Giraffes Can't Dance (2002)

Do not let anyone make fun of you for not being like them. You are unique because you are you, and you can do anything you put your mind to. ( )

Join Gerald the giraffe and his high-stepping friends for a counting lesson that's got everyone dancing! Gerald the giraffe longs to dance, but his legs are too skinny and his neck is too long. His knees buckle whenever he tries to twirl. At the Jungle Dance, the warthogs waltz, the chimps cha-cha, and the lions tango. "Giraffes can't dance," they all jeer when it's Gerald's turn to prance. But there is one little creature who believes in Gerald. "Everything makes music," the cricket explains, "if you really want it to." So Gerald starts swaying to his own sweet tune. With light-footed rhymes and high-stepping illustrations, this tale is gentle inspiration for every child with dreams of greatness. -- GoodReads
Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance with all the other animals at the Jungle Dance, until he finds the right music.

This story is great for preschool and early elementary students. This story is about a giraffe named Gerald who is a little different than the rest of the animals. He is laughed at for how me dances. At the end of the story he finds his tune and dances. This story teaches children that even if you are different, we are all beautiful. ( )

Andreae, G. (1999). Giraffes Can’t Dance. New York: Scholastic.

Gerald is an uncoordinated giraffe who feels self-conscious in front of the other animals of his jungle community. During the Jungle Dance celebration the other animals skillfully perform a variety of dances, while Gerald can only trip on his own hooves. Gerald, ashamed, went off on his own and looked up at the moon. He hears the voice of a tiny cricket who suggests he just needs to find the right song for him, and then Gerald could be a good dancer. So Gerald listened to the peaceful night sounds of the jungle until he felt compelled to dance. He was amazed to find that dancing was now easy and fun for him. Suddenly, the other animals appeared around the clearing where Gerald was dancing; they were all very impressed by his new moves. At the end Gerald informs them that, “We all can dance when we find music that we love.” This book is suitable for children ages 3-7 years. ( )

This book encourages students to use their imagination. Gerald who is a giraffe that is clumsy and claims he can't dance. Throughout this rhyming book Gerald learns that he can dance, he just had to find his right music. This book teaches an important lesson of accepting the differences of other people and accepting yourself. (In high school I used this book to teach a short lesson to a class of HeadStart kids). ( )