Giraffe Meets Bird

Since 2011 Rebecca Bender’s award-winning Giraffe and Bird books have been tickling the funny bones of children and their families as the cantankerous cronies learn that friendship, while not always easy, is always worthwhile. But how did this unlikely pair become friends in the first place? In Giraffe Meets Bird, Bender’s bright acrylics and lively storytelling reveal the friends’ early days while pairs of scrumptious synonyms make her trademark rich vocabulary accessible to a new, younger audience. When the egg in Giraffe’s tree first hatches, he is excited and eager. But the baby bird grows quickly, and he soon learns how to make Giraffe angry and annoyed. It doesn’t take long for Giraffe and Bird to start fighting over their tree. When danger forces them to work together, the two not-quite-friends realize they might not be able to share their home at all. Luckily, they come up with a solution that is surprising, startling, and absolutely stunning.

Rebecca Bender's hilarious Giraffe and Bird was an instant classic when it was first published in 2011, selling 10,000 copies in Canada alone. Since then children and their parents have giggled their way through a sequel, Don't Laugh at Giraffe (2012), and a prequel for younger readers, Giraffe Meets Bird (2015). Now, after several years out of print, the original story is rejoining its partners on the shelf in a sturdy, new trade edition with a padded cover. Giraffe and Bird are not friends. Not even a little bit. The bird pesters the giraffe with his face-making, feather-pruning, and disgusting eating habits. The giraffe annoys the bird with his bad breath, ear-swatting, and lack of respect for personal space. Of course they are always fighting. Of course they would be better off without each other. Except, it turns out, maybe they wouldn't be. With bold acrylic illustrations and laugh-out-loud storytelling, Rebecca Bender's bestselling debut will continue to delight children, adults, and friends of all kinds.

Bird lives for adventure. He wants to swoop, soar, and explore. Giraffe is perfectly happy right where he is, thank you very much. He never worries when Bird flits off for a while. But one afternoon his friend fails to return. Giraffe has a bad feeling that something has happened to Bird. Giraffe dreads the wide world full of tangly forests, craggy mountains, and mysterious plains. But he doesn't hesitate. If Bird is in trouble, then Giraffe will find and rescue him. Award-winning author-illustrator Rebecca Bender pushes Giraffe and Bird to new heights of courage, ingenuity, and humour in Giraffe and Bird Together Again. The two unlikely companions are firmer in their friendship, but their antics are just as uproarious as ever. Readers of all ages will laugh and cheer as Giraffe and Bird discover just how far each will go for the other.

Giraffe's attempts to drink water without getting his hooves wet amuse Bird and the other animals, but when their laughter drives the still thirsty Giraffe away in embarrassment, Bird devises a plan to bring him back to the pond.

Lauren, who has Asperger Syndrome, navigates the ups and downs of school and home life. School friendships have always been a challenge, but Lauren finds she is exactly the friend a brand-new classmate needs. Illustrations.

The toad feels bumpy, like a gnarly tree. The snake feels smooth, like a stone polished by the sea. One by one the hedgehog discovers the textures of his animal friends. But how does the hedgehog feel himself? Award-winning author/illustrator Rebecca Bender’s How Do You Feel? will charm readers with its lyrical text, endearing animals, and surprise ending. The small trim size and padded hardcover format make it perfect for little ones, who may even be inspired to find new ways of expressing how they feel—in every sense of the phrase.

Giraffe and Bird are not friends. Not even a little bit. The bird pesters the giraffe with his face-making, feather-pruning, and disgusting eating habits. The giraffe annoys the bird with his bad breath, ear-swatting, and lack of respect for personal space. Of course they are always fighting. Of course they would be better off without each other. Except, it turns out, maybe they wouldn’t be. With bold acrylic illustrations, expressive word play, and laugh-out-loud storytelling, award-winning author-illustrator Rebecca Bender delivers an odd-couple tale that is anything but your average friendship story. Satisfyingly un-sweet and uproariously irreverent, Not Friends invites thoughtful discussion about children’s relationships with each other—though first you’ll have to wait for the giggling to stop.

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.