Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andreae
Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Published: 2012
The joy of this book starts on the cover. Could you imagine a dancing giraffe that was any happier? The bliss on Gerald’s face doing what he loves best under the cover of stars and moonlight, I’d be happy too. And his friend the monkey is looking on in pure astonishment and happiness for his friend. I love it!
Every year the animals would put on a Jungle Dance. Each animal gets the opportunity to come out and do their thing whether its a tango, cha-cha or waltz. Each animal got to dance in their own way and Gerald wanted to also - but all the other animals were closed minded about giraffes dancing so they were laughing at him before Gerald even started.
Now, the look on Gerald’s face when they told him that he couldn’t dance. It was very sad. You can see how damaging that kind of remark can be on a person and it makes you never want to cause that look on anybody else, ever. In any case, Gerald decided it was time to walk away from the Jungle Dance.
Somehow Gerald is still grateful for the small things in life like the night sky and the beautiful moon. And then his new friend the cricket tells him a truth that resonates deeply in Gerald’s heart because he knows it to be true. His friend tells him (spoiler alert!) “Sometimes when you’re different you just need a different song.” The cricket goes on to give Gerald even more loving advice, but I’ll leave those details for the reader to discover.
Now the look on Gerald’s face (and in his entire body!) since cricket told him those uplifting words! How happy! What a contrast to Gerald’s face when they laughed at him. Now Gerald is supported and uplifted by his friends words and you can see it makes all the difference. This is a face that you would like to see on a friend.
There are many more words in this blog post than there are in the book, obviously. This book is a perfect example of the inspired artistry that goes into making an excellent children’s book. The words and illustrations work together to tell this story and the result is divine.
Because of the rhythms and beautiful cadence of this book coupled with the rich artwork, I think babies would enjoy this book, and have it still be entertaining and interesting to kids as old as 5 years.
Author: Giles Andreae
Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Published: 2012
The joy of this book starts on the cover. Could you imagine a dancing giraffe that was any happier? The bliss on Gerald’s face doing what he loves best under the cover of stars and moonlight, I’d be happy too. And his friend the monkey is looking on in pure astonishment and happiness for his friend. I love it!
Every year the animals would put on a Jungle Dance. Each animal gets the opportunity to come out and do their thing whether its a tango, cha-cha or waltz. Each animal got to dance in their own way and Gerald wanted to also - but all the other animals were closed minded about giraffes dancing so they were laughing at him before Gerald even started.
Now, the look on Gerald’s face when they told him that he couldn’t dance. It was very sad. You can see how damaging that kind of remark can be on a person and it makes you never want to cause that look on anybody else, ever. In any case, Gerald decided it was time to walk away from the Jungle Dance.
Somehow Gerald is still grateful for the small things in life like the night sky and the beautiful moon. And then his new friend the cricket tells him a truth that resonates deeply in Gerald’s heart because he knows it to be true. His friend tells him (spoiler alert!) “Sometimes when you’re different you just need a different song.” The cricket goes on to give Gerald even more loving advice, but I’ll leave those details for the reader to discover.
Now the look on Gerald’s face (and in his entire body!) since cricket told him those uplifting words! How happy! What a contrast to Gerald’s face when they laughed at him. Now Gerald is supported and uplifted by his friends words and you can see it makes all the difference. This is a face that you would like to see on a friend.
There are many more words in this blog post than there are in the book, obviously. This book is a perfect example of the inspired artistry that goes into making an excellent children’s book. The words and illustrations work together to tell this story and the result is divine.
Because of the rhythms and beautiful cadence of this book coupled with the rich artwork, I think babies would enjoy this book, and have it still be entertaining and interesting to kids as old as 5 years.
Author: Giles Andreae
Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Published: 2012
The joy of this book starts on the cover. Could you imagine a dancing giraffe that was any happier? The bliss on Gerald’s face doing what he loves best under the cover of stars and moonlight, I’d be happy too. And his friend the monkey is looking on in pure astonishment and happiness for his friend. I love it!
Every year the animals would put on a Jungle Dance. Each animal gets the opportunity to come out and do their thing whether its a tango, cha-cha or waltz. Each animal got to dance in their own way and Gerald wanted to also - but all the other animals were closed minded about giraffes dancing so they were laughing at him before Gerald even started.
Now, the look on Gerald’s face when they told him that he couldn’t dance. It was very sad. You can see how damaging that kind of remark can be on a person and it makes you never want to cause that look on anybody else, ever. In any case, Gerald decided it was time to walk away from the Jungle Dance.
Somehow Gerald is still grateful for the small things in life like the night sky and the beautiful moon. And then his new friend the cricket tells him a truth that resonates deeply in Gerald’s heart because he knows it to be true. His friend tells him (spoiler alert!) “Sometimes when you’re different you just need a different song.” The cricket goes on to give Gerald even more loving advice, but I’ll leave those details for the reader to discover.
Now the look on Gerald’s face (and in his entire body!) since cricket told him those uplifting words! How happy! What a contrast to Gerald’s face when they laughed at him. Now Gerald is supported and uplifted by his friends words and you can see it makes all the difference. This is a face that you would like to see on a friend.
There are many more words in this blog post than there are in the book, obviously. This book is a perfect example of the inspired artistry that goes into making an excellent children’s book. The words and illustrations work together to tell this story and the result is divine.
Because of the rhythms and beautiful cadence of this book coupled with the rich artwork, I think babies would enjoy this book, and have it still be entertaining and interesting to kids as old as 5 years.