Illustration: Rafu, die Giraffe mit dem Looping im Hals

Ausgezeichnet mit dem Purple Dragonfly Book Award 2020

Children’s books & more

Rafu, the giraffe with the loop in her neck

A warm story of friendship from the African bush – about courage, tolerance and the strength it takes to find peace together.

Discover the books Go to the shop

Step into Rafu’s world
Share adventures with friends
Learn respect and tolerance
Celebrate peace together

The books

Words: Verena Prym · Illustrations: Paulina Böger. Three adventures from the African bush – to read aloud from age 6, and to read alone from age 8.

Part 1

An African Story

“Rafu – An African Story” weaves an old African legend into a modern tale of friendship. It follows an extraordinary giraffe who, thanks to her friendship with a little crocodile, uncovers an important secret about a cave – and so paves the way for the long-awaited peace between crocodiles and giraffes. “Rafu” won the silver medal at the Purple Dragonfly Book Award 2020 (Picture Books 6 & Older), with an Honorable Mention for Best Illustrations.

€15.90 See it in the shop

Part 2

A New Friendship

“Rafu – A New Friendship” is the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning first volume. Life on the River Salim has grown quiet ever since Rafu coaxed a promise of peace out of Gutsor, the greedy crocodile. But when Remo, the little elephant, suddenly vanishes from the herd, the elephants fear the worst and set off anxiously for the river … Will the peace hold?

€19.50 See it in the shop

Part 3

The Long Journey

The grand RAFU finale! With new animals to meet: Mora the easy-going hippo, cheeky monkeys and Tikki, the brave little bird. Rafu and her herd find a new home among the elephants, while back on the River Salim the once-greedy Gutsor grows weaker and weaker. When the friends hear that Sukuma and the Kukuro crocodiles mean to seize control of the river, they set out on a long and dangerous journey to find the courageous Dada … Will everything turn out well? Part 3 is currently available in German only.

€20.50 See it in the shop

For schools & nurseries

Rafu comes to you: readings at schools

Author Verena Prym visits primary schools and nurseries for lively read-aloud sessions with Rafu – full of stories, pictures and conversations about friendship, courage and Africa.

Verena Prym bei einer Lesung mit Kindern

Now available to listen to

All three Rafu volumes in English, with atmospheric music – available from:

New: discover the RAFU children’s musical

We are delighted to present our latest children’s musical, RAFU. This rousing piece is ideal for schools, stages and theatres.

We would love to bring the musical to life together with you. After just three exciting days of rehearsal you will be ready for your unforgettable performance – as you can see in our short film about the RAFU musical.

Do get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!

About us

Mother and daughter, on a creative mission together.

Verena Prym

Idea & words

Verena was born in Arnsberg in 1972 and, after living in a number of different countries, now calls Munich home. Her thirst for adventure took her far afield early on. She discovered her love of Africa at seventeen, when she moved to Johannesburg – and has felt bound to the continent ever since.

Paulina Böger

Illustration

Paulina Böger, born in Koblenz in 1998, has lived in Vienna and Regensburg and is now based in Munich, where she works as an artist. In her free time she loves nothing more than losing herself in creative worlds. When Verena asked whether she would like to illustrate her books about an extraordinary giraffe named Rafu, Paulina did not hesitate for a second. With great joy and an eye for detail, she paints the Rafu books in watercolour, in the colours of Africa.

Verena Prym, the children’s author, and Paulina Böger, the illustrator, have been inseparable from the very first second: they are mother and daughter. They share a large helping of zest for life and creativity, though Paulina channels hers quite differently from Verena. Paulina films, draws and illustrates; Verena invents and writes stories for children.

When Verena returned from spells in South Africa and Malawi with a story about an unusual giraffe in her luggage, the two of them wondered: why not build a whole world around this remarkable giraffe, together? No sooner said than done.

Today we create books that delight children, give them hope and spark their imagination. We also want to reach grown-ups who feel young enough to dream of faraway places and wild animals alongside their children and grandchildren.

We believe in the power of books for a child’s development, and we champion reading and reading aloud. The books are suitable for reading aloud from age 6 and for reading alone from age 8.

Take RAFU home

Pick a product and send us an enquiry – we will reply by email with all the details on shipping and payment. Parts 1 and 2 are available in English; Part 3 is currently published in German only.

★ Our set

Everything together

The RAFU and Remo set: both English hardcovers with the two figures

RAFU & Remo Set

Both English hardcovers plus Rafu and Remo as handmade good-luck charms.

€59.20

Individual books & more

Rafu 1 · Hardcover

Part 1: An African Story – the award-winning opener.

€15.90

Rafu 2 · Hardcover

Part 2: A New Friendship – the sequel on the River Salim.

€19.50

RAFU & Remo figures

Handmade in Kenya, delivered in a beautiful banana-leaf box.

€24.90

Questions? Write to us!

To order, simply click “Buy now” on a product – for anything else, an email is very welcome.

rafu@rafu.info