kids south africa get ready for robots

N
E
W
m
o
v
ie
N
E
W
m
o
v
ie
NE
W
mo
v
ie
NE
W
mo
v
ie
NG KIDS
GREEN SECTION
Get Ready For
ROBOTS
Get Ready For
ROBOTS
Get Ready For

ROBOTS
Get Ready For
ROBOTS
Get Ready For
ROBOTS
Get Ready
Fo
r
ROBOTS
FROGS!
F
r
eak
y
FROGS!
F
r eak
y
FROGS!
F r eak y
FROGS!
F r eak y
AWESOME!
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW

movie
NEW
movie
AWESOME
QUIZ
Harry Potter
The FInal Movie
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
KUNG FU
PANDA
2

COOL
TOYS!

AWESOME
AIRPLANE
HAPPY
FEET
3
ALVIN AND THE
CHIPMUNKS
2
HAPPY FEET

FUNNY
FRIENDS!
DUCK
4

FASHION
SHOW
AWESOME
QUIZ
Harry Potter
The Final Movie
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
KUNG FU
PANDA
2

COOL
TOYS!

AWESOME
AIRPLANE
HAPPY
FEET
3
ALVIN AND THE
CHIPMUNKS
2
HAPPY FEET

FUNNY
FRIENDS!
DUCK

4

FASHION
SHOW

AWESOME
QUIZ
Harry Potter
The Final Movie
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
KUNG FU
PANDA
2

COOL
TOYS!

AWESOME
AIRPLANE
HAPPY
FEET
3
ALVIN AND THE
CHIPMUNKS
2
HAPPY FEET

FUNNY
FRIENDS!
DUCK
4

FASHION
SHOW
AWESOME
QUIZ
Harry Potter
The Final Movie
SILLY PET
TRICKS!
KUNG FU
PANDA
2

COOL
TOYS!

AWESOME
AIRPLANE
HAPPY
FEET
3
ALVIN AND THE
CHIPMUNKS
2
HAPPY FEET

FUNNY
FRIENDS!
DUCK
4
FASHION

SHOW
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie

NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
m
ovie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW

movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
NEW
movie
OZ:THE GREAT
AND POWERFUL
OZ:THE GREAT
AND POWERFUL
OZ THE GREAT
AND POWERFUL
OZ THE GREAT
AND POWERFUL
YOuR OwN

LuGGAGE SET!
Issue 104 April 2013
R28,00 (VAT incl.)
Issue 104 April 2013
R28,00 (VAT incl.)
9 771811 723006
0 4 1 0 4
2
NOVEMBER 2012
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
3
April’s subscribers of the month are Rebecca Maccallum from Johannesburg, Stesan Marais from Brackenfell, Amy Ross
from Johannesburg, Estalie Woodley from Sasolburg and Rustenburg Primary. They’ve each won* a copy of the book Oz The

Great and Powerful valued at R120. Small-time circus magician Oscar Diggs’ life suddenly changes when he’s hurled away
from uneventful Kansas to the enchanting Land of Oz. Its inhabitants think that he’s the great wizard they’ve been waiting
for – fame and fortune is his for the taking. But three very powerful witches start to question Oscar’s abilities. As things
get dangerous, Oscar must quickly figure out who is good and fight any wicked forces. Can he transform himself into the
great and powerful wizard of Oz and also into a better man? Go to www.penguinbooks.co.za for more information.
HI,KIDS
• Writetousat:TheEditor,NGKIDS,POBox740,
CapeTown8000.
• Sendane-mailtoor
 SMS*aletterto“NGKLetters”at33970.
Send us your letters, pictures and comments. Let us
know when your birthday is. We want to hear from you!
* Standard rates apply for MMSs, so ask your parents first! SMSs cost R1,50.
Free SMSs do not apply. See www.ngkids.co.za for terms and conditions.
Earth really is a special planet. It has water and an
atmosphere that shelters us, the plants and animals from
the worst of the sun’s rays. We are part of a huge system
called a biosphere. In 1991 eight people were sealed into
a glass building that was completely closed off from the
outside world. The idea was to work out “the recipe” for
the eco-systems that keep us alive. They had a mini-ocean,
rainforest, savannah area as well as farmland where they
kept animals and grew fruit and vegetables. The project was
called Biosphere 2 and was successful, apart from problems
controlling the levels of carbon dioxide and an explosion of
the cockroach population!
The people spent two years inside, with a few bursts of
extra oxygen, and showed that with some tweaks it might
be possible to build a module for humans to live on another
planet. There are millions of planets and so far we haven’t

found a squeak of life anywhere else, but scientists are
working out whether it might be possible for humans to live
away from Earth. As far as we know we have the only planet
with life – and very intelligent life at that. We can build rockets
that visit other planets and make robots like the one on page
18 that might be part of your family by the time you have kids.
But if we are so smart, why have we messed things up so
badly? There is no simple answer to that. Luckily we have lots
of clever ideas for making the planet a better place to live for
future generations and the intelligence to realise that it’s up
to all of us to look after our world. No need to start looking for
somewhere else to live just yet.
So celebrate Earth Day on
22 April by appreciating what
a special place this is and
committing to doing at least
one thing to make it better.
Dare to Explore!
* See terms and conditions on page 49.
The Monarch butterflies are in
trouble! To create awareness, we
hid ten of them in the magazine.
Here’s one, but can you spot
all ten?
LETTER
OF THE
MONTH
SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE MONTH
HI,KIDS

MAKE A
TERRARIUM:
PAGE 48
Dear Fiona
i oFten buy the nG KiDS maGazine For my own KiDS, but alSo For uSe
in my art School, KiDzart.laSt year i tacKleD the theme oF wilDliFe
conServation anD FocuSeD on the iSSue oF rhino awareneSS with the
chilDren who came to art. we live in limpopo province where a lot
oF theSe chilDren are SenSitive to rhino poachinG aS their parentS
are in cloSe contact with the iSSueS. they maDe the moSt beautiFul
3-D SculptureS oF rhinoS (anD Some other wilD animalS) From
papier-mâché. the StructureS were maDe
oF newSpaper anD carDboarD box
pieceS. the KiDS were moStly GraDe
Four to Six StuDentS. i woulD liKe
to Share Some oF their imaGeS aS
it coinciDeD well with January’S
FocuS on rhinoS.
KinD reGarDS
mariza Joubert, louiS tricharDt
COOL!
Behind the Scenes of the New
Movie
Oz the Great and Powerful.
page 36

On the Cover

DEPARTMENTS
6 Pet Friends Forever 29 Calendar 49 Spot The Difference

9 Amazing Animals
42 Fun Factory 48 Family Project
23 Poster 43 Fun Stuff 50 Just Joking
Cover PhotograPh: aldebaron robotics / ed alcock (neo)
Cover insets: © 2012
disney /pixar (oz); istock pHoto (illUstrations)
Page 3: moniqUe petersen (fiona); istockpHoto (illUstrations); images sUpplied
Page 4: © © stepHen dalton / natUre pictUre library (frogs); © aldebaron robotics / ed alcock (neo 2012 disney / pixar (oz)
;
sebastian voigt (necklace);
images sUpplied (LUGGAGE); © 2012 disney /pixar (oz)
30 Cool Things Made from
Recycled Materials
page 20
Get Ready For Robots
Meet the cool robots that could be soon
part of your family.
page 18
EDITORIAL
Editor Fiona Thomson

Editorial and Digital Assistant
Shounees Moola

Senior Designer
Monique Petersen
Copy Editor Pieter van der Lugt
PUBLISHING
General Manager Lizl de Swardt
Associate Publisher Nikki Ruttiman

ADVERTISING SALES & SOLUTIONS
Sales Director
Craig Nicholson

Business Manager (Women’s)
Marilize Hay

Business Manager (KZN)
Eugene Marais

Business Manager: Digital
Terance Winson

Sales Manager (JHB)
Bianca Quinn

083 375 1721
Sales Manager (CPT )
Abigail Wilmot

083 212 1141
Sales Executive (National)
Lynne Deacon
073-704-8793

Copyright Media24. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or be transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, without prior consent of Media24.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is published and distributed 12 times a

year by Media24, with permission of the National Geographic Society,
Washington, DC 20036.
Published by the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Chairman of the Board and CEO John M. Fahey, Jr.
President Timothy T. Kelly
President, Publishing and Digital Media Declan Moore
Executive Vice President Terrence B. Adamson
International Publishing:
Yulia Boyle, Vice President
Diana Z. Jaksic, Director
Jennifer C. Jones, Manager
Cynthia Combs, Rights Manager
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS Magazine
Executive Vice President and Worldwide Publisher Claudia Malley
Chief Creative Officer, Books, Kids, and Family Melina Gerosa Bellows
Senior Vice President, Kids Publishing and Media Nancy Laties Feresten
Vice President Julie Vosburgh Agnone Design Director, Books, and Kids
Publishing and Media Jonathan Halling Executive Editor Rachel Buchholz
Senior Editor, Science Catherine D. Hughes Editorial: Andrea Silen,
Associate Editor; Nick Spagnoli, Copy Editor; Kay Boatner, Assistant
Editor Photo: Jay Sumner, Photo Director, Kids Publishing and Media;
Kelley Miller, Senior Editor; Lisa Jewell, Editor Art: Eva Absher, Design
Director, Kids Publishing and Media; Nicole M. Lazarus, Art Director;
Julide Obuz Dengel, Designer
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER AND EXTREME EXPLORER
Vice President and Publisher Francis Downey
Art Director and Designer Karen Thompson Editors Brenna Maloney,
Sara Chauhan, Macon Morehouse Designer James Wildman
Photo Editor Shannon Hibberd, Mary Ann Price
Win Trendy Kids’ Luggage Sets

Take our survey and win funky suitcases for
kids
page 25
page 10
Freaky Frogs
Fun with freaky frogs.
MARKETING and PR
Marketing Executive Lisel Daniels
Tel.: 021-443-9857
Admin Assistant Lulama Joe
CIRCULATION
SALES & SOLUTIONS
Circulation Manager
Adele Minnaar (011) 217 3263
Subscription Manager
Dilshaad Hassan (021) 443 9937
SUBSCRIPTIONS
All subscription payments to:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS,
PO Box 1802, Cape Town 8000 or
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS,
Free Post, CB0006,
Cape Town 8000 RSA
Tel.: 0860-103-578 Fax: 021-405-1033
E-mail:

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS
CAPE TOWN:
ABSA Building, Lifestyle Division,
18th floor, 4 Adderley Street,

Cape Town
Tel.: 021-443-9871;
Postal address: PO Box 740,
Cape Town 8000
DIRECTORS
John Relihan, Raj Lalbahadur
REPRODUCTION Media24
PRINTING Paarl Media Cape
DISTRIBUTION:
WIN!
Download NG KIDS
to your desktop,
laptop or tablet.
Buy a single issue or
save by subscribing
for a year.
DIGITAL!
GOES
TWO:

Register at
www.mysubs.co.za
ONE:
Ask Mum
or Dad to
help you.
FOUR:
Go to the checkout,

enter credit card

details and download

your e-zine!
THREE:

Search for
National Geographic
Kids and click “add
to basket”.
HOW TO:
16
MARCH 2013
joel sartore / national geographic stock (big picture);
© andy rouse / nature picture library (flying)
Snowy owls
are birds of prey.
They’re built to
survive winter in
the Arctic, where
they are top
predators.
16
MARCH 2013
Logan International Airport near the city
of Boston in America. Perched on a fence
at the airport border, he turns his head
upside down to clean his downy coat.
His white feathers are tipped with brown
stripes. When he’s mature, he’ll be almost

all white.
He hears something, spins his head to
look behind him and launches. Like a stealth
plane he glides silently for three kilometres
until his keen eyes find a target at the
water’s edge. He manoeuvres gracefully,
stretches out his talons and snatches an
unsuspecting duck. His sensitive feet tell
him he killed it on impact. Dinner is served.
T
he winter wind blows across the
open landscape. Short grasses and
bushes struggle to stay upright,
but a snowy owl hovers effortlessly
in mid-air. His powerful wings, with a total
span of 1,5 metres, defies the wind and
allows him to hang nearly motionless with
his eyes fixed on a small rodent. The owl
is shooting forward to grab a rat when…
whoosh! Aeroplane engines blast overhead,
breaking the bird’s concentration and
scaring the rat back underground.
The young male owl began life in the
Arctic about five months ago. This winter
he flew hundreds of kilometres south to
Raptors on the Move
Snowy owls are nomads that migrate to
and from their Arctic breeding grounds
each spring and autumn in a quest for
food. The airport is a popular winter

destination in the northeast of America.
“The habitat here is like the tundra, with
short grass and rolling hills,” says Norman
Smith, a raptor biologist and director of
the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. “There
are lots of rodents and the airport is
surrounded by water, so there are ducks
and other waterfowl.”
Snowy owls show up at the airport
between November and April each year,
the Northern Hemisphere winter. Norman
has caught and released about 450 owls
A snowy
owl can reach a
top speed
of 80 kilometres
per hour.
Stealthy H u nters
BY KAREN DE SEVE
national GeoG raphic Ki DS
17
How these birds of prey stay on the
move to survive in cold climates

We know how much you love your pets.
Now you can send us photos, drawings
and letters especially for this page!
You can also send questions about your
pet to our NG KIDS vet.
ISTOCKPHOTO (BURMESE CAT); ALL OTHER IMAgES SUPPLIEd

SWEET BREEDS
3

Facts about
Dalmatian dogs
Dalmatians have oodles of
energy and need a long daily
walk or run.
They can have a large
number of pups at once –
up to 15.
More than 200 puppies were
trained for the 1996 film
version of 101 Dalmatians.
1
2
3

Send us your pet-related letters, questions, pictures, drawings and jokes!
• E-mailto•AskaparenttopostyourpetonourFacebookpageatwww.facebook.com/NationalGeographicKidsSA
• SendalettertoTheEditor,POBox740,CapeTown8000
We would love to meet your pets!
Ifyouhave
questionsabout
yourpets(whether
furry,feathered
orscaled),askour
localNGKIDSvet,
ProfessorPaws.
A:Ratsareomnivoreslikehumans.They

thriveonfreshfruitandvegetablesand
abitofmeat.Fortheprotein,youcan
givethemratpellets.Someexamplesof
thekindsoffruitandvegetablesthey
like:banana,melons,apples,oranges,
freshcorn(nottoomuch),celery,berries,
carrots.Ratscaneasilyputontoomuch
weightiftheyeattoomuchseedorgrains
astheyarehighinfatandratspickout
theirfavouritesfromaseedmix.Theycan
havesmallquantitiesoftreatslikebiscuits,
cookedpastaandbreakfastcereals.
Q:WhatshouldI
feedmypetrat?
Scoop the

poop into


biodegradable



bags.
Scoop the

poop into


biodegradable

bags.
3
3
1
1
3
2
2
3
Dear Fiona
Theliveliest,cutest,mostreliablelittledoggie 
That’smymuttJessie.Shehasbeautifulbrown
eyesandalivelytailwhichsheloveschasing.We
callherapavementspecialbecauseshe’sacross
betweenaJackRussellandaDachshund.She’s
shownusonceagainit’snotwhoorwhatyouare
butthesizeofyourheartthatmakesyouspecial
andunique!Shemightcostusalotwithher
appetiteordriveusoutofthehousewithher
barkingsometimes,butshe’smorethanjustmy
pet.She’smybestfriendwiththebiggestheart
forsuchasmallbody!
– Dorette Bester, 13, Groot Jongsfontein
Dear Fiona
Ilovereading
NGKIDS!Hereisa
pictureofmydog,

Molly,readingthe
Septemberissue.She
wasveryinterested
in“ChipmunkRescue.”
Ihaveanotherdog,
Amy,thatisvery
naughty.Shechewed
uptheJuneissue.
Myfavouritepartof
theSeptemberissue
was“HeroMum”.I
lovetolearnabout
animalsaswell.
Lionsareamongmy
favouriteanimalsbut
myultimatefavourite
animalisanelephant.
Thanksforallthe
greatmagazines.–
Chloe Woodhouse, 11,
Johannesburg
MollyJessie
ways to
make your
pet friend
eco-friendly:
Use natural

pet care
cleaning

products,
particularly if you are
washing your dog
outdoors.
ways to
make your
pet friend
eco-friendly:
Give them

toys made
from
recycled
materials.
Try a
pet bed made from an
old tyre.
Give them

toys made
from
recycled
materials.
Try a
pet bed made from an
old tyre.
Use natural

pet care
cleaning

products,
particularly if you are
washing your dog
outdoors.
BY CATHY LU
open
car and boat
The Humdinga is a vehicle that knows
how to make a splash. This truck can turn
into a speedboat. Unlike similar vehicles,
the Humdinga can lift its wheels
completely out of the water, allowing it
to speed through the waves. Going
from street to surf is
easy – just drive it
down a ramp or beach
until the wheels are
submerged, then press
a button to fold up the
wheels. Now it’s a boat.
The Humdinga is designed
for disaster relief, such as
bringing supplies to flood
zones, but it also can be used
for fun. Picture yourself driving
along the streets of Cape Town and
straight into Table Bay for a lap around
Robben Island. Now that’s the way to go
sightseeing.
inventions

COOL
inventions
COOL
inventions
COOL
inventions
COOL
driving in
Just because you have a small
bathroom doesn’t mean you can’t have a tub.
Designed for bathrooms with limited space, the
Tulip is a concept for a shower that transforms
into a bathtub. Rough day at soccer practice?
Simply pull down on the front to open the tub,
fill it with water, and slip in under the suds. A
wireless touch screen panel lets you control
underwater jets to massage your
sorest muscles. What a way
to chill out.
folding
bathtub
closed
see-through tv
A switched-off TV no longer has to be a big black
box taking over the room. The Loewe Invisio, a
concept TV, “disappears” when it’s not
in use. You can see right through the
TV’s two clear screens. When the TV
is turned on, the screen in the back
turns black, providing a background

for the picture that appears on the
front screen. Shut off the Invisio, and
both screens
turn clear
again. Just
remember you
can’t
really hide the
Invisio if you
get caught
watching
TV before
finishing your
homework.
on
off
gibbs technologies (humdinga, both); © PiotR PYRteK (tuliP, both); © michael FRiebe (loeWe inVisio
tuRned on); © daVid butleR (liVing Room), © michael FRiebe (inVisio tuRned oFF), image digitallY comPosed
8
APRIL 2013
national GeoGraphic KiDS
9
Daniel
Lisa
Rwema and
Dukore
The Dian Fossey Gorilla FunD inTernaTional (Gorillas, boTh);
holGer holleMann / aFP / GeTTy iMaGes (lisa anD Paulchen)
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Rwema and Dukore, two young mountain gorillas, were lounging in their

rainforest home when they spotted something in the nearby bushes. It was
a snare to catch animals with rope. A hunter had left it there.
Thinking quickly, the apes dashed over and pulled apart the rope trap.
Noticing another snare a short distance away, the gorillas
destroyed it as well.
Hunters set snares to catch game such as antelope. But other
animals, including small apes, also get caught in these traps. “Though
it’s possible they were just playing, we think they understood the snares
were dangerous, so they did something about it,” says Veronica Vecellio of
the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Its team members witnessed the feat.
To Veronica’s knowledge, no one has ever seen a young gorilla
dismantle a trap in the wild. “These creatures are smart,” she says. “Rwema
and Dukore showed what incredible things apes will do to protect their
families.” – John Micklos, Jr.
Hodenhagen, Germany
Lisa the rabbit definitely has a wild side – sometimes she would act
more like a big cat than a bunny. Playing chase with her leopard pal,
Paulchen, Lisa would zoom after her friend and then go in for
a playful pounce!
Zookeepers at the Serengeti Park where the animals live, had
placed the rabbit and leopard cub in the same enclosure to keep each
other company. The two quickly became buddies and Lisa started
acting like a leopard. Her favourite game was to pretend she was
hunting her much larger pal. She scampered after Paulchen and
leaped on to him, or got on a table and tackled him from above.
“I’ve seen felines play like this, but not rabbits,” says keeper Jessica
Hamza. “It was funny to watch her behave like a cat.”
As the animals grew up, the leopard moved in with his species
and Lisa joined two monkeys. “Now she acts like the monkeys,”
Jessica says. “They climb together and groom one

another.” This little friend knows how to blend in! – Elisabeth Deffner
RABBIT THINKS SHE’S A LEOPARD
what
should we
play next?
don’t say
hopscotch.
In this
photo, taken
from above, Dukore
grasps a broken
branch that held
the rope trap he
destroyed.
nothing
gets
past me!
GORILLAS OUTSMART HUNTERS
Nearly 6 000 species of frogs hop, burrow, climb, swim and even soar in exotic
ecosystems around the world – and your own neighbourhood. Some do startling things to
adapt and they are incredibly good at surviving. “There’s such marvelous
diversity in frogs,” says National Geographic Emerging Explorer Lucy Cooke, who has
been a frog fan since she was a kid. “You never get bored with them.” Here are ten frogs
whose freakish good looks and bizarre lifestyles will turn you into a frog fan.
FROG-ZILLA!
Tipping the scales at 3 kilograms
and with a sitting length of 31,7
centimetres, the goliath frog
from Cameroon and Equatorial
Guinea is bigger than a chihuahua.

It’s the world’s largest frog and can
leap ten times its body length, or
about three metres in one hop. Its
body and legs can stretch to
75 centimetres, a little longer than
a tennis racket.
F
U
N with F
R
E
A
K
Y
frogs!
A group
of
frogs is
called an
army.
BIGGEST SMALLEST
DISCOVERY
In 2009, on the rainforest floor in Papua
New Guinea, scientists discovered the
planet’s smallest frog species, known only as
paedophryne amauensis. It’s also the world’s
smallest vertebrate – animals with a
backbone. A couple of them could sit on a ten
cent coin and still have room!
Most

frogs
have
teeth only
on their
upper
jaw.
Most
frogs
have
teeth only
on their
upper
jaw.
A
group
of
frogs is
called an
army.
BY RUTH A. MUSGRAVE
national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
© stephen dalton / nature picture library (big picture); © national news /
zuma press (frog on dime); © andrew murray / nature picture library
(goliath); © michael & patricia fogden / minden pictures (darwin’s frog)
F
U
N with F
R
E

A
K
Y
frogs!
Burping up BaBy
The male Darwin’s frog of Argentina and
Chile gives “birth” like a seahorse, but in
his own weird way. The female lays eggs and
the male guards them for about 20 days.
Just before they hatch, he gobbles them up.
The tadpoles grow and change into frogs
safely inside his throat pouch. “The pregnant male’s
throat is a mass of wriggling tadpole tails,” Lucy says.
“It’s incredible to see.” After 50 to 60 days inside this
unusual nursery, the big day arrives and daddy burps
up more than a dozen baby frogs.
Warning LaBeL
From the top, the Oriental fire-bellied
toad from Korea, China and southeastern
Russia appears to be a mild-mannered
frog. If threatened, though, it flashes
its brightly coloured belly to warn
predators they can look but shouldn’t
touch. Not only is it toxic, it’s covered
with sharp warts.
national GeoGraphic KiDS
11
© stephen dalton / nature picture library
(big picture); © mark moffet / minden pictures
(golden poison frog); © pete oxford / nature

picture library (glass frog); © thomas marent /
minden pictures (horned frog); © d. parer & e.
parer-cook / auscape / minden pictures (water-
holding frog); thomas kitchin & victoria hurst /
leesonphoto. all rights reserved (wood frog)
Clearly See-through
“Glass frogs are beautiful and delicate,” Lucy says.
“They really seem to be made of glass.” These frogs
from Central and South America are translucent
(almost see-through, like fogged glass). Their
camouflage makes the animals nearly invisible or
look like a bump on a leaf. Some even have green
bones to really sell the invisibility act to predators.
“If you flip one over, you can see its heart beating
through its skin,” Lucy says.
KiSS Me and CroaK
A golden poison frog has enough poison on its skin to kill several
men. “It’s only about two centimetres long,” Lucy says. “But it’s the
most poisonous vertebrate on the planet.” The tiny toxic frog from
Colombia doesn’t make its own poison. It absorbs toxins from the
beetles, ants, flies, termites and crickets that it eats. Unlike most
frogs, it boldly rests out in the open for everyone to see. Its colour
warns enemies to stay away. Being armed with enough poison to drop
half a soccer team means there’s no need to hide.
Big gulp
Go ahead and yell, “Hey, big mouth!”
The Amazonian horned frog won’t be
offended. Its mouth is 1,6 times wider
than its entire body length. It eats
anything it can fit inside that mega

mouth, including rodents, snakes,
lizards and even frogs. It swallows the
prey whole. Sometimes its eyes are
bigger than its stomach. Some
Amazonian horned frogs have tried
to eat prey that was larger than
themselves.
Frogs live
on
every
continent
except
Antarctica.
Frogs live
on
every
continent
except
Antarctica.
12
APRIL 2013
national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
Flying Frog
Why hop when you can fly? To escape predators or search for food, Wallace’s flying
frogs glide from tree to tree. These amphibians live high up in the rainforest
canopy in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Rather than climbing down one tree
and up another, they fly. “It’s like the superhero of the rainforest,” Lucy says. With
its webbed feet and side flaps of skin, this 10-centimetre-long frog can glide up to
15 metres.

Waiting For
Water
“Water-holding frog” is more
than a name – it’s a lifestyle. To
survive between rains in the
scorching Australian desert,
this frog stores its own water
in its bladder and special sacs.
It also burrows deep into
the ground, where it creates
a waterproof cocoon out of
layers of shed skin to hold
in its body’s water. It waits
weeks, months, even years for
rain. Then it digs out to eat
and breed before returning
underground to wait for the
next rain. Australia’s native
people sometimes use the
water-holding frog to quench
their thirst. They give it a
gentle squeeze for a drink,
then release it unharmed.
Frog-sicle
During the winter, wood frogs hide
beneath leaves throughout Alaska,
Canada and parts of the
northeastern United States. They
survive the winter by freezing and
thawing with everything else. When

the final spring thaw arrives, the
wood frog thaws as well and goes
back to hopping and hunting.

Batrachology
is the study of
amphibians.
An amphibian
is a
frog,
toad,
newt,
salamander ,
or caecilian.
An
amphibian
is a
frog,
toad,
newt,
salamander ,
or caecilian.

Batrachology
is the study of
amphibians.
national GeoGraphic KiDS
13
Filling up your car with liquid from animals
and plants that lived millions of years

ago is just so last century. Petrol may well
have had its day. Instead of polluting the
air with nasty chemicals and puffing out
greenhouse gases, why not move along in an
air-powered car? It won’t pollute the
atmosphere and you can’t run out
of air “fuel”.
How does it worK? The air has to
be compressed and stored in a tank like
you might use for scuba diving. When the
compressed air is released, it can drive the
pistons that power the engine.
will it Happen? A French car
manufacturer has made a hybrid car, which
means it runs on a mixture of energy
sources. Its petrol engine will only kick in
when you get close to 70 kilometres per
hour. This would save you a lot on petrol
money and produce less harmful gases.
1
1
1
1


Nick l’ANge (ART)
national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
To make a tree house, you saw planks
and nail them down together to make a

platform. Then you start on the walls. What
if you could make a tree house out of the
tree instead? You wouldn’t have to come
down at night either, because you’ll live
there. It would be your tree home.
How does it work? People have been
bending branches to form walls and fences
for centuries. Grafting is also an ancient
trick. It means tying tissue from one plant
to another. Feed both and the new plant
attaches itself to the host. It becomes
part of the same plant. By bending
branches and grafting you could grow a
living tree house!
will it Happen? American architect
Mitchell Joachim has designed buildings
that are alive and others that have live
parts. He says you could grow villages,
but it might take up to ten years before
people can move in.
2
2
2
2


national GeoGraphic KiDS
15
More than half of the population of South
Africa live in cities. Experts say within 18

years 300 million Chinese will move to their
country’s cities. Imagine all of them driving
to work or school in cars every day! That’s
why town planners are thinking vertical is
the way to go.
How does it work? Take all the things
that make a cool city to live in and place
them in connected areas in a tall building. It
may be a good thing for the planet, because
some studies show city people have smaller
carbon footprints than their country
cousins. In cities of the future there will be
small farms among the areas for living,
working and relaxing. That means food won’t
have to be transported from far away, saving
time and energy.
will it Happen? Nearly a century ago
the French architect Le Corbusier imagined
sky cities: skyscrapers with 60 storeys, joined
by walkways, with glass walls and with an
airport on the roof. Seoul, the capital of
South Korea, is getting the first skyscraper
with an entire city inside it. On its 133 storeys
there will be luxury flats, malls, the world’s
largest aquarium, a clinic, fancy hotels,
restaurants and more. When it opens in
2015, it will be the second-tallest building
in the world.
It’s not just about finishing what’s on your
plate or getting rid of the rubbish bin, it’s

about removing waste all along the way.
Restaurants often throw out piles of
packaging and mounds of leftover food. But
there are simple things restaurant managers
can do to reduce the waste.
How does it work? Collecting paper, glass,
cans and plastic for recycling is good, but
some restaurants are cutting down on this,
too. One restaurant in Durban returns empty
juice bottles to the supplier, so they can be
reused. Some restaurants are growing food –
one restaurant in the centre of Cape Town has
a veggie garden on its roof.
will it Happen? Getting to zero is quite
a challenge. America has a star system for how
green a restaurant is. This year’s greenest
restaurant award went to Uncommon Ground
in Chicago. It beat the competition by scoring
well on about a hundred things like using
salvaged furniture and non-bleached napkins.
3
3
3
3


4
4
4
4

16
national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
Taking the solar panel on your calculator
or your roof to a new level, engineers are
looking at gathering solar power from
space and beaming it back to Earth.
How does it work? Curved mirrors
direct sunlight onto solar cells. The
collected energy is beamed down to
anywhere in the world using lasers or
microwaves. Sounds simple! It beats
solar power on Earth as it could work
24 hours per day and it beats fossil fuel
as it doesn’t pollute. The only problem is the
huge cost of sending the dish into space.
will it Happen? A plan was drawn up
in the 1970s by NASA but the cost would
have been a trillion dollars, so nothing
was done. Now engineers at a Scottish
university think they may have found a
way to build it for less – a lot less.
5
5
5
5

national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
I
t’s been a long day. After school you go home to
relax. You’re greeted by a pal who’s happy to see
you, listens to you talk about the holidays, tells
you a new joke, helps you put away your school
stuff, and reminds you to SMS your cousin happy
birthday. Then he helps you with your homework.
This is your future, and it all starts with a knee-high
robot called NAO (pronounced NOW). It looks much
like you, walks, dances, listens, talks and even learns
and thinks for itself. Its creators predict that the
state-of-the-art robot could be a home com-
panion by 2040.
The robot recognises human facial features,
so it knows who you are. NAO can
even express emotions. It represents the
new generation of autonomous, or self-guided
robots. They can sense, think and act. Other
robots might do two out of the three. A
robot might sense things using cameras
and think using computers, but have no
arms, wheels or claws to do stuff with.
Other robots can move and sense
things, but can’t think for themselves.
These aren’t self-guided robots.
NAO can do it all but costs
R144 000. Start saving.
18

April 2013
This cool
ANdroid
could soon be
a parT
of your
family.
BY SEAN PRICE
Teams of
NAO robots play in
the RoboCup, a
yearly soccer
competition for
self-guided
robots.
national GeoGraphic KiDS
17
Robot octopus
This “soft robot” has long arms, such
as the one above, that can coil around
objects to grab them. Robots like this
will help with underwater rescues.
They don’t use gears, wheels, or metal,
relying instead on stretchy materials
that move when filled with water or
jolted with electricity.
Long HauL
LS3, which stands for Legged
Squad Support System, is
a robotic pack animal

designed to haul things.
LS3’s amazingly lifelike legs
can carry heavy loads over
sand, snow, mud and ice.
If LS3 slips, it regains its
balance and keeps going.
Not only can it carry 181
kilograms of supplies over
32 kilometres, it can also
charge your cell phone.
© ALDEBARAN ROBOTICS / ED ALCOCk (NAO, BOTH); ZSB / WENN / NEWSCOM (PARO); AFP / GETTY IMAGES (OCTOPUS); DARPA (LS3)
ROBOT
PERSONALITY
“You can program your
computer to give NAO what
could be called personality,”
says Natanel Dukan of
Aldebaran Robotics, the French
company that built NAO. It has cute,
childlike features – a high voice, small body, big
eyes, and a large head. “We know these things
have an emotional appeal for people,” robot
expert Dan Kara says. One of NAO’s main tasks is
to show people how useful personal robots can be.
Someday it may help you ace a test!

19
ROBOT
ROUNDUP
ROBOT

ROUNDUP
ROBOT
ROUNDUP
ROBOT
ROUNDUP
ROBOT
ROUNDUP
ROBOT
ROUNDUP
big and smaLL, HaRd and soft – Robots come in aLL sHapes and sizes.
cuddLy comfoRt
Paro looks like a stuffed harp seal, but it’s a very
complicated robot used to help reduce stress in
medical patients. Its Japanese makers programmed
Paro to make soothing sounds when it’s petted and to
whine like a puppy when ignored. The cuddle time can
help calm young patients facing difficult hospital stays.
Check out a video of NAO dancing at
kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos/
20
april 2013
COOL
4
1
14
17
18
15
19
3 2

REC
YCLED MATERIALS
THINGS
MADE
FROM
20
5
5
An empty CD stack
box
as a lunch box
for a bagel.
ROOF TILES
MADE FROM
RECYCLED
PLASTIC

AND SAND.
0
3
16
FLEECE
MADE FROM
RECYCLED
PLASTIC BOTTLE.
6
A CLOCK
made from a
recycled
BICYCLE

WHEEL.
Use an old vuvuzela
as a light.
21
A library desk made
from
damaged books.
A WATERING
CAN FROM
AN OLD
DETERGENT
BOTTLE. MAKE
HOLES IN THE
C A P.
A SPOON
MADE FROM
A TWIG AND
A SHELL.
A light made
from old
engine
parts,
recycled
wood and
p ap e r.
WHEELCHAIR!
BOUGHT WITH BREAD TAGS.
A DECORATION
MADE FROM
USED AND

DRIED
TEABAGS.
A MOBILE
FROM DRIFT
WOOD,
MAGAZINE
PAPER
AND
BITS OF FOIL
FOR GLITTER.
A
WALLET
MADE
FROM AN
OLD MAP.
A GLASS
made from a
RECYCLED
BOTTLE.
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
21
SebaStian Voigt (1; 3; 4; 7; 10; 14; 15; 16; 18; 19; 20; 22; 24; 25; 26; 29); Fiona thomSon (8); iStockphoto (2; 5; 6; 9; 11; 21;
23; 26; 27; 28)
87
2423
11
22
BY FIONA THOMSON
26
27

29
RECYC
LED MATERIALS
30
10
13
28
25
Chipped glass
jugs or teacups used as
plant holders.
A
BOWL
MADE
FROM A
RECYCLED
VINYL RECORD.
A
shelf
made from an
old
wooden crate.
A sewing kit in an egg box.
A PLASTIC POT
PLANT HOLDER
CAN BE USED AS
A
STRAINER
FOR VEGETABLES
FRESH FROM YOUR

GARDEN.
12
A HEADBOARD MADE FROM AN OLD DOOR.
WRAP PRESENTS

WITH COLOURFUL
PAGES
FROM
MAGAZINES.
A library desk made
from
damaged books.
9
USE OLD CDS AS FUNKY COASTERS. STICK
TWO TOGETHER, PASTE A PIECE OF FELT UNDERNEATH AND
COVER WITH THICK FABRIC.
A BRIQUETTE
MADE FROM
GRAPE
SEEDS.
A BOOKSHELF
A GUITAR
MADE FROM

AN OIL
CONTAINER.
BEADS MADE FROM
RECYCLED PAPER.
A PIG MADE FROM
PLASTIC BAGS.

A RULER MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC.
A BAG made
from
RECYCLED
PLASTIC.
A bike stand made
from
tyres.
MADE FROM
AN OLD PIANO.
PIZZA!
REBECCA HALE / NGS STAFF
You know you love pizza. The ancient Greeks probably did,
too! More than 2 000 years ago the Greeks were making
round, flat breads covered with oil, herbs, and spices. In
1830, chefs in Naples, Italy, baked their crust in an oven
lined with rocks from a nearby volcano.
Some say that could have been the
first pizzeria – and the
restaurant is still open
today. Gobble up these
other tasty titbits.
MUSHROOMS
are some seriously
freaky fungi. They’ve
been grown in caves
and buried in dung and
some even glow in
the dark.
A BELL

PEPPER
is a fruit, not
a vegetable.
Most CHEESE is
made with the milk of a
cow, goat or sheep. The
traditional way to make
mozzarella is with water
buffalo milk.
CHEW
ON THIS
CHEW
ON THIS
CHEW
ON THIS
CHEW
ON THIS
BY KAY BOATNER
mAke your own PIZZA
The Margherita pizza was
created in Naples and has
the colours of the Italian
flag: red tomatoes, green
basil and white cheese. Ask a
parent to help you make one.
Bake pizza dough at
190 degrees Celsius
for about 5 minutes.
Brush the crust lightly
with 1 teaspoon of

olive oil.
1
Top dough with four to
five thin tomato slices,
a pinch each of dried
oregano, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded
mozzarella over dough.
2
Bake until golden
at 220 degrees for
10 to 12 minutes.
Sprinkle half a cup
of chopped basil
over the top.
3
TOMATOES
can be red,
orange, yellow,
green, purple,
and even
striped.
The
RECORd for the
world’s largest round pizza
held by a supermarket in
Norwood for 22 years was
broken in December 2012 in
Rome. A team of five Italian
chefs made a pizza that was

40 metres across.
22
April 2013
NatioNal GeoGraphic KiDS
23
© 2013 NatioNal GeoGraphic Society • NatioNal GeoGraphic, NatioNal GeoGraphic KidS aNd yellow Border aNd KidS yellow Border deSiGNS are trademarKS of NatioNal GeoGraphic Society
• all riGhtS reServed • photo: © Gallo imaGeS/J&c SohNS/Getty imaGeS
Iguana
COMPETITION
12 SAMMIES LUGGAGE SETS
WORTH R24 000 UP FOR GRABS!
COMPLETE
OUR SURVEY
NOW & WIN!
Take our survey, send it back to us by 23 April 2013 and
stand a chance of winning one of 12 Samsonite luggage
sets for kids, worth R2 000 each! Each luggage set
consists of an upright 50cm suitcase, a backpack,
a purse and an umbrella.
SAMSONITE MAKES LITTLE
GLOBETROTTERS LOOK FUN AND TRENDY!
Samsonite’s Sammies Kids collection is ideal for kids who want to
have their own luggage while looking cool. The luggage for littlies
is not only a perfect fit for youngsters’ needs but also features
creatures that children can’t help but love such as the Ladybird, the
Crocodile, the Busy Bee and now the beautiful Butterfly, adorable
Elephant and delightful Dog!
VISIT www.samsonite.com for more information.
NG KIDS READER SURVEY
If you’d

prefer to fill
the survey
in online,
please go to

www.ngkids.co.za.
Crocodiles
often sleep
with their
mouths open
and can pant
like a dog.
Did you Know
There are three
types of bee in
a colony? The
queen bee and the
worker bees are
female and the
drone is male.
Dogs have a
better sense
of smell than
cats.
SURVEY