Longlisted for the 2016 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
| Where's the Elephant? by Barroux | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: You might think this is an animal version of Where's Wally, but it's so much more - and everyone should read the book. Highly recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: April 2105 |
| Publisher: Egmont Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1405271387 | |
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We've all had great fun with books such as Where's Wally, haven't we? They appeal to children and adults and everyone who has seen Where's the Elephant? has jumped in with great enthusiasm, keen to show just how observant they are. We start off with a forest - actually it's the Amazon Rainforest - full of glorious colours and our three friends, who are hiding in there. Elephant is probably the easiest to spot, but Snake and Parrot are in there too and with a little concentration you'll find them. When you turn the page you'll scan the trees again and discover their hiding places. You even wonder if it might get a little boring if it goes on like this.
You'll be a few pages in before you notice that it's getting easier to find the trio and when you look at the page you'll realise why. At first it was just a small corner which had been cleared of forest, but as the pages turn it gets to be a larger and larger area. And then buildings appear - and roads and cars - and our friends struggle to find anywhere to hide, until... Well, I'm not going to spoil the way the book ends, except to say that it made me smile. It also left me with a lot to think about.
I've now handed this book to several people and the effect has always been the same: they start with great enthusiasm and then look utterly stunned as they realise exactly what is happening to the rainforests. It's a vitally important message delivered in the most subtle and non-preachy manner. Children react in the same way, although they usually can't understand why the deforestation is allowed to happen in the first place. Children always get it right, you know.
It's a book which should be read by everyone and discussed, because we're not going to get two chances at having these rainforests, are we? I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.
For more on green issues we can recommend The Big Green Book by Ian Winton and Fred Pearce and Earth in 30 Seconds by Anita Ganeri. If you really do enjoy looking for small beings in big pictures, have a look at Where's Asterix? by Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. But don't forget about Elephant, Parrot and Snake.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Where's the Elephant? by Barroux at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Where's the Elephant? by Barroux at Amazon.com.
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