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3rd out of 7 books
—
2 voters
A Giraffe and a Half
Delightfully zany rhymes about a giraffe who accumulates some ridiculous things--like glue on his shoe and a bee on his knee--only to lose them again, one by one. "Infectiously funny . . . a good nonsensical text and illustrations".--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.
48 pages
Published
(first published November 4th 1964)
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Summary:
A Giraffe and a Half is about a giraffe that he keeps collecting different things like a suit and a fat dragon in a wagon. Eventually he falls into a mole hole and then the gets a pole to get out and then he gradually lets go of everything that he collected and then you are just left with a giraffe. The images are black and white, very creative, beautifully drawn and the images go great with the poem.
Response:
I noticed that this type of poetry was rhyming and that made the poem very easy...more
A Giraffe and a Half is about a giraffe that he keeps collecting different things like a suit and a fat dragon in a wagon. Eventually he falls into a mole hole and then the gets a pole to get out and then he gradually lets go of everything that he collected and then you are just left with a giraffe. The images are black and white, very creative, beautifully drawn and the images go great with the poem.
Response:
I noticed that this type of poetry was rhyming and that made the poem very easy...more
My interest was peaked when I read the first few pages of this wonderfully amusing book. The rhyming, poetic story describes a boy and his giraffe who, over the course of the book, acquires many strange and zany items. From a skunk in a box to glue on one show, it managed to keep me laughing for most of the read.
I chose this book as potential book to read-aloud to young students because what it lacks in emotional depth, it makes up for in humor, word choice, and poetic phrasing. The phrases grad...more
I chose this book as potential book to read-aloud to young students because what it lacks in emotional depth, it makes up for in humor, word choice, and poetic phrasing. The phrases grad...more
Aihh lucunya... Ini gak sengaja jg nemu di Bakoel Coffee. Nti buka inet di rumah mau ngetik isinya ah.
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Awalnya hanya seekor jerapah... "If you had a giraffe"
yang ditarik sampai ke halaman berikutnya... "and he stretched another half …"
menghasilkan... "you would have a giraffe and a half."
lalu ditambah benda-benda dan hewan-hewan di setiap halaman sehingga makin lama makin banyak yang menempel di badan si jerapah.. topi, tikus, jas, sepatu, mawar, kursi, flute, ular, lebah, naga... daaaaann mas...more
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Awalnya hanya seekor jerapah... "If you had a giraffe"
yang ditarik sampai ke halaman berikutnya... "and he stretched another half …"
menghasilkan... "you would have a giraffe and a half."
lalu ditambah benda-benda dan hewan-hewan di setiap halaman sehingga makin lama makin banyak yang menempel di badan si jerapah.. topi, tikus, jas, sepatu, mawar, kursi, flute, ular, lebah, naga... daaaaann mas...more
I've been on a Silverstein kick lately, having found many of his works that I haven't yet read at the local library. I am a fan of Shel's works and am always excited to see what fun, lighthearted story he has come up with next. While this certainly isn't my favorite of his works, it was far better than "Don't Bump the Glump" which I read a few days earlier. I was giggling as I read it out loud and looking at the pictures. The things I liked about his other works were the moral ("Giving Tree", "M...more
This cumulative book features a small boy and his pet giraffe and considers the question, “If you had a giraffe…and he stretched another half…you would have a giraffe and a half.” The turn of each page adds another rhyming element to the list – a rat in a hat, a rose in his nose, a bee on his knee – until the giraffe is precariously covered with animals and objects. Luckily, the second half of the book is devoted to removing one rhyme at a time, until the boy is left standing with a giraffe.
The...more
The...more
Author: Shel Silverstein
Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: fictional poetry picture book
Publication Info: Harper Collins (1964)
Reading Level: Ages 4-8; early
Topic/Theme: silly stories and situations
Issues Addressed: humorous, and unrealistic events happening to an animal
Classroom Uses: independent reading, read aloud; I would probably incorporate this into the curriculum during a poetry unit or lesson
Summary: A giraffe gets stretched by one half, making him a giraffe and a half. Throughout t...more
Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: fictional poetry picture book
Publication Info: Harper Collins (1964)
Reading Level: Ages 4-8; early
Topic/Theme: silly stories and situations
Issues Addressed: humorous, and unrealistic events happening to an animal
Classroom Uses: independent reading, read aloud; I would probably incorporate this into the curriculum during a poetry unit or lesson
Summary: A giraffe gets stretched by one half, making him a giraffe and a half. Throughout t...more
اگه یه زرافه داشته باشی
و اون نصف دیگه کش بیاد
اونوقت یه زرافه و نصفی داری
و اون نصف دیگه کش بیاد
اونوقت یه زرافه و نصفی داری
My friend Clarisa has this book and used it for her Read Aloud lesson that she did with her class. I had never heard of it before, especially since it is the same author who wrote The Giving Tree.
I love the creativity in this book and the humor that goes along with it. I really enjoyed reading it, and thought it would be a good way to incorporate it in my classroom.
I would use it in a poetry lesson or even a rhyming lesson, because there rhymes throughout the whole book. It would be a great way...more
I love the creativity in this book and the humor that goes along with it. I really enjoyed reading it, and thought it would be a good way to incorporate it in my classroom.
I would use it in a poetry lesson or even a rhyming lesson, because there rhymes throughout the whole book. It would be a great way...more
Age:
Grades K-3
Genre:
poetry/fiction
Diversity:
children; imagination
Illustrations:
Illustrations look like they were drawn with pencil.
Personal response:
I really enjoyed the repetition building and building and building and then reverting slowing back down to the giraffe. It makes it fun to read and almost like a challenge to remember each additional item/event happening to the poor giraffe.
Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be a great read-aloud with younger children and having...more
Grades K-3
Genre:
poetry/fiction
Diversity:
children; imagination
Illustrations:
Illustrations look like they were drawn with pencil.
Personal response:
I really enjoyed the repetition building and building and building and then reverting slowing back down to the giraffe. It makes it fun to read and almost like a challenge to remember each additional item/event happening to the poor giraffe.
Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be a great read-aloud with younger children and having...more
با شل سیلور استاین (عمو شبلی) در زمانِ کنکورِ سراسری آشنا شدم. در کتاب هایِ کمک درسیِ گاج. آن زمان ترجیح بر خواندنِ مقدمه ها و حواشیِ کتاب هایِ کنکور بود تا پرداختن به اصلِ درس و توجه به تست های اش.
سیلور استاین به نظرم چیزی است شبیه اگزوپری, شاعری که کودکیِ آدم هایِ بزرگ سال را مخاطب قرار می دهد و آن چیزی که می گوید به زبانِ کودکان است برایِ آدم بزرگ ها. چیزی شبیه به کلاه قرمزیِ خودِ مان.
طنز مخصوص و نقاشی هایی که گاها ضمیمه یِ شعر هایِ عجیب اش می کند, همیشه حسِ خوبی به من منتقل کرده.
سیلور استاین به نظرم چیزی است شبیه اگزوپری, شاعری که کودکیِ آدم هایِ بزرگ سال را مخاطب قرار می دهد و آن چیزی که می گوید به زبانِ کودکان است برایِ آدم بزرگ ها. چیزی شبیه به کلاه قرمزیِ خودِ مان.
طنز مخصوص و نقاشی هایی که گاها ضمیمه یِ شعر هایِ عجیب اش می کند, همیشه حسِ خوبی به من منتقل کرده.
I really enjoyed this book because all of the rhyming and silly pictures. This book is fun to read because it invites children to try and speak fast in this repetitive rhyme. All the illustrations in this book are super funny and creative, and they also tell part of the story, giving children a different look at the story. Once the giraffe is piled high with all different sorts of things the pictures are really fun to look at and try to pick out each thing that has happened to him in the book.
I absolutely loved this book so much!! This book is about a boy and his giraffe. The giraffe starts to have all these weird things happen to him. For instance, he gets a suit and he looks “cute in a suit”. This book is really attractive to young audiences. The illustrations are silly and eye catching and the words are fun to listen to. A way to use this book in the classroom would be during learning about rhyming and poetry. This shows that poetry can be silly and fun. It would also show kids ju...more
Khas banget Silverstein. Permainan kata (repetisi dan rima), dengan ending yang menarik. Kocak, sudah pasti!
If you had a giraffe,
and it stretched another half,
you would have
a giraffe and a half...
If he put on a hat
and inside lived a rat
you would have a giraffe and a half
with a rat in his hat...
If you dressed him in a suit
and he looked very cute
you would have a giraffe and a half
with a rat in his hat
looking cute in a suit
....
If you had a giraffe,
and it stretched another half,
you would have
a giraffe and a half...
If he put on a hat
and inside lived a rat
you would have a giraffe and a half
with a rat in his hat...
If you dressed him in a suit
and he looked very cute
you would have a giraffe and a half
with a rat in his hat
looking cute in a suit
....
2 likes · like · see review
I read this to grades 2 and 3 this week as part of a poetry activity. I'm not a huge fan of the cumulative form, I find it tedious. The clever part here is that Silverstein repeats and repeats until you just can't take it (I had one 2nd grader ask--"are you going to read the WHOLE thing?) and right at that point he unwinds the story in a clever and humorous way that makes you glad you stuck with it.
My children, ages 5 and 7, love this book and so do I!! I love Shel's imagination and the absurd scenarios he creates. I just read it to my son's 1st grade class and everyone seemed to love it! We ran into a classmate at the playground 2 days later, and she told me how much she liked that book. It's a definite winner in this house, and I plan to use it as a guest reader again in the future.
When my three-year-old saw the cover of this book, she promptly declared, "Mommy, that's a weird book. We need take it back to libaree".
The first half was funny and clever. And then it lost it's appeal and we all were just hoping the next page would be the end. It was probably a little too long for a four and three-year old. Maybe we'll try it again in a few years.
The first half was funny and clever. And then it lost it's appeal and we all were just hoping the next page would be the end. It was probably a little too long for a four and three-year old. Maybe we'll try it again in a few years.
This is a cross between the "If you give a Moose a Muffin" type books and classic Dr. Seuss. I was excited to read this as I love Shel Silverstein. I thought the illustrations were cute, if simple. The story gets more and more outrageous as more items are added to the "list." Would love to see where kids would take a story like this. Cute for K-2nd
Dec 09, 2010
Relyn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teachers, parents, kids
Recommended to Relyn by:
a student
Shelves:
lawsonland
I love Shel Silverstein, but somehow never read this book. From time to time, my students will bring a book to me that they want me to read aloud. I have to tell you, this one was a hoot. My kids were rolling with laughter at how quickly I read the rhyming words in this cumulative tale. I was pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Great fun.
A Giraffe and a Half This is a hilarious book with witty banter about a ridiculous problem. Children will be in stitches when they’re reading it. Shel Silverstein has his illustrations and his words in perfect harmony. The repetition is wonderful, and children would love reading along with you, guessing what would come next.
This is a hypothetical tale of "if you had...then you did.." that, when read aloud to a variety of children, had everyone in stitches. Just when you think they can't possibly add anything else, they do. Written entirely in rhyme, the rhythm of the poem makes it easy to read and hear, even at the longest accumulation.
A Shel Silverstein classic. If you stretch a giraffe and you stretch it to another half, what do you have? A giraffe and a half. The story goes on to add things to the giraffe and a half like a rat in his hat and a cute suit. It goes on until the poor giraffe is overwhelmed. Then the story goes backwards.
Found a copy of this hardcover at TJ Maxx for 5 bucks, and I had never read it before (weird seeing how I thought I had read every Shel Silverstein book ever made...). It was a funny/enjoyable book and it definitely opened my eyes to where the author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie got their idea from!
This incredibly silly book is such a fun read, especially when you are reading to a bunch of kindergarteners who begin to memorize the repetitive lines and read along with you! Shel Silverstein's imagination takes another step in this wacky story, and you find yourself wrapped in its rhythm and rhyme.
This is probably my favorite Silverstein book: my little one has found enjoyment and amusement in the reading of it since around 9mo old! It's very silly and a wonderful introduction to rhyming and poetry as well as concepts such as adding to/taking away, on/off, top/below, in/out, big/small.
My kids and I laughed our way through this highly entertaining rhyming, sequencing book. Highly recommend for use in Phonics training (great rhyming words). My 6yo dd still remembers several of the additions to the giraffe and we only read the book once several weeks ago. Definitely a keeper!
Finally! This is Shel's first book that i've read. No need to buy to get this book, just go straight to the library and borrow it. Yippiee hooray!
Thanks to mba Deeyand who has recognised me to the book...
(grammarnya ancur? haraff maklum, bukang orang Inggris :D)
Thanks to mba Deeyand who has recognised me to the book...
(grammarnya ancur? haraff maklum, bukang orang Inggris :D)
This is a rhyming book about a Giraffe. Many crazy things happen to this Giraffe throughout the story such as a rose on his nose or glue on his shoe. This is a great book with really funny tales of the giraffe that are made better by the awesome illustrations.
Read this aloud with the boys last night. Besides being a silly example of rhyming, it's also a great lesson: when things get crazy and out of hand, don't panic!!
I love Shel Silverstein's work, and I'm looking forward to sharing more of his books with the boys.
I love Shel Silverstein's work, and I'm looking forward to sharing more of his books with the boys.
The giraffe keeps getting more and more until the giraffe is back to itself. Fun rhyming and growing illustrations make for a fast paced read aloud. "But...if you brought him a pole/to climb out of the hole.../and the whale left his tail/ and went off for the mail..."
This is one of my favorite picture books! The illustrations in this book are hilarious, as each page adds a different element to the character. I also love the way that the book builds up in content and then separates itself out again by the end. Perfect :)
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Shel Silverstein was the author-artist of many beloved books of prose and poetry. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.
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Mar 03, 2013 07:35pm
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