The Starry Giraffe

PreS-K—The starry giraffe, a creature with stars whimsically patterned over her body and long neck, is hungry, so she makes her way to an apple tree. Each time she's ready to bite into a juicy piece of fruit, however, she is interrupted by a ravenous animal who's unable to reach the high branches: a family of skunks, a mouse, and an old gray bunny, among others. Soon the generous giraffe has given away all the apples, and she is sad and hungry. Luckily, the tale ends on a happy though slightly abrupt note as the title character at last gives in to her cravings. The mixed-media art is rendered in an elegant collage style with plenty of white space, reminiscent of the work of Eric Carle or Leo Lionni but even softer and gentler. Bergmann's endearing animals have chunky bodies, made of rounded shapes, perched on thin, noodlelike legs. With few sentences per page, the story has a quiet simplicity, and though the conclusion might be less than satisfying, the narrative as a whole may prompt discussions: Is it always better to be selfless? Is it ever OK not to share?