1944. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.9 meters) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). Giraffes are the tallest of all land animals; males (bulls) may exceed 5.5 metres (18 feet) in height, and the tallest females (cows) are about 4.5 metres. Sorry. While I believe great storytelling is as much art as science, Science of People shares tips from the science side. He grabs a rabbit and drops it onto the cage of the tiger, who eats it right away. poeticpoet 8 yr. ago I felt it worthwhile to let that go and just enjoy the ride as I was effortlessly transported on a cross-country drive in the autumn of 1938. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, aka Woody Nickel, almost 18, happens to be on a New York dock in 1938 when the hurricane-battered SS Robin Goodfellow limps into the harbor. According to Benchley, Our relations as Boss and Man-Friday are ludicrously funny, and when he thinks he is working for me I am overjoyed. Residential LED Lighting. In the novel West with Giraffes, Woody Nickel, is a seventeen-year-old "dirt-farm rowdy, pure as a cow pie, cunning as a wild hog" bound to escape the Texas Panhandle (and any law enforcement that might be looking for him). What a delightful story! Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Im so glad you enjoyed it! The book was wonderful and reading this was the icing on the cake! San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. This Study Guide consists of approximately 43pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Thank you for sharing it the magic of googling. Woody is highly motivated to get to California. As the giraffes leave quarantine, Woody jumps back on the stolen motorcycle and follows them. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Westward ho! What brings your most vivid memories to the forefront? Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. Amazon First Reads is where you can choose from a short list once a month to get a book for free. During that time they had seven offspring, including aptly named D-Day, born June 6, 1944. Woody accepts his bribe, nearly killing Wild Girl in the process. Its 1938. One of the giraffes is hurt and the cage is crushed around her. A remarkable network of veins and one-way valves prevent back-flow, keeping blood from. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge tells the great adventure story of 17-year-old Woodrow Wilson Nickel, who drives two giraffes cross-country in 1938 America, finding himself along the way through the joys and conflicts of the voyage. And if you end up buying a copy, I'd be grateful if you. .printfriendly a, .printfriendly a:link, .printfriendly a:visited, .printfriendly a:hover, .printfriendly a:active { *CLICK* ON IMAGEBELOWto go to its website for much more. Benchley, Belle J. margin: 0; Pictures taken just after unloading from ship. There are several viewable at Wisconsinhistory.org, such as this one of a woman on the running board of the truck feeding a giraffe in the crate and this one of the crates being loaded with a giraffe leaning out the window of one crate. } Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Historic Fiction embellished. float: right; San Diego Zoo Centennial Timeline: 1938. https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/ (accessed 2/9/2021). The story isnt even about that boat ride. This is the only image available, a newspaper article offering a glimpse of the finished traveling rig, with a tarp over it. It's also a coming of age story that demonstrates the positive influence caring friends and gentle animals can have on a young man's life. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. At the end of the novel, she sits down to read the true story of her mothers amazing journey across the continent with the giraffes. Sherr, Lynn. In normal conditions this would be a rough trip, especially for temperature-sensitive giraffes, which were placed in crates and forced to endure whatever the high seas threw at them. border: none; As a book junkie, when I receive new book alerts I almost always peruse the titles. -moz-box-shadow: none; She was delighted when Coronado selected West with Giraffes for their city-wide Community Read . The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Rutledge, Lynda. . I too cannot read a book or watch a movie or anything involving animal cruelty/death. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. . This is the All Book'd Book Club pick for January! Old World Stone and Garden; Build; Glossary; Forum; west with giraffes ending explained. I Has it been made into a movie, or any chance it might be? He is full of talk and wit and fun when he is around, but when away he makes me wait for news day after day until I am nearly mad from worrying. When he returns to the zoo, the Old Man has also recently passed away. Determined to meet his cousin at that Brooklyn dock, he arrived only to find that his cousin was killed on board the Goodfellow during the hurricane. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) This month, the theme was "The One With the Chick and the Duck"--we were to choose a book that had an animal in it. There is a part where they come across a gas station with a "zoo" in the middle of nowhere in the desert, and the man who owns it is cruel to his "attractions"--a bear, a rattlesnake, a tiger (? The story is told by a man living his last days in a nursing home as he writes his story. } I loved this book! Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. She indeed fills our imagination with a journey full of colorful characters, tall tales, and deep secrets. The 45-mile drive from Brooklyn to the quarantine facility through flooded and debris-ridden streets, avoiding potentially low-rise overpasses, was certainly a true test of how the giraffes might handle a drive across the country, which in fact had never been done before with the towering creatures. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. The Question and Answer section for West With Giraffes is a great I remembered that I had gotten a book recently from Amazon's First Reads about an elephant or giraffe or something. .fun to weave the book with your stellar research! Here are a few topics to chew on: Life during the Great Depression Value of such a historical novel for perspective of current hard times The Dust Bowl and other ecological issues then/now and our part in them Human's relationships with and obligation to animals (and other humans) Endangered/extinct species--why it matters: Old Man's sky-blanketing passenger pigeons (pp. "An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. I had read about the true story of the famous hurricane giraffes when I conducted research for my story on Belle Benchley, but I thank Lynda Rutledge for writing this work of fiction, which left me with the desire to learn more about them. I headed to San Diego and their new zoo, where Id heard that the animals get treated better than the people. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. 1940. I dont want this story to evaporate from my memory. ), and some rabbits. Thank you. 219 Reviews. } Out of nowhere, something finds your nose, ears, or eyes and youre on the other side of the country or world or in a whole other decade, being kissed by a doe-eyed beauty or punched by a drunken pal. It is clear from Belle Benchleys memoir that she had a wonderful relationship with many of her keepers, particularly Charley Smith. I will start out by spoiling the ending (kind of) and saying that the animals arrive safely in San Diego. The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years. Home; About. The past tense is used in Woody's recounting of the story, and the present tense is used in sections that describe Woody's writing process in the convalescent home. West With Giraffes, while an historical novel, reads as a beautiful memoir of one brief and eventful journey. Did you notice any other prevalent themes? He has often bragged, When the Missus gets tired of waiting for me to write she just burns up the wires. Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. The animals were loaded onto the S.S. Robin Goodfellow in Mombasa, British East Africa (present-day Kenya), for a 52-day, 3,200-mile journey to the coast of New York. She smelled of fur . oh, those sky-high eyes of theirs. Giraffes Will Ride in Truck to California. Miami Herald (September 25, 1938): 4. I want to confirm my idea that Woody was the father of little Augie, who was the one who received his foot locker after his death with the porcelain gifaffe. It pumps 16 gallons a minute. And it is through the construct of historical fact and modern-day fiction that this remarkable story which captivated a nation before fading away into almost a forgotten legend is made tangible for todays reader. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of West With Giraffes. What motivates you to action? It's gripping, moving, and so incredibly touching. What secrets do animals hold? ISBN : 9781542023344. Oh, the writing! You can carry around a heavy load only for so long, though, before youve got to set it down, and that does double if youre only eighteen. page 277, The thing about knowing youre doing something for the last time is that it takes the joy right out of it. page 301. But this book is VERY adventurous and kept me on my toes the entire time. Images of America Series. Little did anyone now that in September 1938, during the final few days of their trip, these animals bound for San Diego would encounter what was then the most devastating hurricane to hit the upper East Coast, killing nearly 700 people. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. Woody, havent you ever wanted something so bad you had to do it or die trying? page 156. float: left; As his life closes in on him in a convalescent home bed, Woody hears about the impending extinction of giraffes and punches the TV. } Rutledge brings to life the auto courts and roadside attractions of the 1930s. This is the only image available, a newspaper article offering a glimpse of the finished traveling rig, with a tarp over it. We had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody Nickel? 2, 86, 238) & Author's Note Treatment of Blacks in those times vs. now Treatment of women in those times vs. now Treatment of the very elderly Zoos vs. circuses--then/now (See Author's Note) Tolerance of lying and stealing in desperate times The unanswered questions about the Old Man's past and why the Author left us to wonder Red's "bucket list": The spectre of a weak heart/short life to fuel her culture-busting dream-chasing How childhood shapes us and how much power we have to change it My favorite: Power of storytelling (why Woody is writing his story and why it matters; see TED talk quote in Author's Note) Be sure to read the novel's Author's Note for points mentioned above--but also for overall spurring of discussion: I tell why I wrote it, how I uncovered the true story and especially about how/why today's best zoos have turned into conservation organizations. Worley, Karen E. 2016. 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