We just adore ‘Have You Seen Elephant?’ Perfectly ridiculous and utterly beautiful, it’s the charmingly silly tale of a boy playing hide and seek with an elephant.
‘I must warn you though, ’ says Elephant at the beginning of the book, ‘I’m VERY good.’
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Have you Seen Elephant? by David Barrow
And so it turns out, as in page after page of gorgeous, sunset-shaded artwork, the little boy fails to spot Elephant in any of his brilliantly bonkers hiding places.
My children shriek with glee and point out that Elephant is under the bed (lifting the bed in the air in the process), or making a distinctly large and elephant shape behind the curtains.
The absurdity is perfectly pitched to tickle children’s funny bones while nudging an elbow in their parents’ ribs too. There is the page where Dad is too busy watching the football to notice that an Elephant is holding his television, which prompted a knowing nod or two.
Then there is one of my favourite pages, where Elephant is sat, perfectly still, behind a very thin tree trunk. Every illustration is so beautiful, I’d happily have them up on my walls.
By the end of the book the little boy has given up – Elephant is just too good at hiding. With a tickle of his trunk, Elephant finally reveals himself and the game is done.
But not to worry, playtime can continue as Tortoise wants to play tag with them both. Fair warning though, he’s VERY good…
By the same author:
David Barrow teamed up with author Elli Wollard to produce this equally delightful book
Troll Stroll
by Elli Woollard and David Barrow
Picture Books with Diverse Characters
Have you seen my full list of the best 23 picture books with diverse characters? Just like Have You Seen Elephant, all of these picture books feature black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) boys as main characters. Something that’s as rare as proverbial hen’s teeth in children’s books, and a problem I’ve written about here.
Check out the list to find out more about our favourites, and take a peek inside. If you like the look of Windows, I’m sure you’ll find some others to love there too!
