This review is a personal one… and a bit of a ramble.
The White Giraffe (book one) was a yearly reread for me. A childhood favourite that holds such a special place in my heart as a book series that my Ouma gave me when we stayed there in South Africa.

This is a middle grade series that holds so much nostalgia and love, set in South Africa with a heroine who is initially from rainy England.
Both my parents are Afrikaans, all of my family live in South Africa; but my parents, brothers, and I now live in Wales.

My spirit animal is a giraffe, I have a tattoo of a mummy and baby giraffe, I have painted numerous canvases.

That is to say, I saw/see myself in the heroine, I recognised the places, slang, even road signs like:
<b>CAUTION! DON’T FEED YOUR FINGERS TO THE ANIMALS!’</b>

This particular instalment is about a lion cub that Martine rescues from a rich guy.
We don’t get as much Jemmy the white giraffe or, indeed, Sawubona Wildlife Reserve. We do get Ben, we get mentions of Grace, and we get such an important message about safekeeping our future for the younger generation.

Yes, reading this as an adult, I can roll my eyes at the plot conveniences and how easy everything is at the end, but I was still moved and touched.

Be right back, I’m going to ask my family if I can come stay with them again.

Arc gifted by publisher.