The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights [Hardcover]

David A. Ufer (Author), Kirsten Carlson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights" is the enchanting story of a giraffe who suffers from the fear of heights. His parents worry about his safety and send him to the village doctor for treatment. Along the way he befriends a monkey who is afraid of climbing trees and a hippo who is afraid of water. A life-threatening event causes the three friends to face and overcome each of their fears. The "For Creative Minds" educational section in the back of the book includes fun facts and animal adaptation information, a match-the-feet game and a mix-and-match activity.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS–A young giraffe living on the African savannah is afraid of heights. On his way to the doctor for a remedy, he encounters a monkey afraid to climb trees and a hippo scared of water. When a crocodile intimidates the three new friends, they put their fears aside in order to help one another against the common threat. After vanquishing the enemy, they realize that they don't need the doctor because they've cured themselves. Watercolor illustrations done predominantly in tans, blues, and greens have unusual perspectives, often showing only parts of the animals. The story lacks logic; if the giraffe's parents are so worried about lions hurting their child since he can't raise his head to watch for danger, why do they send him to the doctor alone? Also, it seems odd to put coconut trees on the savannah and then explain in the back matter that they don't grow there.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
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Review

"This scenario lets children learn about the idea of cooperation in an understandable way. The characters are delightfully presented, and the illustrations fit the tale well. Material at the end of the book includes creative and factual activities. The same activities are also available from Sylvan Dell's website. The book meets national science and math curriculum standards in the categories of life science and numbers and operations." --CLCD & Children's Literature

"Told from the perspective of a young giraffe with a fear of heights, this beautifully illustrated book teaches children that it's okay to be afraid. At the back of the book is a brilliant section entitled 'For Creative Minds,' which explores fun animal facts, discusses animal adaptations, and includes a craft activity with instructions for making a mix-and-match activity book. This section is what makes Sylvan Dell books stand out from the crowd--combining a thoughtfully written story with educational 'story-stretching' activities." --Armchair Interviews

"I give this book a high five all the way around a unique, fun, extremely well-written storyline with a neat message that held my interest to the very end; fantastic, endearing illustrations by Kirsten Carlson; and the great learning experiences at the end of this book and also online thanks to the superior quality of Sylvan Dell Publishing. This is a must read for the little ones!" --Stories for Children Magazine&

"The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights is a picture book story about animal friends who bond together to face their fears. An excellent, character-building picture book for young readers." --Children's Book Watch

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (June 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976882302
• ISBN-13: 978-0976882305
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,271,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Giraffe Who Was Afraid Of Heights, September 19, 2006

By 

Shirley Labusier "Book Talk" (Ashley, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights (Hardcover)

This is the story of a young Giraffe who is afraid of heights, a young monkey who is afraid to climb trees, and a young hippo who is afraid of water. They all meet on their way to seek help from the village doctor. The three of them are deep in thought and do not see a crocodile approach the little monkey. The crocodile's mouth is open wide, ready for lunch.

The monkey jumps on the giraffe's head. The Giraffe stands tall and deposits the monkey in the top of a coconut tree. Coconuts rain down on the crocodile, the hippo chases him into the water, biting his tail and scaring him away. This life-threatening event causes the three friends to face and overcome their fears. This is a great book to use as an aid to open conversation between you and your child to address his/her fears. You may even discover some fears you were not aware of.

This beautifully illustrated book is also filled with facts about the animals featured in the story. "For Creative Minds" in the back of the book explains the life saving attributes of the giraffe, the monkey, and the hippo. Giraffes, because of their long necks, are able to see all around and often see predators while they are far away. Monkeys spend most of their time living in or around trees. They are able to climb to the top of a tree to sleep safely. Hippos' eyes, noses, and ears are on top of their heads so they can see, breathe, and hear while they lay low in the water.

You will learn fun facts about giraffes, monkeys, hippos, and crocodiles as well as a fun game in the back of this excellent book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, character-building picturebook for young readers, September 15, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights (Hardcover)

The Giraffe Who Was Afraid Of Heights is a picturebook story about animal friends who bond together to face their fears. A young giraffe is so afraid of heights he's terrified to lift his head above the ground, a monkey is afraid of climbing trees, and a hippo afraid of water can't cross the river. When a terrible crocodile threatens to eat them, they must work together, and find courage within themselves stronger than any doctor's treatment. Soft color illustrations bring this story of cooperation and self-improvement to life. A supplementary section presents true facts about the animals portrayed in the book. An excellent, character-building picturebook for young readers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review, August 11, 2008

By 

Virginia S. Grenier "Children's Author & Stor... (Ivins, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights (Hardcover)

Reviewed by: Gayle Jacobson-Huset - Managing Editor

Author David Ufer wrote a terrific story that will help children see how to overcome their fears through a unique storyline of a giraffe who's afraid of heights, a monkey who's afraid of climbing trees, and a hippo who's afraid to cross the river. You'll just have to read this delightful tale to see what fourth animal enters into the equation and what happens to all four of the animals. I give this book a high five all the way around - a unique, fun, extremely well-written storyline with a neat message that held my interest to the very end; fantastic, endearing illustrations by Kirsten Carlson; and the great learning experiences at the end of this book and also online thanks to the superior quality of Sylvan Dell Publishing. This is a must read for the little ones! The Creative Minds section at the end of the book has Animal Adaptations for each animal in the story, Fun Facts about each animal, A Matching Game, and Craft Activity: Mix-and-Match Activity Book. This entire section can also be downloaded at the Sylvan Dell website.

In addition, readers can find cross-curricular "Teaching Activities," an audio reading, child-friendly "Learning Links," and comprehension and math quizzes for free at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com

Another big plus - Author David A. Ufer donates a portion of his royalties from the sale of this book to the World Wildlife Fund. How cool is that?