Chee-Lin, by James Rumford

Chee-Lin, A Giraffe’s Journey, by James Rumford, ISBN # 978-0-618-71720-0

This book is a picture book for older readers. According to Chinese mythology, a Chee-Lin is a horned beast with the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, and hooves of a horse. Its presence is a good omen. In the beginning of the fifteenth century, China sent out a fleet of ships to explore the world. On one of the journeys, the Chinese sailors discovered a Chee-Lin, in this case, a giraffe. Before this the last Chee-Lin to appear was on the day of Confucius’ birth.

In a beautifully illustrated book, James Rumford tells the history of this one giraffe, whose name is Tweega. Each two-page spread of this book is a chapter in the life of Tweega. Each two-page spread had a block of print and a beautiful watercolor.

As Tweega is carted from place to place, we meet a new set of characters that demonstrate the whole gambit of human emotions. Some treat Tweega kindly, and some treat him cruelly.

Even though this book is based on fact, the author takes great liberties in the way he gives human emotions to Tweega. By doing this, the book takes on an unrealistic feeling of a story that is basically true.

For the art and the uniqueness of this story alone, this book is recommended for tweens