Don't Laugh at Giraffe

August 13, 2012
Although Bird and Giraffe are constantly annoying each other, “you rarely see them apart.” When the odd couple, first seen in Giraffe and Bird, heads to the pond for a drink, Bird joins in with a zebra, flamingo, and hippo to laugh at Giraffe as he awkwardly tries to bend down and reach the water—eventually falling in. But Bird turns contrite when a humiliated Giraffe leaves the pond and conspires to include Giraffe in some good-natured laughter. Bender paints the animals against a bright savanna backdrop, emphasizing their emotional ups and downs with exaggerated facial expressions. The conversational text gracefully delivers a message about kindness and having a sense of humor. Ages 4–up.

August 1, 2012
An unlikely duo seems to have little rapport with each other until an inordinate amount of teasing leads to some remorse on the part of one friend, while the other becomes less sensitive. Shy Giraffe and boisterous Bird have a tenuous relationship made all the more vexing by their continual annoyance with each other. After one such exchange, in which each reacts negatively to the other's obnoxious behavior, they both become quite thirsty and take a visit to the pond. While Bird drinks and plays in the water hole, he neglects to notice Giraffe's difficulty in reaching the water without getting his hooves wet. And when the other savanna animals see the gentle, long-necked soul clumsily squat in order to reach the low pond, they howl and make merciless fun of his awkwardness. Upset and embarrassed, Giraffe leaves to quench his thirst in a nearby puddle. Bird's momentary regret gives him an idea to help Giraffe recover, with some good-natured ribbing of the others as a bonus. In the end everyone, including Giraffe, is laughing together. Large, cartoonish, brightly hued acrylics on texturized board are integral to conveying the fun in the sparsely worded text, which is filled with onomatopoeia. Yet the story's theme is ambiguous--children may not leave it understanding the difference between good-natured banter and mockery--and Giraffe's sudden decision that he doesn't mind getting his hooves wet is illogical. Ultimately unsatisfying. (Picture book. 4-6)

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October 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-In this sequel to Giraffe and Bird (Dancing Cat Bks., 2010), the sparring duo continue their unlikely friendship. Rowdy Bird instigates trouble by waking Giraffe with his loudest, chirpiest song. This results in a race that causes them to stumble over one another, making them thirsty. Bird has no trouble joining the zebra, hippo, and flamingo in the pond to cool off, but the low water level makes it difficult for the giraffe to reach down for a drink. His attempts to squat by the edge of the pond without getting his hooves wet elicit guffaws and cackles from the others. When he falls in, their mocking laughter embarrasses the giraffe so much that he slinks away and drinks from a mud puddle. Feeling sorry, the bird comes up with an idea. When they return to the pond, Bird acts so silly that the other animals laugh along-even Giraffe, who is no longer upset. Although the friends reconcile, it is unclear how this helps Giraffe overcome his fear of getting wet. The bright illustrations of acrylic on texturized illustration board are inset with small, square pictures that aptly convey the animals' expressions. The text includes lots of action words and sound effects to move the story along, but the lack of apology from the animals who tease the giraffe and the inexplicable resolution to his fear leave the story lacking.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

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