Taryn Grobler from Leaps and Bounds Learn and Playschool

I had the absolute pleasure of reading this delightful story to my preschool class. The children were engaged from the start and eager to follow the journey of Gerald and his friends. They loved Douglas the dung beetle and shrieked with laughter at the notion that he was rolling poop. Having learnt about the Big Five, the introduction of Louis the leopard sparked concern that he might try to hurt little Daisy, the duiker. Many of the children could identify with the wildlife setting and were excited to talk about their own bush experience.

As a teacher, I appreciate the many teachable moments in the story. The book highlights how an improbable group work together using their strengths to get out of a fix. It shows how everyone can be friends and fun can be found when we put our fears aside. Tracy also includes interesting and factual information about each animal in a clever and subtle manner.

Caroline has created illustrations that are appealing and capture the essence of the bush. Her illustrations are charmingly realistic and the children wanted to examine each page.

I look forward to reading about more of Gerald’s adventures!