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In this children’s picture book, Aliera is a small pigtailed girl who loves going to the zoo to observe animals. For today’s visit, Aliera wants to study the giraffes. She and her mother watch the giraffes’ behavior, and a zookeeper tells them facts about the tall animals. When Aliera discovers that giraffes do not have to take naps, she imagines herself in the zoo enclosure as one of them. The more Aliera thinks about being a giraffe, the more she realizes she likes being herself most of all.
Aliera’s story is simple, but it is full of giraffe facts. While young independent readers might trip over words like “vertebrae,” the text itself explains the term and breaks facts down so that even very young children can learn about these fascinating creatures. At the end of the book, Aliera sums up everything she learned while talking to her mother, ensuring information retention for readers.
The structure of the book features blocks of text in large font opposite bright and cheerful full-page illustrations. In a cute nod to such children’s classics as the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, the illustrations do not show any adult faces, focusing instead solely on Aliera and the giraffes she admires. The illustrations also add a dimension of humor to the text, such as giraffe-Aliera’s reaction to her first taste of leaves. The end matter of the book informs readers that the author and illustrator team is made up of a teacher and her former student, which is as likely to inspire children’s imaginations as the giraffe facts themselves.