"In her perfectly pitched words and pictures, Nicola Kent tells a beautiful story about being different and the importance of friends in helping you find yourself."
Giraffe is different to look at. She has six legs and 3 ears. Both are useful and she is happy having extra legs for crunching through leaves and extra ears for listening to birdsong. But she is not happy that when she is out playing with other animals they make her feel an outsider.
Everything changes when the seeker in a game of hide-and-seek played by an exuberant flock of beautifully multi-coloured birds discovers her hiding behind a tree. Just as Giraffe is a giraffe and a half so the bird is a bird and a half. She has three wings and three legs.
When Giraffe explains that no one wants to play with her because she is different, the bird offers excellent advice: ‘Just show yourself off to the world./ Be Proud and Strong and Brave and Bold’.
It’s a powerful message for Giraffe and also for all readers.
Giraffe and a Half believes her difference stops her from making friends, but can Bird and a Third help her to overcome her shyness?
Giraffe and a Half has six legs and three ears, which is brilliant for dancing and listening, but not so good for making friends. But one day, playing on her own, she meets Bird and a Third, who knows that sometimes, it's our insecurities that hold us back the most.
This delightful story will encourage children to embrace their differences. Based on Nicola Kent's own experiences as a child with disabilities, and her belief that although ongoing health issues can bring many challenges to life, having lovely friends doesn't need to be one of them.
Nicola Kent is an award-winning author and illustrator of children's books. She won the Independent Booksellers’ Best New Illustrator Award (2019) and has been shortlisted in both the World Illustration Awards and the Teach Primary Book Awards. She lives in London with her partner, two children, a cat and a dog, and a very untidy desk
