Gugu Giraffe: Goes Fishing

by Auralee Arkinsly, Sue Summers (editor), Yolanda Van Heerden (illustrator)

The story begins on a dry Botswana day when Gugu Giraffe says he wants to go fishing.Matriarch Chidinma, of the nearby elephant herd, invites Gugu to join her parade going to the Okavango River.

There, Gugu boards a mokoro canoe to see about fishing.

Adventure awaits Gugu on his water safari as the matriarch elephant, a crocodile, a hippopotamus, and a cormorant bird explain why they could not possibly be a fish!

"I love this myth with watery facts rippling through the river creatures’ interactions.The story allows for a gentle mix of fun interspersed with natural observations as a bonus. Kids will find it interesting, either to read or to be read to them." - Bernadette Ontong, South Africa*****“Gugu Giraffe is a fantastic story, well-illustrated, a simply lovely book you just want to keep on reading to see what's happening next.Easy to read for tweens, it allows your imagination to flow. Gugu the curious and funny giraffe makes this fable fun and keeps readers hanging on for what he is really up to on his fishing expedition.I recommend it mainly because it's full of surprises, funny, and stirs up curiosity in readers.” - Ursala Pietersen, South Africa

48 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Sharon Plumb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gugu Giraffe’s quest to find a fish leads him on a gently humorous journey of meeting and learning about some of his amazing animal neighbours in Botswana. Children will enjoy his obviously silly questions (to the elephant parade: “Are you a school of fish?”) but will also be fascinated by the answers to some of his more perceptive ones (“Why destroy the tree?”). The author’s descriptions of the animals are lively and match the airy illustrations. The animals’ responses to Gugu’s naïve questions give lots of tantalizing tidbits of information about how they do in fact differ from fish and from each other. Gugu, and the plot, move at a leisurely pace that gives lots of time to take it all in. Unfortunately, the text can be wordy and often the sentences are clunky to read aloud. Some of the words also seem difficult for young readers, but perhaps that’s just an opportunity for them to learn something new, like Gugu. Overall, I think young readers will enjoy this book, especially if there is an adult or older child handy to help them over the more difficult passages. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and this is my honest opinion.)

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gugu Giraffe: Goes Fishing is a picture book in a series for Early Readers (Book 3) by Auralee Arkinsly and several editors via CAPTURE BOOKS.
The story is folklore but the information about the other animals indigenous to the continent of Africa is nonfiction. Great reading alone or in a group.
The illustrations by Yolanda VanHeerden are delightful, imaginative, clear, and colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, and even to a school or teacher or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!
P.S. Gugu means precious.

[Charmayne Hafen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gugu Giraffe Gives A Generous Helping Of Fun and Education

In this tall tale, Gugu Giraffe sticks his neck out for a new adventure. His quest to find a fish takes him on a journey where he meets a variety of animals. Children and adults alike will learn many interesting facts about the animals and environment of Africa while gaining insight into important life lessons. Not only is this story beautifully written but has illustrations to match. You and your children won't want to miss this wonderful book.

[Radhika Sheshashayee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Auralee Arkinsly for this sweet book Gugu Giraffe Goes Fishing.

A picture book for young readers, illustrated whimsically by Yolanda Van Heerden, the book follows a curious giraffe that wants to see a school of fish.

In his wanderings, Gugu meets many animals and gets aquanited with them. Learning about traits unique to each of them.

This is a lovely introduction to African animals and is sure to delight a child.

#GuguGiraffe #NetGalley #Botswana #OkavangoDelta #Okavango #AfricanAdventure

[Julia✨Book Reviews by Jules✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was charming. I enjoyed it. As a huge animal lover (I live on a farm), I know I would've enjoyed this book if it had been released when I was a young girl. The illustrations were super cute.

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[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute children’s book with amazing illustrations! My husband and I honeymooned in Africa 14 years ago almost, and it always has and always will have a special place in my heart. Having the chance to read this with my children, was super fun, although they are older than the target audience, They loved the illustrations and I loved the instructional content. The animals of Africa are so special, and what a beautiful chance to visit them. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy. Highly recommend!

[Yves Fey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book. Gugu is a wonderfully goofy guide through the landscape and encounters, always eager to learn more and always accepting of what he learns. The illustrations are charming with a touch of wacky humor and even a touch fun scariness with tiger toothy fish and crocodiles carrying their young under their tongue. It’s a quick read chock full of amusement and learning – geography, biology, etc. The language has a touch of poetry to it. The phrasing is simple without using cliches and throws in some zinger words to explore for the fun of it as well.

[Sheri Caruso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and educational book for Children

The illustrations are beautiful! When Gugu speaks, it's as if I can audibly hear him speak. Gugu's adventure takes the reader through an African exploration as he interacts with other animals. During his adventure, he learns what makes each animal unique, interesting facts I never knew. I highly recommend this book. It not only tells a cute story but teaches children about animals they may never encounter.

[Deel Hikayana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid 5 stars for this gem!

I'm not sure if I'd ever rate a book with such stunning illustrations (like what this book has) lower.

Yup, you read it right.

This book boasts breathtakingly beautiful and generously sized images (enough for details of the crocodile's bloody teeth). Which made my kids obsessed with this story!

As for its stories? They were hooked on the plot and the wealth of information it brings! A cool book, you know?

The plot in this story effortlessly guides kids to differentiate between animals. The wording in it is enjoyable and spikes a genuine curiosity in children (mine especially), compelling them to devour it in one sitting.

Again, this book is truly, a remarkable book!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a good story to read but it was more like Gugu Giraffe learns about fish. The story was well different to what we expected and it was easy to read and understand - we did enjoy the amount of different facts and detail that was added to the story. The illustrations in the book were nice and they brought the story to life. It is 3.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 4 stars for Amazon and Goodreads - need a few tweaks before it is a full 4 star read.

[Laura Bartnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the final edit of this darling river safari with Gugu. It's the third in the animal chapter book series. I highly recommend Gugu for inspiring the littles to wonder about river animals, Botswana, and what makes a hippopotamus different to a fish. Highly entertaining, especially if you love the books, Are You My Mother? and Where The Wild Things Are.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gugu Giraffe wanted to go fishing but he did not know what a fish looked like He meets different animals and learns why they are not fish but it takes him all day to meet a fish and then it is quite by accident. there are illustrations and at the end are discussion questions to use if you are in a group situation. Thank you NetGalley.

[Julia Shelburne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a giraffe who is searching for fish in Botswana. The giraffe learns what fish are not by meeting other African animals. This was a creative way to learn about different animals. The writing style was not my favorite, but the book was fun.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gugu Giraffe is a well-illustrated book with the cutest title character. Gugu's story of his adventures along the Okavango River is sure to entertain children of all ages. The questions at the back of the book are an added bonus.

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book about animals

This was a sweet book about animals that kids will enjoy. Animals can teach us so much about themselves and reading this book will
give the reader a peak into their lives. The questions at the end is a added bonus for clarity.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a chapter book for younger readers. It has lots of animal facts included in it. The illustrations are nice and the storyline is interesting as Gugu is trying to find fish, but has no idea what fish are.

[Lil Rustle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is interesting and educational to read and learn about different animals. The illustrations are cute too.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun kids book!