Friday, May 23, 2014

The Short Giraffe

written by Neil Flory
illustrated by Mark Cleary

Ages: 0-7 (approximately grades preschool – 1)

When Boba the baboon comes to take a picture of the tallest animals in the world, the giraffes are thrilled. They hope that this will be the most perfect picture ever. Except that Geri doesn’t fit in the frame. The terrifically tall tower (that’s a group of giraffes, people!) comes up with all sorts of ways to get Geri up to height with the other, regular-sized giraffes including stilts, hanging from a tree, and bouncing on springs. Needless to say, none of these experiments end very well and all hope seems quite lost for including Geri in the picture. That is, until a wise little caterpillar, the shortest animal of the bunch, suggests the revolutionary idea that instead of Geri ascending to their level, it may be easier for the tower to descent to his. Picture perfect!

Creative problem solving and inclusiveness are the main driving points for this plot, showing readers that experimentation is great even if it doesn’t lead to the desired result, and that being a friend is far better than being right. The cartoon-like, bright illustrations keep the messages light-hearted and enhance the silliness that ensues during Geri’s attempts to be tall. Children will love this story because, if anyone, they know all about being short! This is also a great title for children who love giraffes or guessing what the real solution to a story’s problem will be.

Find The Short Giraffe in the catalog.

No comments:

Post a Comment

We review all comments and reserve the right to remove comments based on: profanity, irrelevance, spam, personal attacks and anything else contrary to our guidelines.