Stump the Librarian

Kent District Library
  • 5.0 (4)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to Kent District Library’s Stump the Librarian Podcast where your friendly neighborhood librarians put their research skills to the test answering questions from you, the listener! Jill and Liz every other Wednesday to learn new and exciting information. Think you have a question that can stump us? Visit www.kdl.org/stump to submit a question of your own!

  1. APR 15

    Episode 90 the Littlest Bear in the World

    Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “Why do we use soap to wash our hands?” and “What is the smallest bear in the world?” We have a fact about bread bubbles and a sweet chapter book about animal friends. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   Regarding soap....  https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/data-research/facts-stats/index.html  "soap and detergent." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/soap-and-detergent/277108. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.  https://www.livescience.com/57044-science-of-soap.html  https://globalhandwashing.org/about-handwashing/history-of-handwashing/  "germ." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/germ/442739. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.  Regarding bears...  Sun Bear by Julie Murray: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1209298  https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/worlds-smallest-bears  https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/sun-bear-fact-sheet/  https://planetwild.com/blog/sun-bear  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sun-bear  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_bear  https://zooatlanta.org/animal/malayan-sun-bear/

    29 min

  2. APR 1

    Episode 89 Owl Moon

    In today’s episode we answer the questions, “How do owls fly so quietly? What do owls eat and what happens to the parts they cannot digest? Can I have a pet owl?” and “Why can we see the moon in the daytime?” We hear some D&D trivia from Librarian Tabby and Jill recommends a chapter book about kids protecting owls. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!    Jill’s book recommendation: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen   https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C206833  Concerning owls:  https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/owl   "owl." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/owl/332197#main-ada. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.   https://blandfordnaturecenter.org/ambassadors-2/?#owls   https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Strigiformes/   https://www.thesprucepets.com/do-owls-make-good-pets-390707   https://www.internationalowlcenter.org/owlsaspets.html   https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/owls-1     Concerning the moon:  The Moon Tonight by Jung Chang-hoo: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C936619   https://earthsky.org/moon-phases/do-we-all-see-the-same-moon-phase/   https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/why-can-you-see-the-moon-during-the-day-we-asked-a-nasa-scientist-episode-19/   https://science.nasa.gov/sun/facts/   https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question43.html   https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/   Moon doesn’t go around the Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4z0Z7vC6gE   Solar time lapse: https://youtu.be/o-DHwNFDgOU

    32 min

  3. MAR 18

    Episode 88 Orange Cat, Orange Fruit, and the Color Orange

    "orange." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 Jan. 2017. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/orange/57261#main-ada. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.  https://www.livescience.com/45057-oranges-nutrition-facts.html  https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-oranges  https://www.uslanguageservices.com/blog/the-history-behind-english-color-names/  https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/color-etymology

    27 min

  4. MAR 4

    Episode 87 Turtle-Flour!

    In today’s episode we answer the questions, “What is flour made of?” and “What do turtles do in winter?” We hear a library fact of the day from KDL’s Data Coordinator Sheri and Liz recommends a delicious graphic novel about two friends on an adventure. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!      Liz’s book recommendation: Night Chef by Mika Song  https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1229987    Concerning flour:  https://www.funkidslive.com/learn/homeschool/baking/mission-3-how-do-we-make-flour/   "flour and flour milling." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 May. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/flour-and-flour-milling/274353. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.   "bread." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Jan. 2022. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/bread/273343. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.   "wheat." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/wheat/277720. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.   https://fabflour.co.uk/fab-flour/how-is-flour-made/     Concerning turtles:   The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery & Matt Patterson   "turtle." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 Dec. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/turtle/277471. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.   https://blog.nature.org/2017/01/30/turtles-under-ice-winter-survival-hibernation-adaptation/#:~:text=Painted%20turtles%20spend%20most%20of,the%20mud%20beneath%20the%20water.   https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39771-Chrysemys-picta   https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/michigan-species/reptiles/turtles   https://wildlifeinwinter.com/painted-turtle/   https://www.sarett.org/painted-turtles   https://virginiazoo.org/where-did-the-turtles-go-for-the-winter   Turtles breathing underwater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcqcfFd2htg

    27 min

  5. FEB 18

    Episode 86 Slurp, Click, and Growl

    Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “What year was the first phone invented?” and “What noise does a seahorse make?” We have a fact about buying books for the library and a road trip novel that you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!     Regarding telephones...  https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/telephone/110260  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone#:~:text=1667:%20Robert%20Hooke%20invents%20a,(non%2Delectrical)%20telephone.  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/theres-a-1200-year-old-phone-in-the-smithsonian-collections-180947641/  "Alexander Graham Bell." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 May. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Alexander-Graham-Bell/15220. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.  Regarding Seahorses...  Seahorses by Melissa Gish: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C921475  Sea horse. (2024). Salem Press Primary Encyclopedia.   https://www.livescience.com/46718-seahorses-growl.html  https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/sea-life/seahorse-facts/  https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/seahorses-make-racket  www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/seahorse-fact-sheet  https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/fishkeeping-news/seahorses-growl-when-theyre-stressed/  https://projectseahorse.org/  https://www.theseahorsetrust.org/seahorse-facts/  Pygmy seahorse camouflage: https://youtu.be/Q3CtGoqz3ww?si=uspCBEInzoqShwKr

    29 min

  6. FEB 4

    Episode 85 Stink, Stank, SKUNK!

    In this episode we answer the questions “How do skunks produce that stinky substance?” and “Which came first, Yeti or Bigfoot?” and “Is Bigfoot real?” We also share a turtle fact of the day from Librarian Laura and Liz recommends a heartwarming chapter book about a very important bear. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!    Laura’s fact of the day: The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery  https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C922118   Liz’s book recommendation: Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate  https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1192274     Concerning skunks:  "skunk." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Jun. 2022. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/skunk/68133. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.    https://www.discovermagazine.com/10-facts-about-the-striped-polecat-and-no-its-not-a-skunk-46050   https://www.ourherald.com/articles/a-story-to-hang-onto-the-ultimate-skunk-remedy   https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/chemistry-skunk.html   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-what-makes-skunk-spray-smell-so-terrible-180955553/   Science of skunk spray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-4xNQuqZ1k     Concerning Bigfoot & the Yeti:  https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/online-exhibit/curators-choice/tracking-legend-bigfoot#:~:text=A%20Native%20American%20tradition%20in,the%20Sasquatch%20or%20Bigfoot%20legend   https://www.history.com/articles/bigfoot-legend-newspaper    https://mil.wa.gov/the-legend-of-bigfoot   https://www.livescience.com/24598-bigfoot.html   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-so-many-people-still-believe-in-bigfoot-180970045/   https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220720-the-true-origin-of-sasquatch   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterson%E2%80%93Gimlin_film#

    28 min

  7. JAN 21

    Episode 84 Orange You Glad It’s Orangutan?

    Join Liz and Jill as we answer the questions “Are Maine Coons the largest cat?” and “Do orangutans eat oranges?” We have a fact about animal jobs and an adventure novel that you are sure to love! To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!   Regarding Maine Coons...    https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Why-Are-Maine-Coon-Cats-So-Big/648427  https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Longhair-Cat-Breeds/649275#421786.toc  https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Maine-coon-cat/472805  https://a-z-animals.com/animals/maine-coon/#single-animal-text  https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/big-cat-breeds  https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/cat/106124  https://web.archive.org/web/20150714021608/http://www.tica.org/index.php  Regarding Orangutans...  "Orangutan." World Book Kids, 2025,     www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar831672. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.  https://orangutan.org/  https://www.orangutan.org.uk/blog/orangutan-stories-the-art-of-nest-building  https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan/  Nest-building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAz26FGACZc  Orangutans by Nicki Clausen-Grace: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C911137  Orangutans by Mara Grunbaum: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C588337

    29 min

  8. JAN 7

    Episode 83 Pop Goes the Bamboo

    In this episode we answer the questions “Can you hear bamboo grow?” and “How do you find out a tree’s age?” We also share a fact of the day from Data Coordinator Sheri and Liz recommends a chapter book about an octopus rescue with a lot of heart. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!     Liz’s book recommendation: Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly  https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1235498  Concerning bamboo:  https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/where-does-bamboo-grow   https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-panda   https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/bamboo   https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/bamboo/273085   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizome   Bamboo forest sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vky3vEL6Dc      Concerning dendrochronology:  https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus-story.htm      https://www.nist.gov/how-do-you-measure-it/how-do-you-measure-age-tree   https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/dendrochronology/29924   "tree." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Nov. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/tree/277422#main-ada. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.   chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://redbuttegarden.org/media/documents/calculate-tree-age-activity.pdf   https://youtu.be/MwNJC-IRgPE?si=bifxTMjO-J8U8kLG   https://www.environmentalscience.org/dendrochronology-tree-rings-tell-us   https://ltrr.arizona.edu/about/treerings   https://www.arborday.org/

    30 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to Kent District Library’s Stump the Librarian Podcast where your friendly neighborhood librarians put their research skills to the test answering questions from you, the listener! Jill and Liz every other Wednesday to learn new and exciting information. Think you have a question that can stump us? Visit www.kdl.org/stump to submit a question of your own!

Information

  • Creator
    Kent District Library
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Stump the Librarian

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