Two fascinating stories from World War II. One is about Rose Valland, a French woman who worked as a spy in Nazi-occupied Paris. Her bravery saved thousands of works of art, many of which were returned to the families who originally owned them. 

Secondly, the story of German U-boat U-1206 is a doozy. The new toilet onboard was confounding, and it got the the better of the boat's commander. The result was a big blunder by the German Army. 

The Erie Canal and The Chicago River were two of the most impressive engineering feats in history.

For the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal we look at the opening celebration, along with a fun musical diversion or two.

And how can you talk about moving water without talking about the efforts to change sanitation in Chicago? This included reversing the flow of the river that runs through the city!

We're a part of Big Emotions this week! We’re feeling all squishy this week, as we dive into two of the strongest emotions of all. Love is powerful, joyful, and comforting - and when it changes or we feel its absence, sadness often follows. Sadness can feel heavy, but it helps us slow down, notice what matters, and deepen our connections. In this episode, we explore the softer, quieter corners of the heart where love and sadness meet. You’ll hear stories of friendship, loss and connection, showing how these big emotions help us grow and understand ourselves in new ways.

Contributing podcasts in this episode: But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids• The Past and The Curious • Newsy Pooloozy

Hosted by: Jerry Kolber of Who Smarted?

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Check out the music in each episode 

About this series: Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups is a 7-part audio adventure where creators from the Kids Listen community come together to explore feelings in all their shapes and sizes. Each episode pairs two related emotions, sharing original clips and reflections to help kids (and grownups!) understand, name, and navigate their feelings.

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Did a no-longer-living Mark Twain send a novel from the great beyond with a Ouija Board? Find out about the real story with help from our pal Nate DuFort of the podcast, Unspookable.

Episode 110! Peter the Great, The Hairy Eagle and more!

Did I decide on an episode about Peter the Great just so I could say 6-7 a few times to be cringe and make kids laugh? Yes, yes I did. But it's a really fun story about when the Tsar of All Russia travelled "incognito" through Europe. 

And as a bonus, we're talking hair sales, hair wreaths, and even the not-so-famous "Hairy Eagle!"

Episode 109 tells the story of Lincoln's the speech Lincoln lost before his inauguration in 1861.

Also included is the story of Ely S. Parker, an indigenous Seneca man who made an impact in the Civil War - and who had really nice handwriting.

Composer Joseph Haydn is buried with two skulls. You'll never believe why (hint: it has to do with phrenology).

Meanwhile Thomas Paine's bones went missing thanks to an overly enthusiastic fan.

Henriette D'angeville was the first woman to climb Mount Blanc in the Alps, despite everyone advising her not to try it.

Decades later, Julia Archibald Holmes (a friend of John Brown's) became the first woman to summit Pike's Peak, a feat that Pike himself never did.

Philo Farnsworth loved electricity so much he came up with a way to invent television - as a 14 year old!

Centuries beforehand Stephen Gray, a British scientist, learned more about electricity than anyone before him - and he used children to show how it worked!

This episode will make you hungry!

Rufus Estes and Chin Foin both left a big mark on food, both lived in Chicago at the same time, and both had their food featured in important cookbooks in 1911.

The year 1917 gave us both the birth of the Cottingly Fairies and the silly fake history known as the Bathtub Hoax.