The Girl on the Yellow Giraffe

While this story is quite charming on it's own, I also use it to jump start imagination with my 1st grade students. I hide all the cover pictures and read the story without showing any of the illustrations. I ask the students to use their imagination to visualize the story in their head. Next,I read it again, showing the pictures. We then compare the "pictures in their head" with the illustrator's vision. Great for visualization skills and discussions of how the author crafted the story. This book is a wonderful example of picture book excellence!

Featuring gentle watercolor illustrations by accomplished and award-winning artist Ronald Himler, The Girl on the Yellow Giraffe is a simple story about the power of imagination, and the wondrous visions a young girl sees as she travels a busy city neighborhood with her mother. Ordinary streets are transformed into avenues from a fairy tale, in this delightful and adventurous picturebook. An excellent story blending daily life and fantasy, meant to be read aloud.