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37 pages 1 hour read

Roald Dahl, Illustr. Quentin Blake

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1985

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Themes

Teamwork Saves the Day

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me’s main characters continually work together to accomplish challenging goals. With Billy, the animals achieve a successful job interview, capture a dangerous thief, and retrieve stolen property; the Duke and the animals team up to share life on his estate; and Billy and the Duke open a candy store with the latter’s funding. Working together, the characters improve their chances at success and reap many benefits, including lasting friendships.

The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company performs its remarkable service through closely coordinated efforts. The Pelican fills his giant beak with cleaning water, then flies to every window needing to be cleaned. The Monkey, riding atop the Giraffe’s head, does the actual cleaning. The Giraffe oversees the entire process and uses her expandable neck to position the Monkey exactly where he needs to be.

The animals befriend Billy, and he joins them when they answer the Duke’s invitation to clean his windows, providing directions and navigating the group to the right address. Billy and the Pelican combine efforts and harvest cherries from the top branches of a blurred text
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