Friday, June 17, 2022

Book Nook: Mattie the Giraffe


Destin, Florida, author and illustrator Andi Scurto, author of “The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe,” will celebrate World Giraffe Day, June 21, with a meet-the-author and book-signing event at Gulf Breeze Zoo in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Scurto will donate 50% of onsite book sales to the care of the zoo’s giraffes and 50% of online sales to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Come meet Scurto and hear about Mattie’s whimsical adventures. The event, which will be held from 10am – 12pm at the zoo’s giraffe enclosure, is free and open to the public, with paid admission to the zoo. The Gulf Breeze Zoo is located at 5701 Gulf Breeze Pkwy, in Gulf Breeze. For more information, go to www.gbzoo.com or call (866) 620-1825.

“The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe” is a colorfully illustrated tale of the day that Mattie learns to ride her bicycle. It’s the captivating story about a reluctant giraffe’s unexpected adventure which makes the perfect read for children. Already inspiring courage in young and old, Scurto hopes her creation will extend to helping real life giraffe’s now designated as endangered.

Six years in the making, Mattie the Giraffe began as a shy illustration that went on to be the subject of the 20th anniversary poster for Destin Festival of the Arts and then continued to win multiple awards, culminating in the book. Scurto’s favorite pastimes include birdwatching, attempting to complete the NY Times daily crossword and of course, riding her bike. This is her first book.

Now you can bring Mattie the Giraffe into your home, and if you order “The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe” straight from Scurto’s website at https://andiart.com/mattiethegiraffebook, your copy will come signed by the author. There is limited stock, and once it runs out you can find copies on Amazon.

About Gulf Breeze Zoo
Before the acquisition in 2009, the Gulf Breeze Zoo, then known as Zoo Northwest Florida, had been hit by an economic downturn and faced the damages of Hurricane Ivan, resulting in permanent closure. Due to strong efforts from the previous owner and Zoofari Parks, the animals were able to stay comfortably in their own homes until the park was officially purchased, renovated, and rebranded to great success.

Over 200 major and minor renovations have been made to provide the utmost comfort and care to over 1,000 animals of more than 70 different species that call the zoo home. The transformation continues with three new exhibits that opened in 2021, along with behind-the-scenes encounters with Nile Hippo, Reticulated Giraffe, and sloth. Future expansion for 2022 is in development.

Founder Eric Mogensen has dedicated his life to caring for animals worldwide. To date, he has spent over 50 years mastering animal care and nurturing conservation programs to help at-risk species worldwide.

About World Giraffe Day
World Giraffe Day is an exciting annual event initiated by Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) to celebrate the tallest animal on the longest day or night (depending on which hemisphere you live!) of the year – 21 June – every year!

Not only is it a worldwide celebration of these amazing and much-loved animals, but an annual event to raise support, create awareness and shed light on the challenges giraffe face in the wild. By supporting World Giraffe Day (WGD), donations directly help save giraffe in Africa. With only approximately 117,000 giraffes remaining in the wild, time is of the utmost importance.

Zoos, schools, NGOs, governments, institutions, companies and conservation organizations around the world are hosting events on or around WGD to raise awareness and support for giraffe in the wild.

World Giraffe Day 2022 is dedicated to Bringing Giraffe Back To Mozambique. Years of civil unrest have driven giraffe to the brink of extinction in Mozambique and today, there are only 250 giraffes left in the country. With support, the WGD 2022 fundraising goal of US $250,000 can be met and secure a future for giraffe in Mozambique.

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