Greenland

I am a giant, sleepy island. A thick, white blanket of sparkling ice covers me, like a big, cozy quilt. All along my edges, little houses are painted bright red, blue, and yellow. They look like colorful toys snuggled together to stay warm. When the sun goes to sleep, magical green and purple lights sometimes dance across my dark sky. They wiggle and shimmer like ribbons in the wind. I am a very special place. I am Greenland.

My first friends came to visit a very long, long time ago. They were brave families who knew how to live in the cold. Much, much later, around the year 982, a man with a big red beard sailed to see me in his wooden boat. His name was Erik the Red. He thought I was so beautiful, but he gave me a funny name. He called me 'Greenland' to make me sound warm and green, even though I am mostly white with snow. Soon, more wonderful friends came, like the Inuit people. Their families have lived with me for hundreds of years, telling stories and sliding across my snow on sleds pulled by happy dogs.

Today, I am home to big, fluffy polar bears who play on my ice. Giant whales swim in my chilly water and say hello with a big splash. My huge blanket of ice is very, very important. It helps keep the whole world cool, like a giant ice cube in a cup of water. I love being a special, icy place where people and animals live together. I am here to remind you how beautiful our planet is and that we should all take good care of it.