Cover Image

Elefantastic! : a story of magic in 5 acts : light verse on a heavy subject

by Yolen, Jane,

Format: Print Book 2022
Availability: Available at 5 Libraries 5 of 5 copies

Available (5)
Location Collection Call #
Coraopolis Memorial Library Juvenile Picture Books J PIC YOL
Location  Coraopolis Memorial Library
 
Collection  Juvenile Picture Books
 
Call Number  J PIC YOL
 
 
Mt. Lebanon Public Library Children's Picture Books j Ea YOLEN Jane
Location  Mt. Lebanon Public Library
 
Collection  Children's Picture Books
 
Call Number  j Ea YOLEN Jane
 
 
Northland Public Library Children's Picture Books J PIC YOLEN
Location  Northland Public Library
 
Collection  Children's Picture Books
 
Call Number  J PIC YOLEN
 
 
Sewickley Public Library Juvenile Picture Books J E YOL
Location  Sewickley Public Library
 
Collection  Juvenile Picture Books
 
Call Number  J E YOL
 
 
Shaler North Hills Library Juvenile Picture Book j PICT BK YOLEN
Location  Shaler North Hills Library
 
Collection  Juvenile Picture Book
 
Call Number  j PICT BK YOLEN
 
 

Summary
Experience a magical story of ele-friendship and one disappearing elephant's ele-fate.

Discover the unlikely--and entirely unforgettable--friendship between Flora, an elephant calf stolen from her African home, and David, the circus impresario and magician who adopts, trains, and ultimately liberates her, in this tale freely inspired by actual events.

With a minimum of language--only 22 words in all--but a maximum of inventive ele-fantabulous wordplay, Jane Yolen deftly reimagines this initially tentative but ultimately unconditional relationship between a man and an elephant. Brett Helquist not only lovingly illuminates the tale with all the excitement and tension, mystery and color of a vintage circus poster but also fully captures the subtle range of emotions of a remarkable and enduring ele-friendship.

FRIENDSHIP TALE: There's endless fascination with the deep bond of friendship that can grow between wild animals and humans. This spectacular narrative is based on the true story of Flora the elephant, which can be read in the back of the book.

READ-TOGETHER WHIMSY AND WIT: A simple text in which every word starts with ELE- makes this a great read-aloud and guessing game that will have children completing the whimsical text.

EVERYONE LOVES ELEPHANTS: From Babar to Elmer, elephants have been icons of children's literature and continue to be one of the most popular animals featured in contemporary children's books. This book is perfect for Elephant-fans of all ages!

Perfect for:

* Lovers of animal friendship stories
* Grandparents
* Parents
* The myriad fans of Jane Yolen
* Teachers and educators
* Librarians
Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "It's a terrible day for baby elephant Flora, who wanders off from the herd, gets tangled in a trap, hauled onto an airplane, and spirited across the sea to join a traveling circus. Things look bleak until a magician strolls by the tethered calf and takes pity on her, raising Flora into adulthood with lots of loving attention and play. The pair develop a snazzy circus act and crisscross the country for years. When the magician realizes that it's time to let the aging elephant retire, he sees Flora off to a peaceful sanctuary with plenty of other pachyderms for company. The unusual text is made up of single rhyming words, each one featuring an ele prefix, elegantly summing up the action on each page: "ele-washed / ele-weighed / ele-painted / ele-sprayed." The charming gouache illustrations are packed with expression and detailed insets, and their combination with the circus-font text gives the proceedings a delightfully old-fashioned feel. Young readers will revel in the colorful carnival atmosphere and tender interspecies friendship."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Yolen (Eeny Up Above) writes in an afterword of learning about a Broadway producer who bought an elephant, orphaned in Zimbabwe in 1982, and built a circus around it ("Because I have always wanted an elephant," reads a quote). This variation on that story, told in five acts, unfolds in solitary, rhyming "ele" words, each painted in circus-style lettering. The tale starts with dismaying scenes as a baby elephant wanders away from its herd and toward a trap filled with bananas ("Eleph-ate"), then is captured ("Ele-vated// Ele-fate") and trundled onto an airplane ("Ele-fastened// Ele-bound// Ele-flown") by a tan-skinned trapper. On the journey's other side, Helquist (Just Being Dalí) reassures readers about the elephant's subsequent quality of life in dapper gouache spreads that show a tall, kindly white-skinned magician who kneels and pats the elephant ("Ele-found"). Inset panels show their growing relationship as the magician bottle-feeds the baby and teaches it circus tricks. Pretty soon, the two are performing together, and spreads show the aging duo's routine, which involves painting and washing the creature. After years of tours that, per images of posters, cross the U.S., the magician sees that the elephant has had enough, arranges a showy farewell, and finds it a sanctuary with other elephants. If the "ele" conceit at times feels at odds with the story's subject matter, including elephant trade and exploitation, the artwork successfully centers a magician's love for a creature in this nostalgic piece of Americana. Ages 3--5. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)"
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Flora -- (African elephant) -- Juvenile literature.
Balding, David, -- 1939-2014 -- Juvenile literature.
Flora -- (African elephant)
Balding, David, -- 1939-2014.
Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile literature.
African elephant -- Juvenile literature.
Circus owners -- Juvenile literature.
Elephants -- Juvenile fiction.
Human-animal relationships.
African elephant.
Circus owners.
Elephants.
Creative nonfiction.
Publisher San Francisco :Chronicle Books,2022
Contributors Helquist, Brett, illustrator.
Language English
Description 1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cm
ISBN 9781452176819
1452176817
Other Classic View