Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
READ!
Giraffes Can't Dance is a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it's harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend.
EXPLORE!
Let’s Play Charades!
Children learn best through play, and when they have the chance to play with information using their different senses, will better understand their world. Playing charades is a great way to get our children thinking about what animals are like and different ways we can communicate what makes animals special!
The Big Five ideas for this book:
Talk: After reading the story, discuss how the animals treat Gerald in the story. Instead of telling Gerald that he can’t dance, what is a kinder way the animals can encourage him to join the jungle dance? How does the cricket help Gerald?
Play: Gerald shows many different emotions in the story. Take turns with your child making faces in the bathroom mirror, such as happy, sad, surprised or scared. Can they guess what emotion you are expressing? Make silly faces together too!
Sing:
Write: Gerald learns to dance in this story. Talk with your child about things you haven’t learned yet but would like to do (like play the guitar or ride a bike). Now take turns drawing a picture of yourselves doing that activity!
real world connection
Dance Party! The animals in Giraffes Can’t Dance dance to different styles of music at the jungle dance. Does it make you want to dance too? Play different kinds of music, such as classical, salsa, disco, hip-hop, and see how that kind of music inspires you to move your body! Don’t forget to listen to music that includes the violin - the instrument that the cricket plays in the story!
LEARN MORE!
Giraffes Can’t Dance is a rhyming story.
Children love the rhythm and song-like nature of rhyming books. Hearing stories that contain rhymes helps prepare children for reading by helping them focus on the sound patterns in words.