Jory John, author. Lane Smith, illustrator. Random House, 2018.

My daughter and I have fallen in love . . . with a page turn. And I mean a page turn, people. The themes in GIRAFFE PROBLEMS are friendship and embracing yourself as your are. This picture book features a protagonist with a fairly obvious defining feature. Giraffe complains that their neck is too . . . everything. Bow ties, ties, scarves, bundles of scarves, and mountains of scarves don’t even help it. Such substantial necks don’t hide well behind shrubs or in ditches, either. When giraffe meets turtle, turtle points out all the things that giraffe’s neck can do that turtle’s can’t, like reach and look far and wide. The emphasis on actions rather than appearances is a fabulous message for kids to subconsciously take in.

We know from the moment we meet turtle that they’re verbose and well-articulated. But it’s still absolutely hilarious to find turtle’s 100+-word monologue about the ripening banana of his dreams, which they wish would fall from its great height so that they could sample its sweetness. It’s been seven straight days of waiting, and turtle is clearly frustrated by their inability to secure the fruit.

[**Page turn**]

Giraffe: “You want a banana from a tree?”

Turtle: “That’s what I said, yes.”

Giraffe: “Here you go.”

The story wraps up with neck recognition and bow ties for all, topped with a warm feeling of friendship and turtle’s belly full of banana.

If you’re like my 6 year-old and I, you’ll immediately read it again, because giggling that hard just feels so good. Look what our bellies can do.