Giraffe of Montana, Volume 1

A Witty and Interesting Piece of Children's Fiction The colorful cover displaying the diverse human and animal characters that make up the four stories in "Giraffe of Montana" was the first indication that this was going to be an enjoyable book. Reading these stories reminded me of the stories read to my class in elementary school by visiting authors. It brought back warm memories that I eagerly shared with my 7 year old. It is a difficult task to filter out the negative images and stories that inundate our children on a daily basis. I felt safe as I read Piper's stories and I felt that not only was I reading a fun selection of stories, but an educational selection as well. The first story was entitled "Friends." It was about Giraffe traveling to a zoo in Florida to "pick-up" Allison the alligator to keep his friend, a lonely crocodile, company. This story sets the pace for the book as we see that Giraffe is a loyal friend determined to keep his friends happy. The remaining stories are equally warm and inviting with a lesson to be learned on each page. We are touched by many "lessons to live by" but there are three that stand out to most. The first being that it is possible for people, or animals - as the case may be - to live together in harmony regardless of their differences. The second lesson is that it is honorable and a reward within itself to do a good deed for others. The final lesson that I've learned from this book is that you can resolve any conflict in a peaceful manner when you take everyone's emotions and opinions into account before making a decision. You may take other lessons away after reading this book but the point is - it is a piece of fiction suitable for every audience and a colorful addition to your library. "Giraffe of Montana" is a well written book penned by William Bowman Piper. He is a retired teacher of English Literature (he taught writing and 18th century literature in Houston, Texas at Rice University.) He is also a published poet and author of several books about English poetry and novels. (This information was taken from his exciting website named after his book.) This book is the first volume and I am certain that the continuation of the "Giraffe of Montana" series will be equally entertaining and educational. Tyrone V. Banks

This is a charming tale with a strong narrative voice that reminds me of Rudyard Kipling's use of "O Best Beloved" in his Just So Stories. I remember that comfortable feeling as a child, the warmth and security I felt as the listener of such storytelling. I look forward to sharing this book with my own daughter as a read-aloud. Aspects of it seem particularly appealing to a child's perspective of the world. It provides contrast with some of the more heartbreaking children's fiction of recent acclaim as well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

English literature professor, William Bowman Piper, has penned a sweet-natured book, Giraffe of Montana, Vol.1. The book revolves around a Utopian fairy tale of an unlikely friendship between different animal species- a giraffe and a crocodile, a possum and a zebra, a hippo and a bear, etc. To make things even more interesting, they all gather together in the cold wilderness of Montana! The clever narrative is divided into four chapters, wherein the feeling conveyed is that of the splendor of comradeship among all species, as well as the significance of getting along with everyone, notwithstanding our differences. The first chapter introduces us to Giraffe living in a cave in a friendly kingdom and is friends with different kinds of animals. Giraffe is the important chief peacemaker for all of his buddies. One of his friends, the croc, is lonely, thus provoking Giraffe to travel to Florida in order to seek out a companion for him. Then there is Allison the alligator, who is self-conscious about her snub nose. When all the friends in Montana embrace her with "open arms", she forgets about her snub-nose and regains her self-confidence. The second chapter takes us back to the friends' "Olympics," where conflicts are resolved in a friendly way. In the third chapter, the friends argue as to where to hold Christmas and what kind of tree they will have. Of course, all of their differences are resolved. The fourth chapter brings us to the celebration of a very special Christmas in Montana. One of the shortcomings of the book and one that prevents the book from becoming entirely engrossing and kid-friendly is the non-stop chatter between the friends. This tends to become a bit exhausting, and in addition, retaining the names of all the friends is a taxing exercise for anyone's memory, let alone children from 6 to 10. The black and white illustrations and colored book cover by Bill Megenhardt enhance Giraffe in Montana. The cartoonish characters that are adorable and in synchronization with the text, as well as the vibrant colors result in a triumph of achievement and production. It is a harmonious concerto of peace among all species. Perhaps, we should all move to this peace loving place in the world, Montana. Are they still going to be friends in the forthcoming Vol. 2, or are they going to succumb to the real world's frenzy? Lily Azerad-Goldman, Artist and book reviewer for bookpleasures

Read this to your child, and you're a story-teller. The characters are real and understandable, and the story lines are both entertaining and teaching. Younger children will be spellbound, and older ones will want to read it themselves. When do we get Volume II?

"Giraffe of Montana" is a delightful read-along book for the elementary school set. (Well, let's not kid ourselves ... I read the book cover to cover and I didn't have a child in my lap!) It is the engaging tale of an unlikely assortment of animal and human friends who have given up their natural habitats for - mostly - unnatural living arrangements in Montana. This Montana is just the sort of place any youngster would love to visit for an evening. Sadly, my children are too grown up to be read to, and I don't have any grandchildren yet, but I did buy a second copy to send to my niece, who's 6 and 9-year-old children will love it.