The Spotless Giraffe

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Pub Date Oct 01 2024 | Archive Date Oct 04 2024

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Description

In this funny and heartwarming picture book, meet a shy little giraffe named Kipekee. She’s a bit different from the other giraffes—she was born with no spots.

Inspired by a real-life spotless giraffe from a popular news story, born in 2023, at Brights Zoo in Tennessee, Kipekee is one of the rarest giraffes on the planet.

But being one of a kind isn’t easy. And as Kipekee looks around her on her first day at school, she feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere.

With the help of her new friends, she tries some of the animal classes, scrambling clumsily up the rocks with llamas, and stretching her twiggy legs to high jump with the gazelles. But none of them feel quite right. She even tries to disguise herself, hoping that the others will accept her.

Eventually, Kipekee realizes that, although she doesn’t look like the others, she fits right in, and that her differences should be celebrated. And she’s delighted to find that she’s accepted—spots or no spots.

Perfect for preparing kids for their first day at school, this is a kind and delicate introduction to relationships and the value of difference, at a time when little ones are first forming important relationships with their peers. A touching story about inclusivity and looking beyond what people look like, it teaches kids that we are all wonderfully unique in our own ways.

In this funny and heartwarming picture book, meet a shy little giraffe named Kipekee. She’s a bit different from the other giraffes—she was born with no spots.

Inspired by a real-life spotless giraffe...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9780711296343
PRICE $18.99 (USD)
PAGES 32

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 75 members


Featured Reviews

My toddler loves all things animals and this was the perfect book for her. She was attentive throughout the story! We loved the different animals helping Kipekee find his rightful✨ spot✨
This was a great book for animal lovers and toddlers who love bright illustrations!

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Enjoyed this one with my daughter. It's basically a story of how do we fit in and being different. I thought it ending is predictable but it fact it isn't. That why this is a good read.

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What a heartwarming read! Kipekee's first day of Zoo School isn't going as smoothly like she thought it would. Kipekee and her friends investigate which class she fits into, although it proves to be a challenge because Kipekee is a unique animal!

This book shows children that our differences should be celebrated and it is what makes us unique! This book has incredible colourful illustrations and has some laugh-out-loud moments!

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This is such a cute and beautiful book about fitting in and being different!
The art is adorable too – the drawings are big and bold, but not too bright and too distracting, yet all the animals look like they should – all while being cute and cartoonish – this seems to be a great way to convey a message that’s actually about humans, not animals, without making it too straightforward and lesson-like.

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This is a lovely story with cute illustrations. It’s a fun way to teach kids about the distinguishing characteristics of a range of different animals. There’s a nice theme of friendship when the student helpers try amusing ways to help Kipekee fit in with the different groups of animals. There’s also a great lesson about celebrating uniqueness and how you might feel like you don’t fit in until you find the right group where you fit in perfectly. Thank you to NetGalley/the publisher/author for this eARC.

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Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

My daughter loved this book! Kipekee is an adorable giraffe that has no spot pattern! I thought this book was fantastic, Kida however got lost every so often just due to her being 2 years old. I will definitely read this book to her again and see how she does. She loved all of the different animals and Kipekee so this will continue to be a favorite!

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This was such an adorable kids book about a giraffe who doesn't quite fit in because she doesn't have spots like the other giraffes. The illustrations were colorful and engaging for my 5 year old.

This was a great book to read to my child who is just starting a new year of school and was feeling a little unsure about his new class. It also demonstrates how someone may be new and not quite fit in at first, but they will soon find their place.

I really enjoyed this book as did my 5 year old. He is an early reader and was able to sound out the words and read the story himself, which really boosted his confidence in being able to read a book mostly himself.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

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The Spotless Giraffe is a fun illustrated book about a giraffe that doesn't have spots, and it helps children understand that belonging is more about who you are than what you look like. It encourages inclusivity in a simple and straightforward way.

The illustrations are so fun. Take the time to look at the many different expressions on the animals' faces on each spread. There are many, and they'll make you laugh.

The one critique I have is that I didn't always know which line was next to read because there wasn't a pattern. Sometimes it was left to right, top to bottom, and other times it was circular. It would help to have a consistent text order to follow.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy! This was excellent

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4.5 stars - Read it with my 7 year old daughter. She enjoyed. Was quite captivated! I thought it was cute and had a good lesson. I feel that teachers can use this book in their classroom. This is now on my to-buy list for new parents!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. So glad I got a copy.

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Wow, this was such a cute kids book!! I loved the illustration. Each animal was so cute and well drawn. The book was a joy to look at! I also loved the story, so cute and I love that the giraffe found its place even though it was different.

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Kipekee is a giraffe born without spots and heading to her first day of school. She has quite a time finding where she is supposed to fit in. This was the nightly story for my 5 year old daughter, and she loved it. It was a great opening to discuss how she would treat a new classmate having a hard time fitting in. The book also has a picture and short story of the real Kipekee giving this story a breath of reality to end it. I've started letting my daughter rate our nightly reads and she gave this one 11/5 stars - off the charts!

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This is such a cute book! It’s based on a true story about a giraffe born with no spots. It’s time for her to start school but she doesn’t know where she fits in. With the help of some friends, she tries to find her place but none of them feel right. When she finally finds the other giraffes, she feels right at home, in the right place, even if she doesn’t look like them.

This is such a great way to teach the lesson that we are all unique and that we should all be accepted. It also helps show kids to welcome anyone new who may or may not have a hard time fitting in.

I enjoyed this, and so did my 4 yr old son!

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We loved this book and the flow of the story was great.

I loved the mix of characters and how they worked together. The illustrations in the book were great and they brought the story to life, it was good to show the different classes that the giraffe went in which weren't for them until they found the one that matched - and the troubles they had identifying the class at the beginning as he looked different.

I especially loved that it was inspired by the real-life spotless giraffe from Brights Zoo in Tennessee, Kipekee.

We did not hesitate in giving it 5 stars! Very highly recommended!

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A fun children's book! Best of all, based on a true story! This is of a who am I and where do I belong genre of story, about a spotless giraffe trying to find it's proper place at the zoo. Pleasant to read, with spry writing and illustrations but, best of all, based on a real spotless giraffe. Who knew? We all have our place in the universe, and it is our differences that make us not only unique and universal at the same time.

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This heartwarming story follows Kipekee, the spotless giraffe in her efforts to find where she belongs, despite being different. The sweet story and adorable illustrations will keep us reading this one over and over again. I loved how it is based on a real giraffe!

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Silly. Cute.
Clever.
Kipekee is different. On the first day of school, he doesn’t know what class he is in, because of his spotlessness, and the helpers try to guide him to the right class. They try, so does Kipekee, but he does not belong in any of those classes. Then he figures out where he belongs, and assertively recognises his qualities.
Two things stood out for us;
a) How subtly, as subtle as such a picture book can be, the ideas of acceptance, diversity, inclusion, self-love and awareness, the richness in differences, everyone having qualities were conveyed.
b) The silly struggling scenes when Kipekee is put in the wrong class - put a character where they don’t belong, and see the fun unfold. The facial expressions, chaos and accidents were genuinely funny.

I must say the art and the style of prose are not 100% how I like them, but close enough, and due to the above highlights, this is a wonderful book.

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"The Spotless Giraffe" by Peter Millett is a delightful children's book with vibrant illustrations and a charming story. It follows the adventures of a giraffe who struggles with being different from the others due to a unique spot on his coat. Through engaging and humorous storytelling, the book conveys themes of self-acceptance and embracing one's uniqueness. It's a heartwarming read that’s both entertaining and educational for young readers.

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5⭐️

One adorable book about one adorable giraffe!

My little one loved the book even though I read it as a e-book. We will definitely be buying the hard copy soon!

The animals in the story were so helpful and I think it can help show how easy kindness is to little kids.
This book will definitely help spark discussions about being kind and polite.

Definitely recommend the book!

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This book would be great for so many lessons in an elementary library. Not only is it a great beginning of the year book, but it could also be used to talk about inherent differences and being kind to those unlike us. Young readers will love the silly ways the giraffe's friends try to help her fit in.

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Absolutely loved this book! The artwork is captivating, the plot is adorable, and all the animal characters are so engaging.

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This one is cute! I love stories about animals. The illustrations are brightly colored and the fact that the story for this book is based in a real spotless giraffe just gives it that little extra.

I recommend this! ;)

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This book is interesting to me because my son likes giraffes. It's one of his favourite animals and also the first animal I introduced to him. So it's emotionally close to me and my son enough.

If not because of this book, I probably wouldn't know there is a spotless giraffe. This book introduces it well.

It also teaches us about the sense of belonging to our community because of our mutual characteristics. One could be lost and feel not belong to the community because they seem and feel different from the majority.

While it also teaches us about diversity that means even if we have differences we still could be one. In Indonesia we call it: Bhineka Tunggal Ika which means unity in diversity.

The illustration of the book itself is good enough, cute, and of course colourful because it's for children. But I'm not sure if the text on several pages with green backgrounds will be well read by the kids or not because when I read it on my e-reader I need to zoom in to see it better.

Other than that, I don't have any complaints about this book. Hopefully, this book will succeed and meet many suitable readers. Good luck! Thank you for letting me be your early reader ✨

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Thank you NetGalley. This book was cute. All about being different and I loved that it was based off a real giraffe without spots. I learned something new from this book.

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A lovely story about a Spotless Giraffe who is trying desperately hard to find out who she is and where she fits in because she doesn't look like any other animal.
Cute story with adorable eyecatching illustrations which will appeal to the younger audience.
Great message to the younger readers too that you can be friends with whoever you want to be friends with - even if they look different.
Great read, would recommend

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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book was so cute, we loved reading it. Loved how there were lots of animals on each page. This is great if you have toddlers!

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"The Spotless Giraffe" by Peter Millett is an adorable story that is both cute and heartfelt! It follows the journey of Giraffe, who, unlike her friends, has no spots, making her feel out of place in her world. This feeling is not uncommon with many children I've taught and it made me sad for her. The whimsical illustrations and fun rhymes make the story engaging, but it's the heartfelt message about embracing our differences that really shines. Kids can easily relate to Giraffe's feelings of wanting to fit in, but they'll also learn that being unique is what makes each of us special. This is a perfect read for classroom discussions about self-acceptance and celebrating individuality.

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This book is much more than a picture book! It is based on a true story, includes beautiful illustrations and educational content as well!
Concepts learned: animal classification, same/different, identifying animals. If you child likes animals but can't quite remember what they look like, this is the perfect book. Extention activity: Animal Uno: print out the animals in this book and the child makes a match if the animals have something in come:height, color, fur/scales, etc.

I loved the ending, but I won't spoil it for you! Enjoy!

I received a complimentary copy, a favorable review was not required.

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I like children's books based on true stories and this one was lots of fun. The art was beautiful. I would recommend this book to patrons with young kids looking for books on a wide-range of topics including, animals, first day of school, being different, and self-acceptance. I liked the blurb about the real spotless giraffe at the end.

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Fun exploration of different exotic animals as Kipekee searches for her place among them.

The Spotless Giraffe is a new children’s book written by Peter Millett and illustrated by Alison Hawkins based on the imagined first day of “school” for Kipekee, the little giraffe born without the usual spots. She’s solid brown. Since she doesn’t have spots like the giraffes that student helpers have seen in the past, they aren’t sure what animal she actually is and end up taking her to classes for animals who share other common characteristics. As she has a brown coat like a camel, they first try to incorporate her into the camel class, or because her long neck reminds them of the llamas, they try her in their class. Each time, though, some other physical feature is missing, but thinking her missing element will come later as she gets bigger, they come up with a replacement to let her fit in and feel more comfortable. They’re rather big-hearted this way. However, when their alternatives don’t work out, they keep trying another group.

Parents and children can enjoy this fun, simple story on more than one level. While there are humorous attempts to find Kipekee’s class, there is also the important theme of being oneself as they try to make the little giraffe into something she’s not.

I recommend THE SPOTLESS GIRAFFE to parents of young children and for reading aloud in a group.

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The Spotless Giraffe by Peter Millet. The Spotless Giraffe is such a cute zoo book. I have not saw a spotless giraffe but having children read the book they would find out you do not have to be perfect to fit in. I cannot wait to read the book to my granddaughter.

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We enjoyed this book so much.
If your child feels like a fish out of water, its a great book to read and show inclusivity,
Also a great book to introduce around the first day of school.

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What a fun and light hearted story about embracing our uniqueness and finding our place. I love that this story is also based upon a real life giraffe named Kipekee. The art draws you in and perfectly accompanies the story. A perfect book to use in the classroom, in therapy, or behavioral skills training with kiddos.

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So cute!!! My favorite animal is a giraffe so I knew I had to read this one to my boys. They loved this story and it has a great lesson about how not everyone looks the same!

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The Spotless Giraffe is a 32 page children's book featuring a spotless giraffe named Kipekee who was born at the Brights Zoo in Limestone, TN. Kipekee is only the 3rd spotless giraffe to have ever been (known to be) photographed.

This lovely children's book has other zoo animals help Kipekee "go to school" by providing props for her to blend in with other creatures. Really the book stresses the importance of just being yourself and loving your uniqueness. (Kipekee is Swahili for unique.).

Many thanks to NetGalley and Happy Yak (the publisher) for providing the opportunity for me to read the advance review copy of The Spotless Giraffe in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is Oct 1, 2024.

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This picture informative book is inspired by a real-life spotless giraffe Kipekee who was born in 2023, at Brights Zoo in Tennessee, USA. Kipekee (female) is one of the most rarest of giraffes on this planet. She doesn't have spots like rest form her species. I didn't knew this so far but reading this made me learn on the fact that Gods never leave us to be amazed by their creations.

Peter Millett (author) told this whole story of the dilemma if it might have as an unique featured animal from its community, here, in a very funny and humorous manner. How a Giraffe could look without spots would definitely never been thought by anyone before but this Kipekee gave this brainstorming thoughts to author that he compared it with Llamas, Zebras and even sheep.
But Peter here depicting via Kipekee, to children, that every differences must be celebrated, be it of some pros or cons in us.,

Giraffe has always been most beautiful animal to watch while visiting zoo, for me. Giraffe is the only reason I wanted to 'Maasai Mara National Reserve' in southwestern Kenya. I really liked this picture book both in terms of humor & fun and Information.

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I loved this book! Giraffes are my favorite animal, so I could be a little biased, but I think it was super cute while also teaching great lessons. The hippo and Arcaro didn’t give up and were happy to help Kipakee, teaching children the importance of helping friends. They also kept an encouraging and positive attitude. I love how this book also displayed that it is ok to be different than everyone else and that your true friends will offer you support no matter what. This is certainly a book I would get for my children. The pictures were great and the pages had a good blend of words and pictures, helping younger readers stay engaged.

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The Spotless Giraffe is a sweet book that shows that being different is special and how we can find ways to be friends with those who are different from us. As a preschool mom, I was excited to read this with my kiddo. He enjoyed the art and silly moments, but also enjoyed the overall theme. This is a great book for kiddos who may be nervous about starting school.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

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Absolutely loved this book and learned something new today thanks to the fun fact at the end of this book.
Full review is on my Instagram and Facebook pages as well as Goodreads.
Thanks for this opportunity to read this book before published date.

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Darling illustrations and smart text tell this story of a unique giraffe. We learn that no matter outer appearances, we are all special and have more in common than not.

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What a sweet story! It's a wonderful story about making new friends, and learning to fit in, but also being okay standing out. It has a great message for kids that it's okay to be different!

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How fun! Kipekee’s heartwarming story teaches kids the beauty of being unique. With amusing illustrations and lovable animal characters, this book is perfect for young readers learning about inclusivity and self-acceptance. And I LOVE that it is based off a real giraffe! A delightful read for animal lovers and anyone starting a new school year!

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Inspired by a real-life spotless giraffe [her story is at the end of the book], and filled with colorful, fun, illustrations, this is a delightful story about a spotless giraffes first day of school and trying to both find her way and to fit in and how, along the way, makes the most unexpected [but so welcome] friends.

Perfect for kids going to school for the first time *OR* who are struggling to fit in or find their way; this will be so encouraging and they will want to revisit this over and over for a fun boost of confidence when they need it most.

Very well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Peter Millett, Alison Hawkins - Illustrator, and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books/Happy Yak for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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What a beautiful story about a giraffe that looks different from the others, and friends who try their hardest to help them find where they fit in.

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