Mr. Elephanter

PreS-K—In this oddly charming book, tiny elephants stand in for young children, and Mr. Elephanter, a round-faced, big-nosed mustachioed human, is their loving caregiver. He arrives at the Elephantery in the morning, where his three charges greet him with "tootles and trumpets." The elephanties spend the day eating banana pancakes, going to the pool and the park, taking a nap, getting into trouble, playing games and dancing, and finally saying good-bye to Mr. Elephanter. With lines like, "Mr. Elephanter rinses and dries them off. But sometimes they want to air-dry instead," and an illustration of the elephanties running off, children will get a good chuckle. While the plot is minimal, the simple story will speak to youngsters, and Pien's clever wording captures the humor in daily life. The sketchy watercolor illustrations portray both movement and story well. When the elephanties "get into trouble," Mr. Elephanter is shown sweeping up a broken pot while the three culprits sit in time-out chairs in the background. The denizens of the park are an odd mix of humans and animals but somehow it works. Mr. Elephanter's genuine affection for the youngsters shines through on every page, and the sweet humor will speak to the intended audience.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT