Zuki

© Wonderchums 2021





© Wonderchums 2021 First published in Australia in 2020 By Wonderchums This edition published in Australia in 2021 by Wonderchums (ABN 13 600 229 258) 32/61 Marlborough Street Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia [email protected] https://wonderchums.com Text & Illustrations Copyright © Wonderchums, 2020. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or other means, without prior written permission of the publisher. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Zuki and the Curiosity Superpower Authors: Joanne Jakovich, Kelly Stewart, Dorothy Siemens, Nicholas Flanagan, Alison Jakovich Illustrator: Dorothy Siemens ISBN: 978-0-6487510-5-2 For children aged 3 to 8. Text created by: Joanne Jakovich, Kelly Stewart, Dorothy Siemens, Nicholas Flanagan, Alison Jakovich of Wonderchums.com Illustrations by: Dorothy Siemens Design by: Joanne Jakovich Thank you to our contributing family: Hugo Alexander and Misa Alexander

ZUKI and the CURIOSITY SUPERPOWER © Wonderchums 2021

© Wonderchums 2021 The Wonderchums lived in Wonder World, a place where everyone was different,

and being different was WONDERFUL. © Wonderchums 2021

© Wonderchums 2021 One valley was full of tall trees that the Wonderchums loved to climb.

However, there was one particular wonderchum © Wonderchums 2021 who thought climbing was far too frightening.

© Wonderchums 2021 Zuki was a little wonderchum who was terrified of heights. She wished she could join the others who played in the treetops. “But I don’t have a superpower like my friends to help me get up so high,” she said to herself.

She felt sad to be missing out, so she busied herself exploring all the FASCINATING things down on the ground. © Wonderchums 2021

© Wonderchums 2021

One wonder-bubbly day, when lots © Wonderchums 2021 of wonderchums were up high climbing trees, Zuki was rushing around studying bees and dragonflies with her magnifying glass. She jumped over flowers and looped around tree trunks until she tripped...

© Wonderchums 2021 ...and bumped right into Mini the mighty Wonderchum. Mini was a wonderfully BIG wonderchum. In fact, he was almost as tall as some of the trees!

“Zuki, you wouldn’t believe the © Wonderchums 2021 gigantic dragonflies I saw while climbing trees today. You really must come up there sometime!” Mini said. “Climbing is dangerous!” Zuki blurted out. “You are so big and mighty and I am so teeny tiny. I’d love to come but I would definitely hurt myself.”

© Wonderchums 2021 Zuki continued to chase the dragonfly around another tree. And then Sunny the sunshiny wonderchum dropped down right in front of her. “Hello Zuki,” he called. “There is the loveliest rainbow high up in the trees! I do wish you could see it!”

“Oh Sunny, I wish I had the superpower of positivity © Wonderchums 2021 like you to help me get up there,” she sighed. “You always try new things, even if they are scary.” She knew there were so many wonderful things that she had to see at the top of the trees. But how would she ever get up there?

© Wonderchums 2021 She started to walk home. On her way, she came across Spike drifting down on her hoverboard. “Oh Spike, what did you see up there today?” Zuki asked longingly. “I saw a cloud that looked like a beetle!” Spike explained by drawing in the sand. “It came right up to my nose!”

Zuki paused and thought about all of the amazing © Wonderchums 2021 stories her friends had shared.

© Wonderchums 2021 She closed her eyes tight to imagine all the things she might find up in the trees. “I wonder if there are dragonflies doing loops around rainbows?”

“Or bees popping up “I wonder what a cloud through clouds?” feels like to touch?” © Wonderchums 2021

© Wonderchums 2021 Then suddenly, Zuki heard Gusto call out, “Come and look at this!” She rushed over. Up the trunk of a very tall tree marched a family of tiny ants.

“Quick, where are they going? What are they © Wonderchums 2021 looking for?” she cried. “I MUST find out!” With her nose glued to her magnifying glass, Zuki followed the ants around and around the trunk...

© Wonderchums 2021 Up they marched and up she followed. “Come here, you cheeky little ants,” she giggled. Zuki was so enchanted that before she knew it, she was half way up the huge tree.

“Oh WOW, the world is growing all around me,” © Wonderchums 2021 she said gleefully. Her tummy began to flutter like butterflies, but there was no way she could turn around now. She had to know what these ants were up to!

© Wonderchums 2021 Zuki climbed further and further up, and spotted other wonderchums in the trees near her. She realised some of them used their superpowers to build gadgets to climb with.

Others used their superpowers to watch the birds or © Wonderchums 2021 even mend their socks while enjoying the view! Then she discovered that the teeny tiny ants had been making their way to Gusto’s lunch to take some nibbles for themselves!

© Wonderchums 2021 Finally, Zuki reached the highest branch of the tree! She paused and took a deep breath. The world around her was MAGNIFICENT! There were gigantic sparkling dragonflies doing loops around shimmering rainbows.

And there were colourful bees © Wonderchums 2021 popping up through clouds that were so close she could touch them. “Now that I am up here, I have a whole new world to explore!” she said excitedly.

And with that, Zuki realised that all along she had a superpower - she was CURIOUS! © Wonderchums 2021

Her curiosity helped her explore the world around © Wonderchums 2021 her, whether it was a blade of grass or a giant tree. How wonderful it was to be passionately curious, because with curiosity as her superpower, she could reach for the sky and beyond!

Hi Kids, Zuki here! Next, I want to tell you the WONDERCHUMS TRUE STORY OF H&UMGAORLO © Wonderchums 2021 This is a story Hugo‘s mum wondered about the friendship how she could tell the between two other children and extraordinary boys, parents about Hugo Hugo and Marlo. and the things that When Hugo started he liked to do. preschool, he She decided to write wondered how he a special letter to would like it. He everyone and in it didn‘t really like she told them how talking in the way Hugo loved riding most other children horses and going to do. the beach. In fact, talking was Pretty soon all the something he didn‘t kids got to know do much of at all. Hugo.

They discovered Sometimes they would same. When they that even though play fun games so Hugo didn‘t like that Hugo could do were doing the things talking, they could his funny ‘roaring‘ they loved, their communicate sounds. differences didn‘t with him through In some ways, they matter! skateboarding. were very different This made their Hugo was a but in lots of other friendship SO SPECIAL. really awesome Don‘t you think? skateboarder! ways, they were the Marlo also liked skateboarding, but WHAT DO YOU DO YOU THINK © Wonderchums 2021 he was not as good THINK ARE MARLO‘S THEIR LOVE OF as Hugo, yet. He SKATEBOARDING IS really admired how SUPERPOWERS? MORE IMPORTANT talented Hugo was at TO HUGO AND skateboarding. Hugo and Marlo soon MARLO THAN became the best of SPEAKING WITH friends. They skated after school and would WORDS? climb the big tree YES/NO/WHY? near their bus stop together. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE HUGO‘S SUPERPOWERS?

Hi Kids, let’s build your CURIOSITY SUPERPOWER I AM CURIOUS WHEN: CURIOSITY IS WHEN WE REALLY WANT TO FIND SOMETHING OUT, BY LOOKING, I WANT TO FIND STUFF OUT TOUCHING, EXPLORING, OR ASKING QUESTIONS. IT’S WHEN WE JUST HAVE TO KNOW SOMETHING! I ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS I EXPLORE THE WORLD AROUND ME CAN YOU THINK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CURIOUS I FOLLOW MY OWN INTERESTS IN THESE DIFFERENT WAYS? I JUST TRY STUFF BY LOOKING AT I ASK OTHER PEOPLE WHAT TEENY TINY DETAILS THEY THINK ABOUT THINGS THROUGH BABBLING OR MAKING SOUNDS © Wonderchums 2021 BY EXPLORING COMPUTER CODES WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT IN SOME BY MOVING AROUND WAYS AND THE SAME IN OTHER WAYS. OR TOUCHING THINGS AND THIS MEANS THE WAYS WE ARE CURIOUS CAN BE DIFFERENT TOO!

Time for some CURIOSITY BINGO! COLOUR IN THE SQUARE ONCE YOU‘VE HAD A GO ASK ‘WHY‘ MAKE A LOOK UP AT 20 TIMES LIST OF 10 THE NIGHT THINGS I SKY AND ASK TODAY REALLY WANT QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT MIX VINEGAR START 10 EXPLORE MY OF THE 107 BILLION AND BICARB SENTENCES LOCAL PARK PEOPLE THAT HAVE EVER LIVED YOU ARE SODA WITH ‘I WITH A COMPLETELY UNIQUE! TOGETHER WONDER MAGNIFYING YOUR SUPERPOWERS AND OBSERVE ARE YOURS, AND THEY IF...‘ GLASS ARE 100% UNIQUE TO YOU! USE ASK A START 10 DANCING FRIEND WHAT SENTENCES MY UNIQUE TO EXPLORE SUPERPOWERS NEW MUSIC THEY ARE WITH ‘I OF CURIOSITY ARE: AND SOUNDS THINKING WONDER WHY...‘ ABOUT PULL APART WRITE A CLOSE YOUR © Wonderchums 2021 AN OLD QUESTION EYES AND TO A LOCAL USE ECHO- ELECTRONIC LEADER AND LOCATION TOY TO SEE ASK THEM TO MOVE AROUND HOW IT ‘WHY‘... WORKS

Welcome to Wonderchums © Wonderchums 2021 Welcome to our “It’s an amazing in childhood can shape awesome kids’ chance for kids positive social attitudes, community for finding with and without improve social and your superpowers disability to make communication skills, and celebrating the friends and learn build self-esteem, enable superpowers of others! skills for a better a sense of belonging, world.” reduce fear of human Our mission at difference, help develop Wonderchums is to Alison Jakovich, personal moral and grow a generation of Wonderchums CoFounder ethical principles, and kids who know the enable warm and caring power of collaboration, adventures, digital friendships that lay diversity and inclusion games, video lessons, the foundation for the and who have the true-life stories and future.1 courage to lead in this social events that are way. designed to support The Wonderchums playful learning of characters have wacky In a rapidly changing inclusion and diversity shapes and forms. In global world, it is from a young age. each storybook, the essential for children character discovers their to recognise their own Early childhood is a unique ‘superpower’, strengths and passions, pivotal time to influence inspiring children to and to celebrate the attitudes towards, and explore each others’ strengths of others experiences of, inclusion. diverse strengths as a so that together they basis for learning and can grow to solve the Research shows that f riendship. tricky challenges facing for children with and humanity. without disability, For children to find experiences of inclusion delight in human The Wonderchums diversity it is important to inclusive learning build skills in recognising platform is filled with and celebrating diverse characters, uniqueness, being

“All kids have in storytelling or online Join us in building superpowers!” contact over a period of the wondrous world time. 2 of the Wonderchums “Superpowers where the celebration are diverse and The Wonderchums of diversity empowers abundant!” characters model an all children to thrive, inclusive community laying the foundations Wonderchums inclusive and prompt children for a more inclusive and holiday camps guide children to explore new ways of socially innovative future through playful activities being in the world. society. to discover each others’ superpowers. https://wonderchums.com curious and open- 1 in 10 children have a disability. minded, practising That gives 9 children a daily opportunity to learn respect and being empathetic. about diversity, collaboration, inclusion and friendship. The Wonderchums © Wonderchums 2021 storybooks, games, videos and events work together to reduce bias through ‘extended contact’ - the notion that even without direct contact with children with disability, positive attitudes towards disability and inclusion can emerge through continued immersion 1. Hehir, T., et al., 2016. A summary of the evidence on inclusive education. Instituto Alana, São Paulo. 2. Cameron, L., and Rutland., A, 2006. Extended Contact through Story Reading in School: Reducing Children’s Prejudice toward the Disabled. Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 62, No. 3, 2006, pp. 469-488.

© Wonderchums 2021

© Wonderchums 2021

© Wonderchums 2021 When Zuki is too terrified to join the other wonderchums who play in the treetops, she distracts herself by exploring bugs and other fascinating things on the ground. But one little army of ants unknowingly lead Zuki to discover her hidden superpower and it opens up a magnificent world beyond everything she knows.