THE KING'S GIRAFFE is a delight. The story succeeds as an enchanting and exotic narrative while it empowers its young readers by portraying the child characters, Abdul and Henry, as problem solvers for their bewildered masters, the Pasha of Egypt and the King of France. The story, while fanciful, is well-grounded in history and geography and would be a wonderful aid in preparing children for their first visit to France since the illustrations and the story refer to actual cities and locations. The illustrations are evocative, gentle, exotic, richly textured and whimsical as befits the text. The authors have a gift for appealing to the fantasy life of children while captivating the adults who will undoubtedly be asked to read this story aloud over and over again.

Few childrens books captivate and charm like "The Kings Giraffe". Poulain's illustrations captivate adults and kids alike, and Colliers storytelling evoke the magical true story of a african giraffe in Paris.

I have been reading children's literature for 35 years. We have five shelves of kids picture books in our library. This book stands out as a timeless tale of love, redemption and every soul's need to give love. I disagree on every level with the review listed. The picures are works of art. Every picture reveals emotion, beauty and depth. We have three kids..5,6 and 10. This is a family favorite. Let it change your family! The danger is important to the story. It provides a great fromat for a deep discussion on love sacrifice and how lives can be changed.

Dumbed down "politically correct" post modernist bed-time stories. Not a hint of fairy tale delight, magic or wisdom exists in these stories. In one story, Little Polly (a/k/a Little Red Riding Hood)lives in the city yet even in this urban environment is being pursued by a wolf. Nonetheless she cleverly escapes by such tactics as taking the bus to her grandmother's house (No really.). In another story with a feminist subtext, a princess rescues a prince then decides he is a jerk (he is) and abandons him for the evil sorcerer. Then there is the tale of the knight that does not want to hunt dragons but prefers to read. Fortunately when pressed into service the dragon is friendly and harmless and actually helps the knight rescue a princess from a "Huff" by outwitting it. No violence please. If you are looking for bed-time stories worthty of your child's intelligence, try "Italian Folktales" by Italio Calvino.

I loved the stories. Most of them were simple and easy to read but lots of fun. Good for people of all ages.