Ainslie Manson's thirteenth children's book, A Giraffe Called Geranium (Red Diamond / Sandhill $19.95) was inspired by her trip to Uganda where her niece manages safari camps. Manson learned about poaching problems and the need to protect giraffes, prompting her to create a whimsical story about a giraffe that makes an inexplicable appearance in a West Coast garden. A girl named Susanna comforts and names the giraffe, but it's homesick for the African savannah-so they set sail for Africa.

Manson gave the story to West Vancouver artist Mary Baker as a 60th birthday present. Baker previously illustrated a 2010 book by Grace Chen, a young woman with Down's syndrome. Baker's art has most been sold and displayed in West Vancouver.

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