Elmer and Rose

March 1, 2010
PreS-Gr 1-Elmer the patchwork elephant and his black-and-white-checkered cousin Wilbur are out strolling together when they come across a herd of gray elephants. To Wilbur's mind, they are not unique, although Elmer claims that they are "all unique].Just not as different as us." Not long afterward, Grandpa Eldo, a gold elephant, introduces them to Rose, a pink youngster who has wandered away from her herd. Rose and the two cousins play together as they set off in search of her herd. They encounter a lone gray pachyderm that she finds peculiar. When they locate her pink herd, the cousins understand Rose's reaction to the gray elephant. Fans will welcome this addition to the series. The message that everyone is unique is hardly subtle, and there's not a lot of action, but youngsters will enjoy looking at the bright jungle scenes and the cartoonlike animals that form Elmer's world."Donna Atmur, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2010
Patchwork elephant Elmer and his checkerboard cousin Wilbur escort Rose, a young pink elephant, back to her herd. Initially surprised by Rose's remark about a "strange gray" elephant they encounter, Elmer and Wilbur realize, after seeing her all-pink herd, that "different" isn't the same to everyone. The story lacks action, but the vibrant illustrations will please Elmer's fans.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)