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THE KING'S GIRAFFE

Name: THE KING'S GIRAFFE
Author: Mary Jo Collier
ISBN: 0-689-80679-5

by Mary Jo Collier & Peter Collier & illustrated by Stéphane Poulin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996

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In 1826, searching for a suitable gift for the king of France, Egypt's pasha happily seizes on the suggestion of a stable boy, Abdul, that he send his giraffe. With Abdul as his affectionate keeper, the creature creates a national sensation as he makes his way from Marseilles to the king's chateau at Saint-Cloud: Towns rename streets, dressmakers and milliners create new fashions, poets write ``long, thin poems,'' and admiring crowds gather along the route. The awestruck king delights Abdul by inviting him to stay on as keeper of the whole Royal Menagerie. In rich colors, softened edges, and subdued light reminiscent of Uri Shulevitz's The Treasure (1979), Poulin's oil paintings- -ranging from half-pages to wordless full spreads—show an interpretation of this historic event that is suffused with tongue- in-cheek charm; the calm, dignified giraffe towers with an indulgent air over excited, gnomish human figures, and the artist suggests an appropriate imaginary monument in the final scene: a giraffe's head built atop the Eiffel Tower. Nancy Milton's The Giraffe That Walked To Paris (1992) commemorates the same incident; while she, too, employs invented dialogue, the Colliers's first collaboration is a somewhat longer, more elaborately illustrated account. (Picture book. 8-10)

Pub Date: April 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-689-80679-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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DAWN TO DUSK IN THE GALAPAGOS

FLIGHTLESS BIRDS, SWIMMING LIZARDS, AND OTHER FASCINATING CREATURES

by Rita Golden Gelman & illustrated by Tui De Roy ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1991

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Formed over eons by lava boiling up from the sea floor, the rocky Galapagos are inhabited by an odd assortment of plants and animals that have developed peculiar adaptations for survival; e.g., dark-skinned iguanas, able to spend more time in cold water searching for food, ``evolved into a new type of iguana—the marine iguana.'' Crisp, clear close-up photos in full color add to the appeal, but lack captions and scale. An attractive introduction to evolution and to some unusual life forms. Scientific names not given; no index. (Nonfiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: May 1, 1991

ISBN: 0-316-30739-4

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DOODLER DOODLING
by Rita Golden Gelman & illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

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SQUIRREL WATCHING

by Miriam Schlein & photographed by Marjorie Pillar ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 30, 1992

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A well-known author of nature books considers different kinds of squirrels, how they behave, and what they look like; the book includes many indifferent b&w photos and a slightly easier text than Bare's Tree Squirrels (1983). Overall, Bare's book is superior: unlike Schlein's, it gives scientific names for the squirrels described, and it has a more extensive index and clearer, more interesting photos. Schlein's is acceptable as an additional purchase. Brief bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 8-10)