This is a 15th Anniversary release of a fun story of Gerald the giraffe who’s insecurity about his body made him, “so sad, because when it came to dancing he was really bad.”  After teasing from the other animals and an embarrassed departure from the party, a cricket helps Gerald realize he just needed to find the right music. An uplifting story full of alliteration and rhyming shows that true self-esteem comes from within.

The child is the center of this charming explanation of a family tree as the author cleverly portrays the child’s paternal line reading from front to middle and the maternal line backwards from back to middle.  While the text and images offer a multicultural view of an extended family, both the maternal and paternal lines follow only the patrilineal decent.  The human factor comes through in both the word choice and detailed illustrations making this book an engaging selection.