Giraffes Can't Dance, Or Can They?

Giraffes Can't Dance

 

Who wouldn't be amused by a whirling, twirling giraffe, waltzing warthogs, and chimps doing the cha-cha? This story by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees sports electrifying colors and a plot that many children can relate to. At the heart of silly illustrations is a more serious topic, bullying.

The other animals laugh at Gerald during the jungle dance in the middle of a forest clearing. Gerald wanders off sadly, but on his way, makes a new friend who helps him to find the special music that inspires Gerald to move. In the end, Gerald finds his own path, and he transforms into the Billy Elliott of the animal kingdom.

I like this medium-length children's book with rhyming text. In some places the rhyme scheme is a little stilted, but overall the text of the story lends itself to reading aloud. The illustrations are bright but not too cutesy. And the authors' light-handed approach keeps the book from weighing down too heavily on an otherwise serious topic. I would recommend for preschool ages four and up.

More read-aloud book picks

Moo, Baa, La, La, La by Sandra Boynton and Hilda Must be Dancing by Karma Wilson are two more fun and lighthearted books that feature dancing animals. For elementary-aged children, pair this book with the longer story, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, which is about bullying in kindergarten.