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Protecting the Planet: The Season of Giraffes

Feb12
Protecting the Planet: The Season of Giraffes

Protecting the Planet: The Season of Giraffes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protecting the Planet: The Season of Giraffes

Nicola Davies

Emily Sutton

Walker Books, 2022

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781406397093

Once upon a time, the rainy season was also the season of giraffes.  As the hot , dry land turned from red to green and the Earth began to breathe again, the giraffes came, their heads appearing in the tops of the acacia trees and they not only fed themselves but helped to spread the trees’ seeds and pollen so there were more trees to give shade, shelter and firewood. The giraffes were just part of the landscape.

But then the giraffes didn’t come… they were seen as food, the trees were used as firewood and the empty landscape where they had once walked, was filled with farms and roads and buildings.  Human impact took its toll, and then the rains failed. Climate change brought drought which baked the land and there was nothing for the giraffes to come for.  As silently as they had come, they also disappeared. Until…

Written in collaboration with conservationist Kisilu Musya to explain how one of the world’s best-loved animals has dealt with the challenges of climate change, this is the success story of the giraffes in Niger as people realised the impact their actions had and they changed their ways – they stopped hunting, they protected the trees and the places the giraffes liked to be, until there were so many they were able to share them with other places where they had vanished.

Amidst all the negative gloom-and-doom warning stairs of the impact of humans on the natural world, this is a beacon based on a true story that shows that effective changes can be made.

In the mid-1990s there were only 49 West African giraffe left in the wild, and as a result, the subspecies was listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2008.

Comprehensive conservation efforts by the Government of Niger, in collaboration with local and international partners, have triggered an amazing recovery of the West African giraffe population to over 600 individuals today. This positive trend resulted in the downlisting of West African giraffe to ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List last month (November 2018).

West African giraffe return to Gadabedji after 50 years of absence

Part of the Protecting the Planet series, which includes Ice Journey of the Polar Bear and Emperor of the Ice,  which show younger readers the impact of human activity on Nature’s creatures, this is not only an uplifting story but also one that may encourage them to learn more about these majestic creatures.

 

Giraffe Math

Apr2
Giraffe Math

Giraffe Math

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giraffe Math

Stephen R. Swinburne

Geraldo Valério

Little, Brown Young Readers US, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780316346771

Twiga the giraffe introduces young readers to fascinating facts about giraffes and their relationship to other creatures-all by using math concepts such as measurements, graphs, shapes, word problems, and more.

This interactive picture book explores these spectacular animals through a STEM lens as everything from their speed and size to their intricate camouflage patterns (which act as internal air conditioning) and other body characteristics are featured. It’s an in-depth look at the animal kingdom’s most beloved gentle giants.

Animals have cycles of popularity and where, not so long ago, it was all about dolphins and elephants, now giraffes are enjoying the limelight.  So those in their fan club are not going to be too bothered by all the facts and figures in this book being in imperial measurements, because there is so much more information embedded in the text.  That said, for the young Australian reader, a lot of it will seem to be in a foreign language as they grapple with terms like feet and inches, ounces and pounds, and although there is a conversion chart provided, nevertheless such things can be hard to visualise for the inexperienced, even with the many illustrations offered as comparisons )although they are not necessarily done to scale.).   For older readers, it can be an opportunity to learn about different systems of measurements, both current and past, as well as doing the calculations involved in converting imperial to metric, although an online  measurement converter does it online in a flash. 

Despite the shortcomings on the mathematics side, this is still a worthwhile book for those with a fascination for the species and who are keen to learn more about these creatures with their strange ossicones (different between male and female) and their pizza-sized hooves.  

 

Do Lions Hate Haircuts?

May18
Do Lions Hate Haircuts?

Do Lions Hate Haircuts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do Lions Hate Haircuts?

Bethany Walker

Stephanie Laberis

Walker, 2022

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781406388411

Leonard the Lion is king of the beasts, master of the Savannah, leader of his pride and … a great big baby when it’s time for a haircut!

Nobody, NOBODY, can cut Leonard’s hair to his liking. That is, until he meets a little mouse called Marvin. Despite his scepticism that a mouse could help a lion, Leonard gives him a try and is so impressed by the wild and whacky styles Marvin creates with his teeny-tiny comb and scissors that soon they are best buddies.

However Leonard wants Marvin to cut his hair and HIS HAIR ONLY. So when Leonard sees Marvin giving Zebra a new hairdo, Leonard is jealous and refuses to have his hair cut at all. But the folly of that plays out when he hears Marvin trouble and he rushes to his rescue…

This is a fast-paced story that has several twists and turns, including the ending,  and which will engage young readers, especially those who are not keen about getting their hair cut.  Perhaps they will suffer the same fate as Leonard!  Hilarious illustrations that are bright and bold really enhance the text and the creatures’ faces are so expressive that discussing how each is feeling and why is a must.  

Apart from a subtle message about finding friendship in unexpected places, this is a story that will be enjoyed just for the fun of it.  

 

Lion Lullaby

Feb26
Lion Lullaby

Lion Lullaby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lion Lullaby

Kate Banks

Lauren Tobia

Walker, 2022

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781529503401

As night falls in the savannah and “dusk paints stripes across the sky”, ten little lions know it is time to head to bed.  But as they make their way, there are all sorts of sights and sounds to distract them –   a monkey “bouncing a babe on its knee”; a cobra waving its tail,  zebras braying, and a tree frog peeping; there is a honeybee nest to inspect; sand dunes and a stream to navigate; elephants tramping along and wildebeests running. There is as much adventure on the journey home as there has been in the day.  But at last, they are together and cuddled together, they listen to “evening’s lullaby,” and sleep “cuddled by night.”

Just as night envelops the little lions in its all-embracing spread, so too the author embraces much in this lyrical lullaby.  As well as the language which turns the ordinary into the extraordinary – “dusk paints stripes across the sky” is a picturesque phrase that could spark a lesson in itself with students suggesting other ways to describe the twilight sky – the rhythm of the language draws the reader in with its gentle cadence echoed in the illustrations which transition gradually from golds, browns, and greens to dreamy mauves, violets, and greys as the light changes and darkness draws closer.

For those unfamiliar with the habitats and inhabitants of the African savannah, there are geographical and biological discoveries to investigate and woven into it all is a counting book with purpose and context. So while this might have been intended initially to lull little ones as they draw the curtains on their day – even lions have to sleep – it is one that can be shared across the ages  with something new for each.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…