cover image Daisy Rothchld Juv

Daisy Rothchld Juv

Betty Leslie-Melville, Melville Betty Leslie. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, $12.95 (42pp) ISBN 978-0-385-23895-3

Leslie-Melville and her late husband Jock unintentionally became the primary preservers of the endangered Rothschild giraffe while living in Nairobi, Kenya. In a candid and informal narrative accompanied by large, often full-page color photographs, the author recreates dramatic moments of their life with Daisy, a young giraffe. Daisy's adjustment to the Leslie-Melville estate is difficult until she imprints on Jock as her foster ""mother.'' Surprisingly, her need for love and attention parallels that of a young child. She even exhibits sibling rivalry when a second giraffe joins the family. Melville provides an unusual look into the world of the giraffe, an animal that at first appears aloof and indifferent, but in reality is quite loving. More importantly, Daisy Rothschild eloquently points out the difference that just two people can make in the fight to protect endangered animals. Ages 5-up. (October)