Juma The Giraffe

Wild Nature Institute children's series books "teach ecological and social lessons, build national pride in Tanzanian wildlife, and motivate children to learn about their natural world. Juma the Giraffe is a heartwarming story about how every individual is unique and special, both on the outside and on the inside."--

What happens when Juma the giraffe sees his reflection in a waterhole? Monica Bond's story, beautifully illustrated by Kayla Harren, will touch the hearts of children everywhere who a searching for what makes them special.

Celeste was a friendly, happy little giraffe. She had a kind heart and she made others laugh. But Celeste sometimes worried that she wasn't enough. It seemed like other animals did much cooler stuff. Join Celeste the Giraffe on her hilarious journey as she finds out what it is that makes her unique.

As a boy, Jadav Payeng was distressed by the destruction deforestation and erosion was causing on his island home in India's Brahmaputra River. So he began planting trees. What began as a small thicket of bamboo, grew over the years into 1,300 acre forest filled with native plants and animals. The Boy Who Grew a Forest tells the inspiring true story of Payeng--and reminds us all of the difference a single person with a big idea can make.

When Brother Rhinoceros gets stuck in the mud, his animal friends must work together as a team to help him out.

A modern take on “Mary Had a Little Lamb” featuring hilarious antics as Lizard sneaks into Mary’s backpack and causes nothing but mayhem in her Kindergarten class. He eats someone’s lunch, makes a mess in the painting corner, and scares the teacher silly during story time before being sent to the principal’s office to wait for Mary's mom to pick him up. It’s no fun being alone. But when Mary finally comes home from school, Lizard knows he’ll always have his very best friend. Rendered in a combination of traditional and digital color, Mary Had a Little Lizard is a silly, satisfying celebration of new experiences and friendships that can never be broken.

Juma and his family drive across Tanzania to visit his grandmother. Now eight years old, he and his young sister, Sareeya, enjoy adventures from Dar es Salaam across to the plains of the Serengeti. During the journey, they see Mt. Kilimanjaro and encounter an obstinate elephant, a drooling giraffe, and wrestling beetles. The story introduces northern Tanzania and ki-Swahili words for animals. The story is supplemented with a national map of the United Republic of Tanzania, a map of the continent of Africa, and a ki-Swahili language glossary. The Tanzania Juma stories also include Juma and Little Sungura, Juma Cooks Chapati, and Juma s Dhow Race.

Isak Dinesen takes up the absorbing story of her life in Kenya begun in the unforgettable Out of Africa, which she published under the name of Karen Blixen. With warmth and humanity these four stories illuminate her love both for the African people, their dignity and traditions, and for the beauty and wildness of the landscape. The first three were written in the 1950s and the last, 'Echoes from the Hills', was written especially for this volume in the summer of 1960 when the author was in her seventies. In all they provide a moving final chapter to her African reminiscences.