Two children learn about the different mammal classifications with the help of Snugglepuss.

The classifications get more specific as Dia demonstrates different aspects of the mammal world with the help of her child volunteers!

Dia and Snugglepuss answer any remaining audience questions.

Pati Sievert (far right), Physics Educator at Northern Illinois University, and a member of the Advisory Committee for 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science enjoying the AAAS show in St. Louis with Akaela Michels-Gualtieri (far left, Dia Michels's daughter) and Sarah Sievert (Pati Sievert's daughter) who taught the kids hands-on science at the Platypus Media Family Science Days booth.

If My Mom Were a Platypus on ABC Radio National
Dia Michels wants to be a platypus. She explains why to Robyn Williams

Presenter: Robyn Williams
Producer: Polly Rickard and David Fisher
Saturday 4 March 2006

Program Transcript
Robyn Williams: I'm talking to Dia Michels at the AAAS, and you belong to Platypus Media but you're not Australian. Why are you writing about platypuses?

Dia Michels: I'm basically obsessed with them and the reason is because I always wanted kids and so when I got to the point where I was going to have kids I found out that I hated the pregnancy, I hated childbirth, it was horrible, it was horrible, horrible. I lost 22 lbs in my first pregnancy before things turned, I was miserable. So I went on this journey to find out if I could be any other mammal what I would be. And it turns out that this platypus, which is considered a primitive mammal by people who think they're smart, is the superior creature when it comes to birth and breastfeeding. And so this has become part of my persona and every time I get pregnant I think about being a platypus, and so I'm very close to these animals.

Click here to view full program manuscript.
Click here to listen to interview.

Dia and her pal, Snugglepus, entertained kids with stories of mammal survival at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s Mammals Fest on April 2, 2005. Staff from Platypus Media ran a hands-on family science table and organizers from Reading is Fundamental (RIF) led story time events, including one by Dia, as part of the festivities.

Dia teaches 2 groups of kids about Chinese New Year and reads Look What I See! Where Can I Be? Visiting China at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in February 2005. After the reading, the families show off the arts and crafts they made.

People from all over lined up to get their hands on a
platypus at this year's AAAS Annual Meeting!

Dia and the wonderful folks at All-One-Family International in Chico, CA.
In Jan. 05, Dia visited this program where she read
Look What I See! Where Can I Be? With My Animal Friends.

Dia reads to kids at the DC WIC Family Picnic, Fall 2003.