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CM . . .
. Volume XIV Number 21. . . .June 13, 2008
excerpt:
Most parents will recall that point in their young child's life when s/he said something like, "No, me do it," with the "it" perhaps being feeding or dressing her/himself. Saffy is a baby giraffe, and her food, vegetation, is found high up in trees where only her mother's long neck can reach. When Mommy offers Saffy some leaves, as the extract indicates, Saffy, wishing to demonstrate her independence, refuses them. However, Saffy recognizes that her short stature makes reaching the leaves impossible. A sleepless Saffy finds a solution when she sees the moon. "It's round like a rock, a rock that can roll." Perched on the rock that she has propelled to the base of a tree, Saffy first gets some leaves and then her mother's approval. "Way to go, Saffy! Here's a kiss."
Recommended. Dave Jenkinson, who is CM's editor, lives in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca. Copyright � the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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This simple but warm story is effectively packaged as the board book's shape, like a giraffe, is taller than it is wide. The little giraffe's androgynous name will allow readers to substitute the male pronoun in the reading, if so wished. Using a cartoon-like style, Opal manages to capture the emotions of the mother and child through how she illustrates their eyes. The simple artwork, with its bold, black outlines, is highly appropriate for the intended target audience.