Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow
| Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A delightful book which is going to appeal to both adults and children, as Boy attempts to find where Elephant is hiding in the house and garden. Definitely recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: October 2015 |
| Publisher: Gecko Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1776570089 | |
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Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2016: Illustrated Books
Elephant wants to play hide and seek and Boy agrees that he Elephant should hide first. Elephant is completely fair and warns Boy that he's VERY good. Boy's fair too - he says that he'll try his best - and off Elephant goes to hide. Dog is looking slightly bored - actually he's having a good scratch - as Boy counts to ten and shouts Coming! Ready or Not! in the tradition of all hide and seek games and Boy and Dog go in search of Elephant. Now Elephant wasn't joking when he said that he was good, because he doesn't so much hide as disguise himself within the rooms. Boy doesn't spot him, but watch Dog! He spots Elephant every time, whether he's an armchair, a duvet, television stand, standard lamp or a shed.
The disguises are clever and the subdued tones of the illustrations contrast wickedly with the absurdity of an elephant hiding behind a slim tree trunk or as a television stand. You'll never suggest (with a straight face) that something was the elephant in the room again! It's a delightful way of teaching children to look for clues - the trunk is a bit of a giveaway and it's always worth looking in the same direction as Dog, who's a lot better at this game than Boy.
I'm happy with books which appeal to children and not to adults: grit your teeth and hope the fad soon passes. It's easy to be tempted by books which are written to appeal to the adult purchaser but they rarely stand the test of time and are usually a waste of money. The best books are like Have You Seen Elephant? Children love looking for him and being better than boy at the game - and adults just love the absurdity. Best of all this book will stand the test of time as there's something new to be found on every page as you reread.
There's a lovely finale when Tortoise invites Boy to play tag with him, but warns him that he's VERY good as he reveals his go-faster stripes and dons his sports gear. I'd like to thank the purchasers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.
This book will appeal to the three- to five-year-old age group. Younger children who would enjoy the theme will love Bear and Hare: Where's Bear? by Emily Gravett. You might also appreciate Fum by Karl Newson and Lucy Fleming.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow 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 Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow at Amazon.com.
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