Where's the Elephant?

by Barroux, Barroux (Illustrator)

Overview

A simple game of hide-and-seek takes on a new dimension as a growing city encroaches on the jungle the animals call home.

Where’s the elephant? Where’s the parrot? Where’s the snake? And wait a minute — where are all the trees? Where will the elephant, parrot, and snake go now? A vibrant landscape in flux with three hidden animals on each spread offers parents and children an opportunity to talk about urban development and animal habitats.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763681104
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/08/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Barroux is a Paris-based illustrator whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere. This is his first book with Candlewick Press.

Editorial Reviews

With minimal text and bright, bold illustrations, Barroux introduces children to the topic of deforestation in a poignant fashion that invites discussion...Each spread is full of stunning art, with the lushness of the diverse tropical leaves set against the increasingly uniform and stagnant buildings...Although clearly written for a younger audience and highly recommended for all picture book collections, this introductory text can be used to spark discussion with elementary school students embarking on environmental studies.
—School Library Journal

The message may be very clear, but it’s saved from being too heavy-handed by its wordlessness, allowing children and adults to ask open-ended questions and tell their own stories about what’s happening on the pages.
—Friends Journal

From the Publisher

03/01/2016
PreS-Gr 3—With minimal text and bright, bold illustrations, Barroux introduces children to the topic of deforestation in a poignant fashion that invites discussion. By beginning with simple questions that ask the location of an elephant, parrot, and snake, he establishes a familiar seek-and-find narrative that is comfortable and engaging. At first, this is mildly challenging, as Barroux's acrylic and pencil creatures are cleverly hidden in their jungle habitat. This quickly changes, however, as trees are soon removed and replaced by houses, roads, and cars. Eventually, the natural environment is gone and a zoo encapsulates the cheery animal friends until they elect to bust free, making for an ocean raft and new island home. Each spread is full of stunning art, with the lushness of the diverse tropical leaves set against the increasingly uniform and stagnant buildings. The excitement of hide-and-seek soon turns to crushing loss, forcing readers to ask why this conflict is occurring. The animals' final flight, along with the contrast between cityscape and natural environs, conveys an important message regarding the ecosystem and the role humans play within it. VERDICT Although clearly written for a younger audience and highly recommended for all picture book collections, this introductory text can be used to spark discussion with elementary school students embarking on environmental studies.—Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2016-01-09
This almost-wordless picture book uses a familiar format to teach about deforestation and habitat loss. Upon opening the book, viewers are swept into a vast expanse of blue brush stroke, with a small cluster of colorful treetops at the far right. The following double-page spread asks the titular question: "Where's the elephant?" A riot of brightly colored trees of many shapes and sizes—some seemingly constructed from elegant wallpaper—barely expose the trunk, head, and ear of a simply drawn, friendly-looking elephant. Over the next double-page spread, the final words of the entire book invite readers to find the elephant, the parrot, and the snake, showing each animal's shape and color for later searching. Now comes the amazing cleverness: with each successive double-page spread, the animals grow easier to find, as more and more trees are chopped down to stumps—and more and more little houses, then roadways, then large buildings, are built. The three animals eventually teeter behind one tree before being temporarily confined in an urban zoo. Rather than leave young readers in an existential lurch, the conclusion is both comforting and unrealistic—an excellent way to span different, age-appropriate conversations. The youngest will search for the animals and be satisfied by the naïve ending; older readers will have a springboard for a serious discussion. Unique. (Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews