Giraffe Math by Stephen R. Swinburne, illustrated by Geraldo Valerio

Introducing herself as Twiga, a giraffe invites readers along on a journey of discovery about giraffes - and math!

Swinburne goes beyond the usual measurements to look at the unique aspects of giraffes. Of course, there's their height, but what about the type of triangle they make when spreading their legs to drink? How male and female ossicones differ in length and thickness? The size of their heart, number of vertebrae in their necks, and length of their tongue?

All these and more interesting facts are smoothly connected into spreads with short paragraphs. The art shows giraffes covered with orange tiles in different patterns against bold blue or green backgrounds. Graphs and comparisons show how other creatures measure up to the giraffe. Back matter includes more information about giraffes, metric conversions of the various measurements, and more information.

The book is an oversized picture book, just right for the big mammal but still fitting on most shelves at 12" high. The text has enough narrative flow to be read straight through with grade school children, but will be most successful when used as part of a lesson or program on math concepts. Once the kids have worked their way through the giraffes' unique anatomy, they can use the measurements and comparisons to compile and graph comparative data on other large animals, humans, or local wildlife.

Verdict: A strong addition to nonfiction picture book collections, useful both in programming, storytime, and classrooms, this book should find a home on most library shelves.

ISBN: 9780316346771; Published August 2023 by Little, Brown, and Company; Borrowed from another library in my consortium