A weird, joyful kids book
Reporter Anna North, who writes Vox’s Kids Today newsletter, says Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel (of Frog and Toad series fame) is helping her get through the winter with her kids, 2 and 6. It’s “about the joy of an inner life, something that can flourish even with little input from the outside. All Owl needs is the moon, a kettle, some weird ideas about tea and sadness, and a cozy bed… and he can create a whole world,” Anna writes.
White Lotus and the three poisons
An hour-long escape to a sunny Thai beach feels a bit on the nose this week. But I am soaking in the show’s return for a third season and all the coverage of it, including this super smart recap from Alex Abad-Santos. If you prefer your escapism on pages, Constance Grady has book recommendations, including Rick Steves’s travel memoir.
🎧 Why do we twitch in our sleep?
I’ve always been unsettled by the moments I wake myself up by jumping for no clear reason, but never so unsettled that I want to figure out why rather than just going back to sleep. Fortunately, neuroscientist Mark Blumberg didn’t just roll over on this one: He delved into what seems like a minor question, and produced some pretty big findings about how the brain and body interact. He spoke to Noam Hassenfeld for this week’s Unexplainable.
📹 How de-aging in the movies got so good
I’ll have whatever Tom Hanks is having in Here in my spring self-care regime.
The best financial advice for Gen Z
I really could have used the simple framework in this piece by Tatiana Walk-Morris when I was embarking on that post-college life. I still found it helpful, given another thing top of mind this time of year for me is not procrastinating on my tax returns financial planning.
Easy habits for a better social life
With warmer weather comes fewer excuses for opting out of social events. Reporter Allie Volpe has some easy strategies, based on a new book, for making the most of the new and renewed connections you’ll foster, just as soon as spring springs.
