ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Belle is the gift of the pasha of Egypt to the king of France. She is elegant, tall, and a spectacle for the people of France, who have never seen a giraffe before. Her journey is narrated by Atir, her doting escort umbrella carrier, and begins on the Nile River in 1826. The book showcases how unique Belle was: boats were not made for her (the captain cut a hole in the deck so she could sail comfortably); the weather was not right for her (a specially made cape kept her warm); and she drew crowds as large as 30,000 as she made her 40-day walkto Paris. The art is decidedly Parisian, with charming, muted watercolors (reds are more rust and blues more periwinkle). This story strikes all the right notes for nighttime reading, with the final pages showing Atir putting Belle to bed. Kids taken with this book will also enjoy The Giraffe That Walked to Paris (1992) or Zarafa: The Giraffe That Walked to the King (2009).

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

This fictionalized story is told from the perspective of real-life Sudanese attendant Atir, who accompanied elegant giraffe Belle from Egypt to the court of French King Charles X in the 1820s. Offbeat illustrations in watercolor and ink incorporate French motifs and photos of artifacts from the early nineteenth century. Bib., glos.

Kirkus Reviews

From the scorching Egyptian desert to bustling Paris, this historically inspired account describes the remarkable trip of a young guide who brings an unusual gift to the French king. Through the fictional voice of Sudanese escort Amir, this narrative chronicles the dramatic journey of giraffe Belle, a present from the Egyptian pasha to Parisian royalty, down the Nile River, across the Mediterranean and through France to her permanent residence in Paris's Jardin des Plantes. The exhausting trip succeeded through innovative planning as Belle, wearing boots and a waterproof jacket, walked eight weeks from Marseille to her destination. Thousands of curious admirers flocked to view the exotic animal. Cannell's mixed-media illustrations match the enthusiastic text in whimsy, thin lines complementing striking cursive phrases prominently displayed against clean backdrops. With a brief pronunciation guide and listed sources, this joins Zarafa: the Giraffe Who Walked to the King (2009), by Judith St. George and illustrated by Britt Spencer, on the shelf. (Picture book. 5-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Holmes and Cannell, the team behind <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">My Travels with Clara, again turn to the exhibit of exotic animals in centuries past in a delightful outing with Harris (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Pop-Up Aesop). Narrator Atir describes the gift of the giraffe Belle by the pasha of Egypt to Charles X of France in 1827 and details Belle's long journey to the French capital (also explored in <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Zarafa: The Giraffe Who Walked to the King). Each piece of information is a treat, from the hole cut in the deck of the ship to accommodate Belle's neck to the raincoat and boots made for her walk to Paris (“Yes, boots. She was not used to walking such long distances,”) and the giraffe mania that greeted her arrival (“There were giraffe songs, poems... fabrics, cough-drop boxes... and gingerbread cookies”). Loopy handwritten script is used for emphasis (“Fancy Parties!” “Paris loves Belle!”), while old maps, photographs, and portraits supplement Cannell's watercolor-and-ink drawings. Perceptive readers may conclude that celebrity and human nature haven't changed much in nearly 200 years. This is history for children as it ought to be written. Ages 6–9. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 2-4 In 1827, when the pasha of Egypt sends a gift giraffe to the king of France, the tall, silent animal stirs up considerable excitement all across the country. Borrowing from French sources of the time for information and visual material, this fictionalized retelling follows the journey of Belle by sea and land from Africa to Paris. The trip is narrated by Atir, Belle's Egyptian caretaker, who stayed on in Paris for the exotic newcomer's 18 years of life there. Homely naive drawings interspersed with historical sketches and paintings are scattered across the pages. Mostly a straightforward, sketchy account, this book highlights well-chosen comic aspects of the social and animal history. However, the book isn't very appealing visually. The fully dressed giraffe on the cover will create some interest, but inside it's a slow starter and takes some careful attention to get into what's happening. Sources are cited both at the front and back of the book, and there's a pronunciation guide for some of the French phrases, only some of which are defined in the text. The narrative and the ideas will be most meaningful to a slightly older audience than will be drawn to the book, but it would be worth introducing to animal fans. Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston