Children's book – Leonberger Life

This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I love and want to promote. This is another one of those. I bought this book for the children (3 and 5 years old) of friends of ours but first I read it myself to make sure it was right for them, which it was. The book is Neema the Misfit Giraffe (Southern African Safari Adventures) Paperback. I bought the paperback version but there is a kindle version as well.

Paperback – Publisher : South African National Library (November 15, 2023), ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0796121966, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0796121967, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.21 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches, it cost $ 10.50 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Robbie and Michael Cheadle (November 15, 2023), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMCZ7G93, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

The front cover of the book "Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle" feature a big and small giraffe standing by a river in the twilight. — Front cover of the Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

Neema is different from her fellow giraffes. Their lack of understanding make her feel unwelcome. Neema sets off on a journey to find a new friends.

Includes illustrations, photographs, and links to video footage of giraffes, as well as fun giraffe facts.

My Amazon Review of Neema the Misfit Giraffe. Click here to visit the actual Amazon review.

A Giraffe Searching for Happiness

Neema is a giraffe with a dark-colored hide, and she is different from the other giraffes. She can’t find a mate and the other giraffes are being mean to her. Therefore, she leaves her home in search of a place where she can find a sense of belonging, somewhere where she can find love and acceptance. Her mother was the only one who would grieve for her leaving.

This book features a beautiful story that tugs on your heartstrings, and it has an important message about not giving up, and about having the courage to move on from what is a hopeless situation. Some giraffes are kind and accepting while others are not. The book is also a great way to teach kids the importance of accepting those that are different.

The story was beautifully written in verse and with rhymes. The book was filled with beautiful photos of giraffes as well as art. There are also six short fun YouTube videos of giraffes in which you can hear the authors talking. For the paperback version you naturally have to type in the path. Towards the end of the book there are a few pages of giraffe facts. I did not know there were four distinct species of giraffe in Africa. I also did not know that they only sleep five to 30 minutes per day.

I bought this book for the children of friends of ours, but I read it first to make sure it was right for them, which it was. I can highly recommend this fun and informative book for all children below the age of 10. Reading this book to your children is also a fun way for adults to learn about giraffes.

If you would like to watch some of the videos, click on the links below.

video1, video2, video3, video4, video5, video6

About the Author

Photo of Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe

Left: Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.

Click here to visit is her website

Click here to visit is her Goodreads page

Click here to visit her TSL Publications Page

Click here to visit is her Twitter account

Click here to visit is her Facebook account

These are her published books on Amazon

In this post I am reviewing Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue (Puppy Academy, 4) Paperback – August 29, 2017 by Gill Lewis. It is illustrated by Sarah Horne. It is the fourth and latest book in a children’s book series featuring the adventures of different dog breeds at the Puppy Academy. In the Puppy Academy dogs learn a job. In this book the main character is the Leonberger puppy Murphy. Considering that Leonbergers are a rare breed this is a nice surprise. The other books in the series feature a German Shepherd puppy, a Border Collie puppy, and a Labrador. The reading age is 7-9 but I believe it is OK for younger ages as long as a parent is doing the reading.

This paperback is 128 pages, ISBN 978-1627798044, item weight 4.8 ounces, dimensions 5.21 x 0.36 x 7.82 inches. You can buy it from Amazon, as a paperback, hardback or e-Book. The paperback version is currently $9.52 on Amazon, and the hardback is $12.94. The Kindle version is $9.99.

Normally I don’t read children’s books. OK maybe I do, but I read this one because it was about a Leonberger. I sent it friends of ours with young children (our children are grown up). I think this book was very well written and it is filled with life lessons and practical advice ideal for children. It is also quite useful to parents.

Photo of the front cover of the book Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue. Click on the image to go to the Amazon location for the book. — Front cover of the book Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue. Click on the image to go to the Amazon location for the book.

Below I am posting my Amazon review of Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue. I made some minor updates. Click here to see my original Amazon review. BTW I gave the book five stars.

A Leonberger learns important skills and as well as life lessons.

I bought this book for the children of friends of ours, but I read it myself first because it looked so interesting and the main character of the book, Murphy, is a young Leonberger, and we used to have a Leonberger. I couldn’t help myself, so I read the whole book, but I did not bend the book, so it is as good as brand new. Anyway, a Leonberger is a very large furry dog with big, webbed paws. They are great swimmers, they are protective and sensitive, and they are truly great family dogs.

Murphy is a member of the Puppy Academy where dogs train for all kinds of jobs. Murphy’s specialty is water rescue. In this book Murphy and his friends Scruff, Pip, Star, Major Bones, Boris, Professor Offenbach and Rodrigo are participating in some great water adventures and they are learning some great life lessons, especially Murphy.

The book is teaching children about water safety, the dangers of sea water, jelly fish, rip currents, how get out of a rip current, large waves, etc. The book also teaches children about envy and how to handle such feelings and to not compare yourself with others, and instead focus on learning and improving yourself. Above all, don’t play dangerous games or try to trick people. The book contained one oversimplification referring to Newfoundland dogs as the ancestors of Leonbergers. The St. Bernard is probably the main ancestors of the Leonberger but Newfoundland dogs and Pyrenee dogs are involved too, but that is not important.

I believe this is a really fun book for kids and it was interesting reading for me too. The story is great, and the information is useful and important. I highly recommend this book.