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The GiRaft

A Real-Life Giraffe Rescue

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection.

When eight rare Baringo giraffes are stranded due to floodwaters, wildlife rescuers create a flotational craft to ferry the giraffes to a new home.

Poor Asiwa—time is running out! She and seven other rare Nubian giraffes have peacefully lived on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Baringo in Kenya. But now relentless rain and rising floodwaters have turned their home into an island. Food is running out. It’s especially desperate for Asiwa as the water has stranded her away from the other giraffes. She is alone and frightened. If the giraffes aren’t rescued, this endangered breed will be one step closer to extinction.

But how does one transport an almost 20-foot-tall wild animal? With a GiRaft, of course! An alliance of wildlife rangers, conservancies, and local community members work to create a flotational craft specifically to ferry the giraffes to a new home. Will Asiwa and her herd get on board?

Written by noted conservationist Laurel Neme, the extraordinary rescue of Asiwa and her herd of Nubian giraffes comes to life. Back matter shares more about Asiwa, as well as fun giraffe facts.

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Interest Level Kindergarten - Grade 3
Reading Level Grade 1
Dewey
Lexile 490L
ATOS Reading Level
Guided Reading Level K
Publisher Sleeping Bear Press
Language English
Available Formats Hardcover (9781534113572), PDF (9781668972076), ePub (9781668971956), Hosted ebook (9781668972199)
Copyright 2026
Number of Pages 32
Dimensions 9 x 11
Graphics Full-color illustrations, Full-color photographs
  • Junior Library Guild (JLG) - Gold Standard, Winner, 2025

School Library Journal - The GiRaft: A Real-Life Giraffe Rescue

K-Gr 3–From environmental journalist and animal advocate Neme comes another inspiring true story of wildlife conservation. When rising floodwaters strand Asiwa and seven other rare Nubian giraffes on a shrinking island in Kenya’s Lake Baringo, rescuers must find a way to save them. The solution? A custom-built “GiRaft” designed to ferry the towering animals to safety. Paganelli’s luminous watercolor illustrations capture the urgency of the rescue and the beauty of the Kenyan landscape. Back matter includes photos, details about the real-life operation, and interesting giraffe facts.VERDICT A suspenseful and heartwarming true rescue story to captivate readers and budding conservationists.

Author: Laurel Neme

As a young girl, Laurel Neme dreamed of helping animals. At first, she wanted to be a large animal veterinarian and talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle. Later, she wanted to be an animal scientist like Jane Goodall and filled notebooks with observations about her goldfish. Eventually, she decided to help animals in her own way—by telling their stories through books and news articles for National Geographic and others. She lives in Shelburne, Vermont, with her family, which includes their super smart German shepherd who knows how to do the laundry.

Illustrator: Elisa Paganelli

Elisa Paganelli’s work includes The Highland Falcon Thief, named a Waterstones Book of the Month. She lives in High Wycombe, United Kingdom.

Author/Illustrator biography
Educational front/back matter
Original artwork
Photo Captions
Full-color illustrations, Full-color photographs