ANNE AND HER TOWER OF GIRAFFES

Although readers young and old will likely recognize the name Jane Goodall from her work with chimps, giraffologist Anne Innis Dagg has been less well known—until now.

Born in 1933, Anne was introduced to giraffes on a trip to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Readers learn that the experience sparked a lifetime of love for the tallest herbivore and propelled Anne to seek out everything she could about giraffes when she was back home in Toronto. Sadly, the public library had no materials on giraffes, and the animals weren’t covered in her school lessons. That was just the beginning of many educational hurdles, as giraffes were not part of many college zoology areas of study, either. So in 1956, Anne traveled to South Africa to study giraffes at Fleur de Lys Ranch. Although her studies were fruitful, educational disappointments continued as universities at that time were reluctant to hire women professors. Undeterred, Anne forged her own path as an author of numerous books. The story is compelling, and detailed backmatter—including an interview with Dagg, a thorough bibliography, and an author’s note with information on apartheid that contextualizes the scientist’s time in South Africa—makes this book a strong choice for those doing reports or curious to learn more. Upbeat artwork rendered in colored pencil and Photoshop uses earth tones to depict the giraffes in their natural setting. Anne presents as White; background characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An excellent introduction to a lesser-known trailblazer.