Not a Spot to Spot: The True Story of Kipekee, the Giraffe Born Without Spots

Gr 1-4–Verdick, working from a true story, writes about a giraffe born at a Tennessee zoo. Kipekee, which means “unique” in Swahili, is indeed a unique giraffe, born without the typical brown spots seen on most reticulated giraffes. Sporting a lovely all-over tan color, Kipekee is welcomed by the other giraffes at the zoo and soon becomes a local and even worldwide celebrity. Though the text follows a loose rhyme scheme in places—“On her first day outside, the calf’s eyes opened wide,” and “One of a kind, like you…like me, proud to be Kipekee”—it is not carried throughout the story and becomes somewhat of a distraction. Even so, the love between the mother giraffe, her special baby, and the other giraffes at the zoo is evident throughout, and its message of acceptance is clear. Softly colored illustrations perfectly capture the friendly faces of people and animals and include many fun details for children to spot. The book’s human characters are depicted with a variety of skin tones.