Geraldine
When Geraldine lived with other giraffes, she did not stand out and she was not special but when her family moves, things change. Watching and reading about Geraldine’s spunk and disgust about moving, is comical. Moving amongst people, Geraldine the giraffe, is now noticed as she is now the only giraffe. Geraldine does not like to be different and she tries to hide and she wants to be left alone.
One day, she meets Cassie who also feels alone and special. I liked Cassie’s attitude, as she is feisty and angry and she just wants Geraldine to leave her alone. Over time, the two of them create a bond over games, lunch and time spent together. The illustrations show the two of them doing a variety of activities together. When Geraldine decides to introduce Cassie to some girls sitting at a lunch table, I liked how the two friends prepare and encourage each other before the introductions. I feel, that part of how they are accepted to their peers has to do with how these two friends are presented. The end of the novel is cute and put a smile on your face.
Cassie’s attitude was perfect for this novel and I liked Geraldine’s shy and withdrawn mannerism. Geraldine didn’t shy away from Cassie when she spoke back to her but she continued on, which is interesting. I liked the water colored illustrations and enjoyed that the illustrator sometimes included lots of smaller illustrations on one page rather than one large one. Nice children’s book.
2
