A Surprise for Giraffe and Elephant

PreS-Gr 1—In this collection of short stories, Gude uses plain but bold black lines, basic backgrounds, and colors in his illustrations to play on the vignettes about a giraffe and elephant friend. The artwork appears simple, but that doesn't mean it is basic. Rather, it is exactly the right kind of simple, hitting the same notes as Mo Willems's "Pigeon" books (Disney-Hyperion) and Lucy Cousin's "Maisy" series (Candlewick). The three stories are equally straightforward and charming, perfect for young children to pore over. One is about Giraffe playing an alpine horn, the next is about Giraffe building a toboggan for his friend Elephant (sitting on it on the flat ground, "neither of them mentioned that it had been a little disappointing"), and the last vignette is about a surprise party. Funny and playful,the stories touch on friendship and caring for one another. The "No" cake featured at the end of the book, after Giraffe asks for "no cake" at his party, is a hilarious misunderstanding that children will love.