Geraldine by Elizabeth Lilly - ESSENTIAL

Geraldine by Elizabeth Lilly. PICTURE BOOK. Neal Porter (Roaring Brook), 2018. $18. 9781626723597

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Geraldine is a giraffe who is moving with her parents and she is not happy about it. When she gets dropped off at school by her dad, she spends the day trying to hide, even hiding her voice. Then she comes across a fellow hider who likes math and organizing her food and is really good at handstands.  They play together and ultimately give each other the confidence to go make other friends in the lunch room. 

It is fun to see a giraffe blend in as a character with other human characters. Her neck makes her especially expressive and I think young readers will pick up on Geraldine’s emotions easily because her body takes up much of each page. The message here is a critical one for kids - it is okay to be nervous about fitting in at school but the best thing to do is to find someone else who may be feeling nervous too and reach out to them. Couldn’t we all use that lesson?

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher