Tag: zebras

My Dad is a Giraffe, by Stephen Michael King

My dad is big and tall
gentle and fun.
My dad is a giraffe!

When your dad is a giraffe, you can climb up his legs, slide down his neck and ride on his back. He can see a long way, and do amazing things. In My Dad is a Giraffe, Dad is depicted as a giraffe, with the human child loving what Dad can do – and the opening and closing illustrations cleverly showing that Dad is not really a giraffe, but that his imaginative child sees his height and cleverness as giraffe-like.

The text is simple, and a perfect complement to the whimsical illustrations which show what a giraffe-dad can get up to, as well as showing Mum as a zebra. Youngsters will love exploring the detail of these illustrations, as well as the message of love and connection between the father and child.

Filled with the gentle, imaginative fun that Stephen Michael King is known for, My Dad is a Giraffe is wonderful.

My Dad is a Giraffe, by Stephen Michael King
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743625941

The Very Noisy Bear, by Nick Bland

The Very Noisy BearIn the Jingle Jangle Jungle,
there was music in the air…
And it landed in the ears
of a very sleepy Bear.

When Bear is woken by his friends playing music, they suggest he joins in. But when he tries to play the drums, he bashes too hard and knocks them over, when he tries to play the guitar, his claws get tangled in the strings, and when he tries the trumpet, he makes a loud screech that scares the monkeys. Luckily his friends are persistent -and when he’s offered the microphone, Bear soon has everybody dancing when he roars in perfect harmony.

The Very Noisy Bear has all the fun of its predecssors, including The Very Cranky Bear, with humorous rhyming text, gorgeous animal-filled illustrations (rendered in acryclic paint), and a gentle, humorous story.

Lot sto like!

The Very Noisy Bear, by Nick Bland
Scholastic Press, 2015
ISBN 9781743627853

Available from good bookstores and online.

Savannah Zebra, by Peter Simonds

Zak is a young zebra living with his family in the African savannah. His life is not easy. Nor is it easy for the other memebrs of his family.

As well as the daily need to find food and water, the zebras must evade their foes. Lions, hyenas and wild dogs stalk them and can strike at any time. Other dangers also abound – being separated from the family, dehydration, crocodiles and more.

Zac knows he must stay close to the family. It is his best chance of survival. But it isn’t easy. When he sees his mother leave the herd, he is sure he should follow her. Later, in the midst of the annual stampede, he loses track of his family again. Will he continue to let the family down?

Savannah Zebra is an animal tale that educates as it entertains. Rather than presenting zebra facts in a non-fiction format, author Peter Simonds personalises them by entwining them in the story of one zebra, young Zac.

Interesting reading for eight to ten year olds.

Savannah Zebra, by Peter Simonds
Scholastic, 2004