Giraffes Can’t Dance
This is such a lovely story. Giraffe’s can’t dance is about Gerald who is desperate to dance with the other animals. This gorgeous story from Giles Andreae is about being yourself and persevering to find your joy.
It’s a great story for bedtime or otherwise, for toddlers and younger school-going children.
The kids and I really love this book. It seems as though everyone else does too because we struggle to find it when we go to the library.
Book 14 of the PRC: Giraffes Can’t Dance
The plot
Gerald is a bit tall. He’s also got skinny legs and his neck is far too long. He can’t dance like the other animals can because of these things. He desperately wants to join in but everyone knows that giraffes can’t dance. They can’t dance the way the other animals do.
There are waltzing warthogs, lions who tango and rhinos who rock ‘n roll. Not to mention the chimps who cha-cha.
Poor old Gerald just wants to join the jungle dance.
Regardless of what the animals keep saying Gerald finds his own style and confidence. To the point that the other animals want to learn to dance like him.
Gerald learns that it is okay to be different. Each person can have their own style and still be awesome.
The Book Itself
This isn’t really a story that kindergarten kids would be able to read for themselves, not because of the language or the words used but because of the text. The text is a bit curly and winds around the page.
It doesn’t follow strict lines so it may throw little kids who are just starting out to read.
The illustrations are lovely – simple but very colourful. They are also really funny, little kids will love to see the animals dancing.
Our booklist
At this stage of the challenge, we have also read: The Gruffalo’s Child, Possum Magic, A Squash and a Squeeze. For more details on each book and in order to help you decide whether you want to add it to your list, just click on the name of the book and it should take you to the full review.
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NSW Premier Reading Challenge
If you don’t know about the NSW Premier Reading Challenge, it is an initiative by the department of education to promote literacy and reading. It is not a competition!
There is an extensive list of books on the website from which you choose the number of books you have to read. We have to read 30 because my son is in the K – Year 2 Challenge.
Once we read our book we add it to our booklist and if we get to 30 we get a certificate from the Premier.
You can find out more from the NSW PRC Website.
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