• Age: 1 to 3
• Grade: p

An endearing board-book prequel to the laugh-out-loud Giraffe and Bird collection by the award-winning Rebecca Bender

For more than a decade Rebecca Bender's award-winning Giraffe and Bird books have been tickling the funny bones of children and their families as the cantankerous cronies learn that friendship, while not always easy, is always worthwhile. But how did this unlikely pair become friends in the first place? In Giraffe Meets Bird, Bender’s bright acrylics and lively storytelling reveal the friends' early days while pairs of scrumptious synonyms make her trademark rich vocabulary accessible to a new, younger audience.

When the egg in Giraffe's tree first hatches, he is excited and eager. But the baby bird grows quickly, and he soon learns how to make Giraffe angry and annoyed. It doesn’t take long for Giraffe and Bird to start fighting over their tree. When danger forces them to work together, the two not-quite-friends realize they might not be able to share their home at all. Luckily, they come up with a solution that is surprising, startling, and absolutely stunning.

Rebecca Bender is a well-loved author-illustrator of children’s books as well as an art director and designer. Her picture books include Not Friends, Don’t Laugh at Giraffe, Giraffe Meets Bird, Peach Girl (illustration), and How Do You Feel?. She has also illustrated the chapter books Slug Days, Penguin Days, and Duck Days. Rebecca’s awards and honors include the OLA Blue Spruce Award, a Cooperative Children’s Book Center best-of-the-year choice, and a Toronto Public Library best-of-the-year selection. Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design at the top of her class, earning the Medal for Illustration. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and two children.

Rebecca Bender's profile page

• Short-listed, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Fall Selection

About Giraffe Meets Bird

2015 Resource Links "The Year's Best" selection

2021 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Fall Selection

"[W]arm, expressive acrylic illustrations...With or without the pithy array of synonyms, the story's overall message is what leaves the biggest impression: relationships are hard work, requiring tolerance and understanding, but are well worth the effort. A worthy purchase along with Bender's other two books about Giraffe and Bird."—School Library Journal

"Attractive, bright acrylics give Bender's animal characters personality, especially fuzzy, cantankerous Bird, and her friendship story is nicely modulated, with vocabulary lessons neatly tucked in. Sincerely sweet."—Kirkus Reviews

"Bender's acrylic illustrations are bright and expressive, and she depicts a range of emotions through the friends' eyes and body positions...kids will relate as it so aptly depicts the complex beauty of friendships."—National Reading Campaign

"In contrast to many books for preschool and young readers, the author introduces a rich and varied vocabulary to express the emotions felt by both the characters...The text is accompanied with delightful, full page coloured, acrylic illustrations by the author...This will be a wonderful book to share with younger children to feature unlikely friendships and explore emotions."—Resource Links Magazine

"Bender's bold acrylic illustrations will sometimes amusingly tell a story that differs from what the text reports...An excellent addition to the Giraffe and Bird series. Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine

"With gorgeous illustrations done in vibrant acrylics, Giraffe Meets Bird tells how an unlikely friendship developed between these two. Good for reading aloud, this vibrant picture book tells an important lesson: despite minor clashes, true friends will be there when you most need them."—Winnipeg Free Press

"Bender gives us memorable and lovable characters....[S]he uses words that are synonymous to describe their relationship. It allows her young readers to build vocabulary without really knowing that it is happening."—Sal's Fiction Addiction

“[T]he board book must be judged on its own merits, and it does work as such. With this introduction to the animal pair, hopefully the maturing versions of these young readers will later meet the rest of the picture book series, including the original Giraffe Meets Bird.”—CM Magazine

“[B]oth funny and honest about friendships. With a clear focus on illustrating eye contact and facial expressions, Bird and Giraffe have an intensive friendship when it comes to communicating.”—Where The Board Books Are