Anne and Her Tower of Giraffes: The Adventurous Life of the First Giraffologist

by Karlin Gray

Overview

The remarkable true story of the world’s first giraffologist: Dr. Anne Innis Dagg. Anne was three years old when she first laid eyes on a giraffe. As her blue eyes gazed into the giraffe’s big brown eyes at the zoo, she was mesmerized. She longed to learn more about the graceful creatures. But time and again, from preschool to graduate school, there was no scientific information to be found. Finally, Anne decided she would have to teach herself. So, she traveled to South Africa alone — and shocked everyone by studying giraffes in the wild! It's a tall order to follow in the footsteps of this pioneer. But kids will be inspired to try!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525308154
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	124 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karlin Gray is the author of several books for children, including Serena: The Littlest Sister, a picture book biography of Serena Williams. She holds a BA in creative writing from Florida State University. Karlin lives with her family in Westport, Connecticut.;Aparna Varma works in animation production and is the owner of stationery company Green Bean Studio. Born and brought up in India, she spent many of her formative years in Botswana and now dreams and draws in Toronto, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

An excellent introduction to a lesser-known trailblazer.—Kirkus Reviews

Anne Innis Dagg is a worthy subject for a picture book and this story may inspire readers to look for more information about her.—New York Journal of Books

A delightful exploration of passion and perseverance.—Booklist

The underlying message to not give up and to find a way to fulfill one's dreams is inspiring ... This book is a fantastic picture book biography for any elementary classroom or library.—Children's Literature

Read this beautiful, colorfully illustrated book with Anne's story and many, many adorable giraffes.—Sun Journal

From the Publisher

2022-07-27
Although readers young and old will likely recognize the name Jane Goodall from her work with chimps, giraffologist Anne Innis Dagg has been less well known—until now.

Born in 1933, Anne was introduced to giraffes on a trip to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Readers learn that the experience sparked a lifetime of love for the tallest herbivore and propelled Anne to seek out everything she could about giraffes when she was back home in Toronto. Sadly, the public library had no materials on giraffes, and the animals weren’t covered in her school lessons. That was just the beginning of many educational hurdles, as giraffes were not part of many college zoology areas of study, either. So in 1956, Anne traveled to South Africa to study giraffes at Fleur de Lys Ranch. Although her studies were fruitful, educational disappointments continued as universities at that time were reluctant to hire women professors. Undeterred, Anne forged her own path as an author of numerous books. The story is compelling, and detailed backmatter—including an interview with Dagg, a thorough bibliography, and an author’s note with information on apartheid that contextualizes the scientist’s time in South Africa—makes this book a strong choice for those doing reports or curious to learn more. Upbeat artwork rendered in colored pencil and Photoshop uses earth tones to depict the giraffes in their natural setting. Anne presents as White; background characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An excellent introduction to a lesser-known trailblazer. (Picture-book biography. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews