NatWorld Magazine

The Ill-Fated Illustrator

If you’ve seen or read A Series of Unfortunate Events, you’ve seen Brett Helquist’s unique art. Learn about this American illustrator and view illustrations he’s done for the Unfortunates and other books. Read more

The Secret Origins of Nursery Rhymes

The relationship of many historical events to the Nursery Rhyme have been long forgotten. The Bubonic Plague and its symptoms were parodied in “Ring Around the Rosy” and the English Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary) was believed to be the ’star’ of the “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” rhyme which featured a hidden reference to the Queen’s treatment of Protestants using instruments of torture (silver bells) and execution by burning them alive at the stake. It’s no wonder that this Queen has since been known as Bloody Mary! Witches and their ‘familiars’, like cats, frogs, mice and owls, are frequently, but obliquely, referred to in the words of a Nursery Rhyme as we have discussed in “The Identity of Mother Goose.” We need to understand the people, history and cultures of by-gone days to unlock the hidden meanings of the humble Nursery rhyme. The history and origins of many an ‘innocent’ Nursery Rhyme can be found on this site. Read more

Tweety Birds

Click to listen to some bird songs and calls! Allaboutbirds.org is an excellent website for learning more about birds. Check out the Bird Guide or learn about the characteristics, behavior, and flight patterns of all kinds of fowl. They’re pretty sweet! Read more

Guardian. Idealist. Rational. Artisan. Which are you?

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter®-II (KTS®-II) is the most widely used personality instrument in the world. It is a powerful 70 question personality instrument that helps individuals discover their personality type. It’s also free. Read more

INSPIRING! Benjamin Franklin

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” —Benjamin Franklin

“Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American in his day. Wherever he went, crowds formed. People worldwide pictured Franklin when anyone said, “American.” . . . The remarkable Franklin, a printer by trade, a scientist by fame, and a man of action by all accounts, continues to shape American thinking and action. The Independence Hall Association, owners of ushistory.org, has commissioned and assembled resources for you to explore the diversity that was Benjamin Franklin. Each generation produces people who reshape their world. Benjamin Franklin was one such man.” Read more

Why do we have eyebrows?

Eyebrows are a very significant aspect of our appearance. They are one of the most distinctive features that make up our faces, and we pay a lot of attention to them. We think of some types of eyebrows as attractive and some as unattractive, and many people spend as much time preening their eyebrows as they do applying makeup to their eyelashes or lips. Eyebrows are also one of our most expressive facial features. One of the clearest ways to tell somebody what you’re thinking is to simply move your eyebrows up or down — we all know what different eyebrow positions mean. Read more