Yours Sincerely, Giraffe

by Megumi Iwasa, Jun Takabatake (Illustrator)

Overview

Giraffe is bored, as usual. He'd love a friend to share things with. So he writes a letter and sends it as far as possible across the other side of the horizon. There he finds a pen pal—Penguin.



Giraffe knows nothing about penguins and his letters are full of questions. Where is a penguin's neck? Can a penguin fly? Penguin answers as best he can.



But no one expects what happens when the pen pals come face to face at last.



An enduring bestseller in its native Japan, Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is a funny tale of mistaken assumptions and friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927271889
Publisher:	Gecko Press
Publication date:	03/01/2017
Pages:	104
Sales rank:	166,676
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Megumi Iwasa studied graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo, where she also worked. She is the author of a number of popular children's books, and she lives in Tokyo, Japan.

Jun Takabatake is one of Japan's best-loved children's book illustrators. His illustrations have been exhibited throughout the world, and he has won many major international awards.

Editorial Reviews

"Giraffe, bored and looking for a friend, becomes pen pals with Penguin in this illustrated chapter book. Even though Giraffe has nice weather and plenty to eat in his home in Africa, he is bored because he doesn't have 'an extra special friend.' A notice from an also-bored pelican offering 'to deliver anything anywhere' spurs Giraffe to write a letter introducing himself ('I'm famous for my long neck'), and he asks Pelican to deliver it to the first animal he meets on the 'other side of the horizon.' After a long flight, Pelican sees Seal. Seal delivers the letter to Penguin, since Penguin is 'the only animal . . . who got letters. . . . Most were from his girlfriend.' This original, playful story unfolds with perfect pacing as Giraffe and Penguin start a pen-pal correspondence. (Penguin, not sure what a neck is, writes back: 'I think maybe I don't have a neck. Or maybe I am all neck?') Giraffe and Pelican, reading Penguin's letters describing himself, are just as confused about what Penguin looks like. Hilarious deductive reasoning ensues. Young readers will love the silliness. Older readers (including adults) will relax in this gentle, judgment-free world of curiosity and discovery. Takabatake's fresh, unaffected line illustrations create a seamless collaboration of art and words. This is a rare book: joyful, ingenuous, playfully earnest, but without a whiff of studied cuteness."—starred, Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

This imaginative story should be read aloud in a group or with pairs of beginning readers to fully engage youngsters chapter by chapter. Poor Giraffe is bored and alone, but what to do about it? Days go by with nothing new and no one with whom to talk or share feelings. Dull routine equals one very bored Giraffe. Simple black ink drawings enhance pages, as do italics to highlight Giraffe’s ongoing thoughts. Solution? “Wait! I know. I’ll write a letter!” Children follow the rather curious process of delivering a letter to the other side of the horizon, using the brand Pelican’s new Delivery Service. Indeed, Penguin becomes Giraffe’s pen pal, while also becoming further acquainted with Pelican. Youngsters share in their banter back and forth as each pen pal tries to figure out what the other one talks about. Letters are nicely printed in two different fonts. There’s a bit of basic science and environmental discussion mixed in, even as Giraffe tries to picture what Penguin looks like by using clues within several letters. Some personal fears are noted, while friendships grow through more deliveries. Indeed, apprehensions do lessen with each new letter, so that laughter and excitement infuse this charming tale. Thus, an aptly named chapter called “Face to Face at Last” brings Giraffe to Whale Point dressed up “just like” Penguin for their very first visit together. Surprises all around! Reviewer: Susan Treadway; Ages 4 to 8.

Children's Literature - Susan Treadway

★ 03/01/2017
Gr 1–4—An extremely bored giraffe becomes curious about what lies on the other side of the horizon and recruits a pelican to be his own personal courier. The pelican, equally bored and eager for new business, offers to travel anywhere and takes Giraffe's letter far across the ocean to Whale Sea. A correspondence begins between Giraffe and a penguin. As the pen pals discover more about what it's like on the other side of the horizon, each also ends up trying to solve the mystery of what the other animal looks like. The resulting letters and antics are humorous as the giraffe and the penguin imagine what life is like on opposite parts of the globe. This Japanese import will charm beginning readers who enjoy a bit of witty humor with their animal adventures. The pen-and-ink illustrations are simple yet have a Quentin Blake feel that rounds out the characters and their quirky behaviors. VERDICT A highly amusing early chapter book for readers who may also be learning the art of letter writing.—Claire Moore, Manhattan Beach Library, CA

School Library Journal

★ 2017-02-04
Giraffe, bored and looking for a friend, becomes pen pals with Penguin in this illustrated chapter book.Even though Giraffe has nice weather and plenty to eat in his home in Africa, he is bored because he doesn't have "an extra special friend." A notice from an also-bored pelican offering "to deliver anything anywhere" spurs Giraffe to write a letter introducing himself ("I'm famous for my long neck"), and he asks Pelican to deliver it to the first animal he meets on the "other side of the horizon." After a long flight, Pelican sees Seal. Seal delivers the letter to Penguin, since Penguin is "the only animal…who got letters….Most were from his girlfriend." This original, playful story unfolds with perfect pacing as Giraffe and Penguin start a pen-pal correspondence. (Penguin, not sure what a neck is, writes back: "I think maybe I don't have a neck. Or maybe I am all neck?") Giraffe and Pelican, reading Penguin's letters describing himself, are just as confused about what Penguin looks like. Hilarious deductive reasoning ensues. Young readers will love the silliness. Older readers (including adults) will relax in this gentle, judgment-free world of curiosity and discovery. Takabatake's fresh, unaffected line illustrations create a seamless collaboration of art and words. This is a rare book: joyful, ingenuous, playfully earnest, but without a whiff of studied cuteness. (Fantasy. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews