As it plays hide-and-seek on the veldt with its admired big brother, a young giraffe gains confidence in its own abilities.The text admirably offers no gender to the younger sibling; unfortunately, the jacket gives it female pronouns—perhaps because the female author has mentioned admiring her own big brother. This discrepancy aside, the author/illustrator has created another excellent picture book, beginning with the winsome cover art and its clearly expressed sibling affection. At the story's beginning, it is the big brother's turn to hide in the twosome's game of hide-and-seek. The little giraffe—eyes properly closed—counts to 10 and then asks other kinds of animals to help it find its brother. A pleasant litany is established as the giraffe gives each group a different brotherly trait to help in the tracking, and the animals respond that the little giraffe possesses the same trait. The little giraffe, in turn, always says that its big brother is superior in whatever trait is mentioned. For example, when a trotting group of warthogs says the giraffe is fast, its answer is, "Not as fast as my brother!" Meanwhile, astute readers will notice the stealthy appearance of a leopard creeping around nearly every page, adding some pint-sized tension. The ending is a humorous, satisfying surprise. Magical, aesthetically appealing watercolor art ensures that each type of gently anthropomorphized animal is clearly defined specieswise.Brilliant fun. (Picture book. 3-5)

A little giraffe playing hide-and-seek searches for her towering older brother. When she asks other animals for help, she receives answers that boost her confidence. "Have you seen my brother? He's tall," "You're tall," answers Turtle. "Not as tall as my big brother." The warthogs say that she's really fast, while the flamingos affirm that she's just as brave as her brother. When Elephant shouts a warning, Leopard roars, emerges from the brush, and then sheepishly cowers before Little Giraffe and acknowledges her prowess. A turn of the page reveals all the other animals aligned behind her and backing up the giraffe with their silent show of force. Observant children will notice signs of the leopard's presence (patches of spotted fur, a waving tail) in the pictures long before he makes his dramatic entrance, making his sudden pounce all the more satisfying. Marino's simplified large-scale paintings glow with color while clearly delineating the distinctive forms of the animals. An enjoyable read-aloud choice for the many young children who long to be taller, faster, and braver.

As it plays hide-and-seek on the veldt with its admired big brother, a young giraffe gains confidence in its own abilities.The text admirably offers no gender to the younger sibling; unfortunately, the jacket gives it female pronouns—perhaps because the female author has mentioned admiring her own big brother. This discrepancy aside, the author/illustrator has created another excellent picture book, beginning with the winsome cover art and its clearly expressed sibling affection. At the story's beginning, it is the big brother's turn to hide in the twosome's game of hide-and-seek. The little giraffe—eyes properly closed—counts to 10 and then asks other kinds of animals to help it find its brother. A pleasant litany is established as the giraffe gives each group a different brotherly trait to help in the tracking, and the animals respond that the little giraffe possesses the same trait. The little giraffe, in turn, always says that its big brother is superior in whatever trait is mentioned. For example, when a trotting group of warthogs says the giraffe is fast, its answer is, "Not as fast as my brother!" Meanwhile, astute readers will notice the stealthy appearance of a leopard creeping around nearly every page, adding some pint-sized tension. The ending is a humorous, satisfying surprise. Magical, aesthetically appealing watercolor art ensures that each type of gently anthropomorphized animal is clearly defined specieswise.Brilliant fun. (Picture book. 3-5)