As soon as this book came in the mail, I ripped the package open and started bouncing! Yes, I was bouncing! I did pause long enough to start reading the book aloud while dinner simmered on the stove behind me.
Gerald the Giraffe is the tall, lanky, and awkward animal who sees the beauty around him, but he fails to see it in himself. The annual Jungle Dance has arrived and Gerald is laughed at by the other animals because he’s so clumsy and can’t dance like everyone else. The lions have their tango, the warthogs have their waltz, the chimps do the cha-cha, but Gerald gets laughed at just for walking out to the dance floor.
While sadly walking home, Gerald looks up at the moon to admire its beauty when a cricket speaks to him and offers his observations and some words of encouragement. Sometimes we just need a different song. When we have the right song, the movements flow and confidence grows.
The characters dance off each of the 29 fully illustrated pages. The bold colors and the jungle setting afford plenty to see at each turn. This poetic, rhyming story is best read out loud and is effective in holding the audience captive from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, admiring the bold illustrations, and I nodded in appreciation for the life lesson that would benefit every child (and some adults, too).
For additional books by this author, please visit: https://www.hachettechildrens.co.uk/contributor/giles-andreae/