Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A hungry giraffe with star-patterned fur comes across a lone apple tree in illustrator Bergmann's first picture book. After the giraffe plucks "the most delicious-looking apple" from a branch, a mouse pops out of its hole. "I'm very hungry," he squeaks, "but I am much too little to reach those delicious apples." The giraffe happily gives the mouse the apple, but their exchange is, oddly, the only dialogue in the story: other animals show up silently in turn, and the giraffe offers the tree's remaining apples to them. When the apples are gone, the still-hungry giraffe rests for a moment, then discovers a whole row of apple trees behind the first one. Designwise, Bergmann's story has a lot to commend it; his digital artwork overlaps brightly colored shapes like translucent window decals to create a friendly animal cast, set against white backdrops. Storywise, it's less successful: the giraffe certainly demonstrates selflessness and generosity, but the overall point, which seems to boil down to the idea that doing the right thing costs less than one might think, isn't entirely clear. Ages 4-8. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-The starry giraffe, a creature with stars whimsically patterned over her body and long neck, is hungry, so she makes her way to an apple tree. Each time she's ready to bite into a juicy piece of fruit, however, she is interrupted by a ravenous animal who's unable to reach the high branches: a family of skunks, a mouse, and an old gray bunny, among others. Soon the generous giraffe has given away all the apples, and she is sad and hungry. Luckily, the tale ends on a happy though slightly abrupt note as the title character at last gives in to her cravings. The mixed-media art is rendered in an elegant collage style with plenty of white space, reminiscent of the work of Eric Carle or Leo Lionni but even softer and gentler. Bergmann's endearing animals have chunky bodies, made of rounded shapes, perched on thin, noodlelike legs. With few sentences per page, the story has a quiet simplicity, and though the conclusion might be less than satisfying, the narrative as a whole may prompt discussions: Is it always better to be selfless? Is it ever OK not to share? VERDICT A solid addition to larger collections, especially where patrons are seeking a more nuanced conversation on sharing.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A hungry giraffe plucks apple after apple for a steady stream of friends, until the tree is bare and she is tiredbut she will eat soon!Expressive tissue-paper collages against a stark white background ( la Eric Carle) ensure immediate interest. The starry giraffe's name derivation is obvious: instead of a typical giraffe-hide pattern, her long neck and ovoid torsoboth ochreare covered with slightly darker stars. Only the starry giraffe can reach the apples, and she obligingly gives them away to a mouse, a family of skunks, a gray bunny, a raccoon, a snake, a rhino, and an inchworm. Whimsy abounds in both text and illustrations: two bumps indicate how many apples were swallowed by the snake; the rhino "carried one off in his lunch box to eat later." Perhaps most delightful is the surprise endingboth humorous and satisfying and far removed from the sacrificial generosity of such books as The Giving Tree and The Rainbow Fish. The only misstep here is the fact that the starry giraffe is the sole animal with a female pronoun, while fully five of the others are male (the verdict is out on the skunk family members and the snake). Adults inclined toward gender parity will likely correct the imbalance as they read aloud the otherwise thoughtfuland charmingtext. A gracious, humorous exploration of generosity and gratitude. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
