Don't Laugh at Giraffe

Giraffe and Bird make the oddest pair. All they do is spat, squabble, and get on each other's nerves. In the morning, Bird uses his loudest outdoor voice, so Giraffe makes a disgusting noise as he clears his phlegmy throat, so Bird tickles his neck, and . . . well, you get the picture. There's nothing Bird likes more than to have a laugh at the expense of his lanky friend, and one dry day at the pond, he gets his chance. Giraffe's awkward attempt to reach the water without getting his hooves wet raises a cackle from a flamingo, a chortle from the zebra, then a howl from the hippo. Soon everyone is having a good laugh . . . especially Bird. In fact, Bird is having a ball until he realizes that his mortified friend has left the pond without quenching his thirst. Now Bird is sorry. How will he get Giraffe back?

Author/illustrator Rebecca Bender's hilarious illustrations accompany a story about empathy and the trials of friendship that will persuade young readers that it's okay to look goofy and laugh at yourself once in a while, especially when you are not alone.