Bamboo

Swoosh, creak, rustle. That’s the sound I make when the wind tickles my long, green stalks. I stand in a big family called a grove, all of us reaching high up to the sun together. If you tap on me, you’ll hear a hollow thump-thump sound, but don’t be fooled, because I am super strong. Many people think I’m a tree, but I have a secret. I’m actually a type of giant grass, and I can grow faster than almost anything else on Earth. In just one single day, I can shoot up taller than a grown-up. My roots connect underground, making my whole family strong. I can bend without breaking, which makes me very useful. I am Bamboo.

For thousands and thousands of years, I have been a helper to people. It all started a long, long time ago, around 5000 BCE in a place called China. People discovered how strong I was. They cut my stalks and used me to build the walls and roofs of their homes, keeping them safe and dry. They sharpened me to make tools for farming and hunting. I was a house and a helper all in one. Then, people found a new way for me to help them share stories and ideas. Starting around the 16th century BCE, during a time called the Shang Dynasty, they would slice me into very thin, flat strips. On these strips, they would write down their history, their poems, and their letters. They tied the strips together to make some of the very first books in the world. Imagine reading a story written on me. I was also shaped into flutes that made beautiful music, and into chopsticks for eating yummy meals. People even used my strong stalks to build amazing bridges that could carry them over rivers. Many years later, in the 1880s, a famous inventor named Thomas Edison was working on a tricky problem. He wanted to make an electric light bulb that would glow for a long, long time. He tried everything he could think of to put inside the glass bulb, but nothing worked well. Then, he tried a tiny, thin piece of me. When he sent electricity through it, it glowed. It glowed brightly and it didn't burn out. I was the secret ingredient that made his first successful light bulbs shine for everyone.

My work as a helper isn't over. Today, you can find me all over your house, but you might not recognize me at first. I can be turned into smooth, strong flooring that you walk on, or a sturdy cutting board in your kitchen. People have even learned how to make my fibers super soft to weave them into shirts and socks. I am also a great friend to our planet. Because I grow so fast, people can use me without harming forests. When I’m cut down, I just grow right back. And I have a very special friend, the Giant Panda, who thinks I am the most delicious snack in the whole world. I love being strong, flexible, and always ready to help people in new ways. What do you think you could invent with me next?