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Zarafa: The Giraffe Who Walked to the King
Zarafa is a beautiful and gentle giraffe . . . so wonderful, in fact, that the ruler of Egypt offers her as a gift to the king of France! But how to get her there? Why, she sails up the Nile by felucca, crosses the sea by brigantine, and, yes, walks the last five hundred miles to Paris. People love it. And they love her, meeting and greeting her along the way, cheering her on. Afterward, the grateful French king places Zarafa in his own royal garden, where all of Paris comes to visit and love her. Judith St. George (So You Want to Be President?) brings this amazing?but true?journey to life with help from the whimsical art of Britt Spencer.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2009
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 22, 2013
This was a lovely idea for a story but it just falls flat. There doesn't really seem to be any point to the story. A nice, much loved giraffe traveled from Africa to France. You don't learn anything more from the story than that. This could have been a lovely opportunity to talk about the cultures she encountered along the way, other animals, or to teach some sort of life lesson about travel, adventure, or accepting the differences of others, even a little poetry in the writing would have helped. It just wasn't very interesting.
July 8, 2020
The leader of Egypt sends Zarafa, a giraffe, to the king of France as a gift. Zarafa travels by camel, and then by boat on the Nile. The giraffe walks the last five hundred miles to Paris.
A lovely picture book of this true story.
A lovely picture book of this true story.
January 27, 2021
Absolutely delightful book that I stumbled upon that tells a true story I never knew. Great pictures. Highly recommend.
October 1, 2013
Zarafa is the fascinating true story of a singular giraffe. In 1827 the King of Egypt, in an effort to improve political relations, sent a giraffe to King Charles X of France as a gift. This is the story of that giraffe's journey.
Zarafa was captured at the age of 2 in North Africa. Too young to travel yet to the capital of Alexandria, she lived in a small village, nurtured and milk-fed by the villagers. When she was old enough they sailed her down the Nile in a boat built specifically to transport her, along with her keepers, 3 cows to provide her milk and several monkeys to keep her company.
Once in Alexandria, where she was marveled over by the King and the city's residents, preparations were made for her to sail again. This time she was to cross the Mediterranean Sea to France. Her 2 new keepers--Hassan and Atir--cut a hole in the ship's deck so Zarafa could stand in the hold and still fully extend her neck to breathe fresh air. They built a small tent on the deck to cover her head.
They arrived in Marseilles in winter so Zarafa had to wait until spring to continue her journey to Paris. In spring Zarafa and her keepers began the 550-mile walk to Paris. French citizens lined the streets to see her pass. She was already a celebrity. In Paris the king and all the Parisians fell in love with her. 1827 became known in France as The Year of the Giraffe. Zarafa lived in Paris with her keeper Atir until she died in 1845 at the age of 21.
Judith St. George's picture-book-telling of Zarafa's story is easily ready and accessible to all ages in its language. Britt Spencer's illustrations are bright and fanciful, keeping the story focused at an approachable level for even the youngest readers due to the fact there is quite a bit of text (40-135 words) per page.
For any reader--young or old-- especially those interested in (or obsessed with) giraffes--this is a fascinating read!
FYI: If you want more information, PBS Nature Documentaries has an excellent selection titled Tall Blondes, available in most libraries. The narrator has an adult nonfiction book of the same name if you are interested in reading more in-depth about the giraffes. I highly recommend both the Tall Blondes book AND the PBS Nature film!
Zarafa was captured at the age of 2 in North Africa. Too young to travel yet to the capital of Alexandria, she lived in a small village, nurtured and milk-fed by the villagers. When she was old enough they sailed her down the Nile in a boat built specifically to transport her, along with her keepers, 3 cows to provide her milk and several monkeys to keep her company.
Once in Alexandria, where she was marveled over by the King and the city's residents, preparations were made for her to sail again. This time she was to cross the Mediterranean Sea to France. Her 2 new keepers--Hassan and Atir--cut a hole in the ship's deck so Zarafa could stand in the hold and still fully extend her neck to breathe fresh air. They built a small tent on the deck to cover her head.
They arrived in Marseilles in winter so Zarafa had to wait until spring to continue her journey to Paris. In spring Zarafa and her keepers began the 550-mile walk to Paris. French citizens lined the streets to see her pass. She was already a celebrity. In Paris the king and all the Parisians fell in love with her. 1827 became known in France as The Year of the Giraffe. Zarafa lived in Paris with her keeper Atir until she died in 1845 at the age of 21.
Judith St. George's picture-book-telling of Zarafa's story is easily ready and accessible to all ages in its language. Britt Spencer's illustrations are bright and fanciful, keeping the story focused at an approachable level for even the youngest readers due to the fact there is quite a bit of text (40-135 words) per page.
For any reader--young or old-- especially those interested in (or obsessed with) giraffes--this is a fascinating read!
FYI: If you want more information, PBS Nature Documentaries has an excellent selection titled Tall Blondes, available in most libraries. The narrator has an adult nonfiction book of the same name if you are interested in reading more in-depth about the giraffes. I highly recommend both the Tall Blondes book AND the PBS Nature film!
January 1, 2019
This is a true story about a gentle baby giraffe captured in Africa to become a gift from Egypt to France. Zarafa was quiet and sweet, and had to travel thousands of miles before arriving in France. She was greatly loved by everyone who met her, and she loved them.
A beautifully told story with equally beautiful illustrations.
A beautifully told story with equally beautiful illustrations.
January 27, 2022
True tale of a giraffe that travelled across continents on a camel, by boat, and on foot.
Charming story with fantastic illustrations! Love the variety expressions on the faces of people and animals throughout the book.
Charming story with fantastic illustrations! Love the variety expressions on the faces of people and animals throughout the book.
November 19, 2025
Zarafa, a baby giraffe, is captured in Africa and raised in captivity, eventually to become a gift from the King of Egypt to the King of France. This book is interesting, but way too long for a story time.
September 27, 2018
The illustrations were beautiful, but I just didn't get the point of teaching kids to glorify the snatching of a 2 month old giraffe for the indulgence of a wealthy King.
January 2, 2020
It's a good story of a historical event. I just hope it stays in history. So sad for the Giraffe to be the only species of its kind in a foreign land. Thank goodness for the caretaker.
April 24, 2013
I really enjoyed this non-fiction picture book telling of the gift of a Giraffe from the ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali, to the king of France, King Charles X, in 1824. Such a gift required years of work, planning and help. Many people along the journey had never seen such an exotic and strange creature, making the adventure that much more exciting. A fun colorfully illustrated and informative book that kids and parents will both enjoy.
January 29, 2010
Interesting true story. I like Judith St. George's books, so when I saw this one I had to read it. I also like giraffes, so I was curious. This would be a great story to share with kindergarten or first grade for animals.
January 23, 2013
I learned so much when I read this book because it is based on a true story however i felt that the story was poorly written. I also thought that the illustrations were not as engaging as they could be.
February 24, 2013
True story about a giraffe that made the journey to France as a gift to the king. This book can help explain in a colorful and interesting way to children what a non-fiction book is all about. It can also be used tohelp children locate far away places on a map.
October 28, 2009
for young readers
March 30, 2010
Although the concept of the story was a good one...a gift of a giraffe to the king of France, the story reads as if a first-grader wrote it. Sorry...
August 12, 2010
Great story and illustrations. I really like the illustrator Britt Spencer. He also did Fleas.
September 14, 2011
Kids version of a great story
September 12, 2012
Shorter than "The King's Giraffe" by Mary Jo Collier, with more playful illustrations. Not as much detail, but does contain some different information than the other book, and a map of the journey.
March 4, 2013
Lovely artwork to accompany this true story about a giraffe that traveled from the Sudan all the way to Paris, France.
May 3, 2013
Fun piece of history
January 22, 2014
A baby giraffe is kidnapped from her mother, put on a boat, and then forced to walk 500 miles to be given to the King of France.
March 19, 2014
Cole and I really enjoyed this true story of a giraffe who was a gift from Muhammad Ali, the viceroy of Egypt, to King Charles X of France in 1824. Great illustrations, too!
August 6, 2015
3.5 stars. Always fun to find a true story about animals with maps included. :)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews