Giles Andreae Giraffes Can’t Dance
Last updated: July 10, 2019
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Product Details
In our analysis of 99 expert reviews, the Giles Andreae Giraffes Can't Dance
placed 10th when we looked at the top 13 products in the category. For the full ranking,
see below.
From The Manufacturer
Giles Andreae is the award-winning author of numerous children’s books, including K IS FOR KISSING A COOL KANGAROO and THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPYTOWN. Giles lives in London with his wife and three children. Guy Parker-Rees has illustrated many bestselling Orchard books, including K IS FOR KISSING A COOL KANGAROO and THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPYTOWN by Giles Andreae; DOWN BY THE COOL OF THE POOL, DINOSAURUMPUS!, and ALL AFLOAT ON NOAH’S BOAT by Tony Mitton; QUIET! by Paul Bright; and THE HIPPO-NOT-AMUS by Tony and Jan Payne. He lives in Brighton, England.
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
In this picture book, children meet a giraffe who cannot dance, until he discovers that he needs to find his own music and rhythm. When he does, Gerald the clumsy giraffe becomes a very different animal indeed.
The message of this lovely rhyming tale is that it is okay to be different and dance to the beat of our own drum. The book is delightfully illustrated with rhinos who rock and roll, lions tangoing, and baboons performing a Scottish reel. The humour appeals to adult and child alike. The rhymes makes for easy reading and children will love and laugh at the pictures showing animals doing all manner of unusual things. As well as the message about being brave by doing brave things, the story is a wonderful tool for teaching about the damage prejudice can do.
This is a lovely story not only to teach children the power of words, but also other important life lessons like helping others, kindness, resilience, acceptance, empathy, and compassion.
The book is written in four-line stanzas and the second and fourth lines have ending words that rhyme. I do love a good rhyming book- as it keeps the story flowing and engaging.
The illustrations in this book are amazing; they are rich in colour and fill each double page. The colours used capture the warmth and vibrant nature of Africa. The pictures mainly show the various animals and show the time of day in the story. The attention to detail is incredible; one thing that struck me is that all the animals have shadows, which adds to the quality of the pictures.
We loved the humorous rhyme that this book is written in, and the positive moral messages.
Giraffes Can’t Dance is a small board book with a big message.
What reviewers didn't like
Bad enough that in a story about rhythm, the verse doesn’t always scan—but must Gerald strike the Travolta pose? Gerald doesn’t find himself; he simply learns how to mimic.
It is doubtful the very young will understand the true message
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