Elefantastic! | Chronicle Books
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Elefantastic!

A Story of Magic in 5 Acts: Light Verse on a Heavy Subject
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Jane Yolen ; Brett Helquist
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 impre...
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"[T]old in five acts, [Elefantastic!] unfolds in solitary, rhyming 'ele' words, each painted in circus-style lettering. . . Helquist (Just Being Dalí) reassures readers about the elephant's subsequent quality of life in dapper gouache spreads . . . [T]he artwork successfully centers a magician's love for a creature in this nostalgic piece of Americana."
—Publishers Weekly

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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
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 48
Size: 9 x 11 V
Age Range: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: 05/17/2022
ISBN: 9781452176819
05/17/2022

"[T]old in five acts, [Elefantastic!] unfolds in solitary, rhyming 'ele' words, each painted in circus-style lettering. . . Helquist (Just Being Dalí) reassures readers about the elephant's subsequent quality of life in dapper gouache spreads . . . [T]he artwork successfully centers a magician's love for a creature in this nostalgic piece of Americana."
Publishers Weekly

"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."
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