Ben and his cuddly friend, Raf, are inseparable. Then one day, Raf disappears. Ben looks everywhere, but Raf is not to be found. Ben is too sad to go outside and play in the snow, until a postcard clatters into the mailbox. Postcard follows postcard as Raf journey through Africa. He meets tall pink flamingos, long-trunked elephants, vine-swing monkeys, and giraffes.
- ISBN: 9781590787496
- Author: De Vries, Anke
- Illustrator: Dematons, Charlotte
- Published: 2009 , Lemniscaat
- Themes: elephant, Friendship, giraffe, Journey, Monkey, toy
- Descriptors: Africa, Early Years (ages 2-6), Fantasy, Netherlands, Picture Book
- No. of pages: 32
RAF is a special story that is reminiscent of times spent with a favorite toy growing up. Children will delight in the adventures of RAF, a stuffed giraffe, who gets separated from his owner Ben. RAF journeys through the desert of Africa with camels, to the jungle to frolic with monkeys, and back home again just in time for Ben’s birthday.
The illustrations are soft and warm, bringing to mind the warm and fuzzy feelings of spending time with a favorite toy. Children love the tender illustrations that depict RAF’s expeditions through Africa. A sweet story that children off all ages will love to read.
Raf, by Anke deVries was a story that any young child would fall in love with. Raf is a giraffe that gets lost. Ben, Raf’s owner, becomes very sad and inclusive when he loses his giraffe. Raf sends Ben postcards of his travels and whereabouts. The postcards mark the journey of the changes that Raf is going through while on his journey. My first graders could only imagine who Ben was because the illustrator only showed nothing more than his hand or foot. My first graders were engaged throughout the whole story because they were looking forward to the next letter that Raf was going to write, just like Ben was waiting to hear of Raf’s travels throughout Africa. What a great story for any young reader that will keep them engaged throughout.
Raf, by Anke deVries is an adorable story of the travels of a lost toy giraffe. When Ben looses his giraffe, he is becomes very sad, and does not even want to enjoy the winter snow outside without his toy. When Ben’s giraffe, Raf, sends him postcards in the mail, Ben can see and read about where his toy giraffe has been. These postcards also prepare Ben for the changes that have occurred to Raf throughout his journey.
I read this to my kindergarten class, and the way the illustrations are throughout the book, they were able to infer before reading what kind of animals Raf had visited. They were also able to connect with the feelings of Ben, for those who have also lost an important toy. And lastly my students enjoyed comparing and contrasting Raf before and after his journeys through Africa.
Raf by Anke de Vries and Charlotte Dematons, though originating in the Netherlands, is a picture book that would reach children in all parts of the world. The beautiful tale of friendship is illustrated in such a way that Raf’s owner Ben could be any child with an important stuffed animal friend. The readers never see more than Ben’s hand or foot which keeps him almost an anonymous character meant to illustrate any child. The other stuffed animals that are sleeping at the end of Ben’s bed seem content just to be close to him whereas Ben only has eyes for his giraffe Raf and is “all alone” without him. Anxiously waiting for Raf’s postcards to arrive in the mail Ben can’t even enjoy the snow without his friend. Written from a first person point of view Raf shares details of his trip through Africa before arriving home from his adventure on Ben’s birthday. The feel of the book mimics The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, where Christopher Robin’s imagination fuels the adventures of the characters in the Hundred Acre Wood. As a reader one can imagine Ben writing himself postcards from Raf after creating a day-by-day African adventure for his stuffed giraffe. Presented in postcard narrative format rather than a lengthy story also illustrated an authentic and purposeful type of writing to expose young readers and writers to.