota’s Local Author Book Fair. “Most of my programming centered around animals and wildlife, which is what I love so much,” she says. “When I decided to write some educational music, I decided to focus it on animals and their habitats to try to bring awareness to animal conservation messaging.”

Moody has written 25 songs, available on streaming, that help children learn about different animals. “When I wrote this series of songs, the first song I wrote was ‘I am an Orangutan.’ When I decided to write the first book, I got some input from people on what they liked from my music. Even though ‘I am an Orangutan’ was one of the first songs I wrote, it was still one of their favorites. I also knew that I’d be able to work with local zoos to film the orangutans, so it was an animal that I knew we would have access to,” she adds. I am an Orangutan represents Moody’s collaboration with Ringling College alumn and illustrator Mikaela San Pietro on their DittyZoo books project. Embedded into the illustrations on the book’s pages are QR codes, which young readers can scan to see a fun fact about orangutans appear on their device. At the end of the story, a final QR code links to a sing-along music video of the ‘I am an Orangutan’ song, as well as real-life orangutans. Readers can enjoy fun bonus activities like crossword puzzles and coloring pages, located on the DittyZoo website, to continue the adventure.

“Without kids being aware of it, the book teaches languages skills, reading skills, and it also teaches geography, science and conservation,” Moody says. “The majority of the whole collection of songs are written with musical styles, instruments and rhythyms that are indigenous to where the animals are from, so it also introduces kids to different musical styles and instruments.”

To learn more about DittyZoo and purchase I am an Orangutan, visit dittyzootoonz.com. The Local Author Book Fair will be held from 10am to 1pm at Bookstore1Sarasota, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-365-7900, sarasotabooks.com. 

Pictured: I am an Orangutan, by Lisa Moody. Photo Courtesy of Lisa Moody.

DittyZoo

Registration for Summer Art Camp is underway, and spots are filling up! Within each week of camp are endless opportunities for young artists to explore new art mediums, learn new techniques, express their creativity, and have TONS of fun while doing so. Scholarships are available. If you feel you may qualify for a camp scholarship, contact Holly at youtheducation@artsarasota.org or 941-365-2032. 

Big trucks are rolling through CoolToday Park for the 28th annual Big Truck Day, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 27. Families and individuals of all ages are invited to honk horns, pull levers and take a closer, interactive look at more than 40 big trucks, specialty equipment and heavy machines. Guests can enjoy a craft area, pedal cars, inflatables as well as hands-on learning activities in partnership with Suncoast Remake Learning Days. Tours of CoolToday Park will be available along with a Sensory Area hosted by the T-REC Program of Sarasota County. This year's event is hosted by Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources and the Atlanta Braves. Food will be available for purchase. CoolToday Park is located at 18800 S. West Villages Parkway, Venice. For more information, call 311 or visit scgov.net. 

Sarasota County Schools is encouraging all parents and guardians to begin the registration process for current students, as well as the registration process for first-time students, for the upcoming school year. Please note the following links & information regarding registration for traditional public schools and charter schools in Sarasota County. Current Student Re-Registration - Examples: A student currently attending a Sarasota County traditional public school or charter school who will be attending a Sarasota County traditional public school or charter school the next school year - If a parent/guardian does not have a previous Focus Parent Portal account, they will need to create a new account; If a parent/guardian does have an existing Focus Parent Portal Account, they will need to log in to the Focus Parent Portal with that account; If a parent/guardian participated in School Choice/Controlled Open Enrollment or Reassignment, they should use their existing Focus Parent Portal account; A child’s/children’s re-registration form(s) for the 2024-2025 school of enrollment will be completed in the Focus Parent Portal after log-in. Frist-Time Student Registration - Examples: A student entering kindergarten; A student that has just relocated to this county and will register for the first time in a Sarasota County traditional public school or charter school - Parents/guardians that did not participate in School Choice/Controlled Open Enrollment – or who did not elect to send their child(ren) to their choice school(s) – will need to determine their attendance zone based on their residential address; Registrations and enrollments can now be submitted online through the Focus Parent Portal. Parents/guardians that participated in School Choice/Controlled Open Enrollment or Reassignment should use their existing Focus Parent Portal account; After completing & submitting the online forms along with required registration documents, please contact the Registrar at the school of enrollment to finalize a student’s registration. A parent or guardian must accompany a student to register for school. Please visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/o/scs/page/registration for mor information. If you have questions or issues with registration through the Focus Parent Portal, please contact your child’s school. 

In April, Hershorin Schiff Community Day School hosted 15 Israeli students, along with teachers and parent chaperones, from Sarasota's Sister City of Tel Mond. During their visit, the honored guests experienced life here in Sarasota and built upon the past school year's dialogue with the Community Day students, through email, live video chats and WhatsApp texts – in English and Hebrew – and exchanges of stories and photos. The Israeli exchange program was reinvigorated and sponsored through the generosity of the Blumenthal Family Passport to Israel Initiative. One goal of the exchange program – which launched in 2017, with the Tel Mond students coming here – is to create and nurture a vibrant relationship with CDS’s student peers in Israel. The students in both communities have learned about and from each other, as they have answered thought-provoking questions, shared videos and photos, and engaged in spirited conversation. Student connections ranged from typical teenage topics like sports, music, food, and pop culture to more complex topics like faith, family cultural traditions and first-hand experience with politics and perspective on regional conflicts. While here, the Israelis enjoyed home hospitality at households throughout the community. They participated in a wide variety of educational, religious and fun opportunities; some highlights included: a Bradenton Marauders game; visits to area attractions and locations such as Myakka State Park, Art Center Sarasota, Ringling Museum/Ca'd'Zan, Sarasota Art Museum, Embracing Our Differences at Bayfront Park, and TreeUmph Adventure Park; an improv session led by Florida Studio Theatre; shopping at UTC; and social activities such as a beach picnic, cookout pool party, “pizza and popsicles,” and an ice cream social. There were also numerous classroom conversation sessions to facilitate peer discussions on a variety of topics. Prior to their departure, Tel Mond teachers/chaperones Orit Dolev and Anat Moshe wrote, "The connection between the sister cities of Tel Mond and Sarasota is very significant. The kids had a fascinating learning experience featuring the local art and culture combined with fun activities. The families welcomed all the Israeli kids and gave them a sense of home. We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity and are looking forward to your visit to Israel next year!" The local students were profoundly affected by the experience. “There are friends and then there are friends that become family,” said Rayana, CDS eighth grader. Avi, a seventh grader, added, “I had no idea how much in common I would have with a stranger. We have bonded so well that all I can think about is next year in Tel Mond!”  School leaders are already in the early stages of planning for next year's student exchange, through which CDS seventh and eighth graders will visit Israel. 

Pictured: Tel Mond students and CDS 7th and 8th grade host students. Provided photo/Community Day School.

Solis Hall, Wellen Park’s beautiful rental venue, is alive with the sound of live music, wedding vows, milestone celebrations and a variety of summertime workshops, lectures, and classes. Nestled along Wellen Park’s 80-acre Grand Lake and surrounded by live oaks in the heart of Downtown Wellen, Solis Hall’s one-of-a-kind, blank canvas setting provides the perfect backdrop for wedding ceremonies, receptions, cocktail parties, corporate events and more. Featuring stunning all-white sun-filled interiors with floor-to-ceiling windows and a large front porch that doubles as a stage overlooking Downtown Wellen’s Great Lawn, Solis Hall accommodates up to 110 guests for seated dinners or 150 guests for cocktail receptions or theater-style presentations. Patios and the adjacent Canopy Green, an intimate outdoor destination under a heritage live oak, can be bundled with hall rentals, providing additional space for guest lists up to 250 people. For even larger events, the Downtown Wellen Venue Collective offers the Hammock Lawn, which can accommodate large tents and over 1,000 guests. Solis Hall offers full-day and half-day rentals from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. All celebrations include menu planning with the venue’s exclusive caterer, the adjacent The Banyan House restaurant, plus banquet tables and chairs. Solis Hall has already established itself as a favorite venue for wedding professionals who are inspired by the abundance of natural light and blank canvas interior. With the busy May-to-October wedding window soon approaching as well as summertime family and class reunions and year-round anniversaries, birthday and engagement parties, galas, bat and bar mitzvahs, fundraisers, award ceremonies and corporate retreats, Solis Hall caters to an array of celebrations – and reasons to celebrate. Solis Hall is also the epicenter of Wellen Park’s vibrant entertainment and active social scene. Events are enhanced by shopping, dining, a spa and bicycle and paddle sport rentals in Downtown Wellen, golf at Wellen Park Golf & Country Club and the Atlanta Braves’ spring training home at CoolToday Park, both in Wellen Park. Solis Hall is also close to hotels and 15 minutes from the white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. For more information about planning an event or celebration at Solis Hall, visit wellenpark.com/venues or email venuerentals@wellenpark.com. 

Pictured: Featuring stunning all-white sun-filled interiors with floor-to-ceiling windows, Solis Hall accommodates up to 150 guests.

Registration is open for the 2024 summer semester at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, which offers noncredit educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons, and enrich their lives. The semester, which runs May 13-July 2, 2024, features more than 40 single-session courses, tours, presentations, movies, and hands-on programs covering a wide variety of topics, including arts and entertainment, history, music appreciation, health, literature, philosophy, religion, and science. Semester highlights include Opera Houses: Musical Landscapes of Power; What Wall Street Doesn’t Want YOU to Know; Why Are You Left-Handed or Right-Handed?; Creating the Florida Landscape You Love; The Early Days of Comic Books (1939-1948); and a tour of St. Petersburg’s Imagine Museum and Duncan McClellan Gallery. Classes are offered at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 

To learn more, visit

In numerous Latin American nations, "sancocho" denotes a cherished traditional stew, boasting diverse interpretations across regions. Carolina Franco, producing artistic director of CreArte Latino, underscores its significance as emblematic of the rich fusion of cultures, rhythms, and flavors within Latino communities, symbolizing their ongoing adaptation and evolution. Franco characterizes their forthcoming presentation of "Sancocho" as CreArte Latino's second venture into “devised theater projects.” She explains that the bilingual performance “explores the generational and national differences that separate us and can still bring us together. It’s about love, family, comedy, and tradition. 

Pictured: Director Jonathan Acosta (front left) rehearses with the cast of Sancocho.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is proud to work alongside the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Each year, National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day offers those in Sarasota County and throughout the United States the opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs that are unused, expired, unwanted, and potentially hazardous. This campaign is a reminder that cleaning out prescription drugs from our homes assists in preventing drug abuse and theft while saving lives and protecting the environment.  

WHERE INSTRUMENTS TELL A STORY | Director Wu Han leads La Musica Chamber Music Festival through their 2024 season, April 2024. 

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