Eclipse Apple Tree House

# No matter if you're young or old

# With good friends you'll never be alone

# Shining light on our joyful world

# There ain't nothing going to beat that place we call home

# First day, new days, ordinary best days

# New things to discover, new people to meet

# Fun days always

# Playing-with-your-friend days

# Life is for the living down at Apple Tree House. #

Mr Carrot!

Whoa! Mr Carrot! You're flying.

Whoosh! Bang! Boom!

Mali!

Buzzzz!

Flap! Flap!

-Flap!

-Mali!

-Hello, Mali.

-I didn't do it.

Am I in trouble?

No, Mali, you're not.

-I was just having an interesting chat with your mum.

-Mm.

Katie popped round just to tell me how much everyone loved

your story that you presented in class today.

-Really?

-I was so impressed. I had to come and tell your mum all about it.

This is great because it means that now you can show and tell me.

-Mum!

-Come on! I'd love it if you did.

-Just exactly as you did in class.

-Really?

-Yeah, really.

-Go on, Mali.

-I'd like to hear it again.

-OK.

It was Gran who told me about the solar eclipse.

I've never seen her so excited.

ALL: Wow!

Is this what you're going to use for the solar eclipse?

-You mean, the solar eclipse?

-That's what I said.

No, no, no.

You need special glasses to see the eclipse,

otherwise you'll damage your eyes.

-Does the eclipse only happen in Pakistan?

-No.

But whether you see it does depend on where you live in the world

and the weather also has an effect.

If it's cloudy, like your usual British weather,

-then you won't get to see it. ALL:

-Oh!

But, we know exactly what time it happens

and I've had a sneak peek at the weather

and it looks like we might be in luck.

What's an eclipse?

When I was a little girl in Pakistan,

people believed an eclipse was a sign that God was angry.

-Why?

-Because day turned into night and sometimes birds stopped singing.

-Wow! Really?

-Yes.

But we don't believe that now

because we know an eclipse is a natural event.

Gran said scientists love to study eclipses,

so they can tell us all about them.

She told us that the Earth moves around and around the sun.

And she showed us how our little moon spins around the Earth.

Now, imagine what happens when the moon

gets between the sun and the earth.

The moon blocks the light from the sun.

If we look up from the earth, we can no longer see the sun,

just for a short while, and that's an eclipse.

Gran is the coolest, she knows all the science-y stuff

and through her telescope she can see craters on the moon up close.

And she can even see Venus and Mars.

That was so good, so good. Brilliant.

-I'm not finished.

-Oh, right.

And then Kobi told us about the eclipse in Africa

when he was about that high.

He said people used to believe that the sun and the moon

were actually fighting.

Ha-ha!

Everyone laughed but Kobi pretended to be serious.

He said everyone back home still sees the eclipse as a time

of coming together and resolving problems between friends.

Kobi said people ask the sun and the moon to stop fighting

using drums and songs.

# Where is the sun that turns day into night?

# Silent the birds, they don't take flight. #

Eh!

-So who's ready for the eclipse tomorrow then, hey?

-Me!

My dad is going to lend me his solar eclipse glasses.

That's good.

Mum gave me these cardboard glasses from her magazine, so I'm ready too.

-What about me?

-Oh, my dad has a spare pair from the Sunday paper.

Uh-oh! It didn't look like that before.

How did that happen?

What am I going to do? The glasses are ripped.

Well, you don't necessarily need glasses to see the eclipse.

But you said you'll damage your eyes if you don't have special glasses.

-So what are we going to do?

-We can use a pinhole camera.

What? That sounds very complicated.

Not at all. We can make a pinhole camera!

A pinhole camera is simply like a small cardboard box.

On one side, you cut a big square hole

and then cover it with tissue paper or tracing paper.

This makes a screen.

On the opposite side of the box, you make a tiny, tiny hole.

If you point the hole towards the eclipse,

you get an image of the moon and sun that shows up on the paper screen.

An exact image of the eclipse, a little bit like watching TV.

Kobi helped with a few bits and pieces

and Gran showed us how to stick it all together.

It was so easy to make.

Everyone was so excited and I haven't even got to the eclipse yet.

Ameera, that's the best bit.

Go on, Mali. Go on.

Everyone was ready, yes!

So the next morning we all met outside and watched the eclipse.

Whoo! Woohoo!

-Look out for the moon!

-I'm the sun. I'm too hot!

What's going on? Stop!

The eclipse is about to start

and I need to find the perfect spot for the pinhole camera.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Beep! Beep! Beep-beep!

Oh! Sam, now look what you've done!

It took us so long to make it and now you've ruined it.

We were just playing around.

It's all right for you and Bella, you've got special glasses.

-Hey, I hope that sun and moon is behaving.

-Sam's broken the camera.

-We were just playing around.

-And then she bashed it.

Hey, hey, hey, time out! Is Grandma Zainab around?

-No.

-Oh.

OK, well, it looks like we might have to try and fix this ourselves.

-Yeah.

-Let me have a look.

Hm.

Well, I might not make as good a job of it as Grandma Zainab

but I'll give it a good go.

Please.

Oh, and ladies, a little less of that excitement, please.

Try and save some energy for later on.

People all over the city and all over the country gathered to watch.

It could be years before we see an eclipse like this again.

-It was like a party.

-Here we go.

And Patience made some tasty snacks.

I had to fix this on to that because it got broken.

Have a look, tell me what you think.

I was feeling a bit sad

and I wasn't sure if the girls were still my friends.

But Kobi did fix the camera, just before the solar eclipse started.

Hey, Mali, over here.

Park yourself there.

Now, look at that, that's not a bad job, is it?

What do you think?

Mali. Mali, here we go. Would you like a snack?

-No, thanks.

-Oh, could I...

Ah-ah-ah.

Don't think I didn't see you sneak one...actually, two, before.

Oh, Patience!

These are for the kids.

OK, is everybody ready?

I went to sit next to Sam and Bella.

OK, how is everyone feeling?

-Excited?

-Yes!

-Hey, Katie, have you got the time?

-There you go.

Oh, look, we're almost there!

-Are you ready for the countdown?

-Yeah!

10. Nine. Eight.

Seven. Six. Five.

Four. Three. Two. One...

And then the light started to fade.

And the birds went quiet.

And even the traffic outside seemed to have stopped.

Dad says the zoo would have gone really quiet, too.

It started to feel magical.

And the total eclipse began.

# Where is the sun?

# That turns day into night?

# Silent the birds

# They don't take flight. #

Even though we know it's all about science and planets,

everyone had magic in their faces.

# Where...

# Where has the sun gone?

# Ohhh, where has the sun gone?

# Ohhh

# Turning day into night

# Where is the place that... #

And when the sun started to appear again,

it got lighter and the birds started to sing again.

It was like a new day.

Kobi was delighted and he said...

Do you know what?

I think the eclipse has lifted all the tensions.

-What do you think?

-Yeah.

-Hello, everyone.

-Gran!

-Oh, hi.

-How was it?

-Amazing!

-Cool!

-Brilliant!

And strange.

-But you missed it.

-No, she didn't.

What do you mean?

-Where were you?

-Well...

Grandma told her where she had been.

Even though Gran knows all about the planets and all the science-y stuff,

the solar eclipse is a special time for Gran, Dad and you, Mum.

Having your quiet time.

A time for reflection during the eclipse is very important

for our family, isn't it?

-Yes.

-See!

-Wasn't that absolutely brilliant?

-It was so good!

What a brilliant story.

And because you're so brilliant,

-I'm going to make your favourite dessert.

-Yum!

Do you mind if I stick around?

I reckon that is going to be very tasty.

-Please?

-Yeah, of course.

Come here, you!

THEY LAUGH

That was an amazing day.

Yeah, and it was great that Bella lent me her glasses.

I didn't mean to bash into the pinhole camera. Sorry.

And I'm sorry for getting angry.

But the main thing was we both got to see the eclipse.

THEY GIGGLE

-You're a good friend, Mali.

-And you're a great friend, Sam.