The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights (Arbordale Collection)

Modeled after The Wizard of Oz, this enchanting story describes a young giraffe who suffers from a fear of heights. On his way to the doctor, he befriends a monkey who is afraid of climbing and a hippo who is a afraid of water. What causes the three new friends to face and overcome their fears? The “For Creative Minds” section includes fun facts and animal adaptation information, as well as a “Match the Feet” game and a mix-and-match activity. Encourages children to overcome their fears and to help friends in trouble.

David A. Ufer (The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights) says that this story has been floating around in his head for several years now and has spent lots of hours at the zoo watching some of these animals to get a feel for their behavior and personalities. David hopes that this book will help children overcome some of their own fears. He is looking forward to the day when he may be able to leave the corporate world behind and become a full-time author - perhaps writing and traveling across the country.

Kirsten Carlson is fascinated by animals and nature. Her background in biology, scientific illustration and design has given her the tools to share stories about the natural world through illustration. She believes illustrating children's books are a wonderful way to connect others to nature. Prior to illustrating Ocean Seasons, Kirsten illustrated The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights, also published by Arbordale. Kirsten lives in Gig Harbor, Washington near the shores of Puget Sound.