Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-8. When a little girl is invited to a party, she asks if she can bring along her friend Elephant. This understated tale of etiquette do's and don'ts prepares Elephant, a wide-eyed and rather nervous-looking pachyderm, for her first foray into polite society. The narrator offers advice on situations both expected (dress for the occasion, bring a gift for the host) and unexpected (call collect if telephoning relatives in Arabia or Africa, do not sit on the cake). While the premise may seem old-fashioned, the tone is fresh and humorous. When Elephant is offered food, she is advised to "take only a few, and not fill her trunk with goodies to take home." Amusing line drawings featuring Elephant's rotundity and outstretched trunk chronicle her journey from shy, clumsy guest to confident party-goer. A witty, gentle reminder of what it means to mind your p's and q's. --Amy Brandt
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In this humorous book about manners, a little girl telephones her hostess, asking if she may bring a friend (who happens to be a sizable gray elephant) to the birthday party. Having received gracious permission to attend, Elephant gives careful consideration to her outfit and the correct gift to bring. The animal's friend advises her to be sure to bathe and brush her tusks beforehand. Once at the party, Elephant is reminded to speak politely to the other guests, to refrain from climbing on the furniture, and be sure to wait her turn during any games. She should never snoop in closets and eat only her share of the cake and ice cream-all behaviors that characterize a good guest. The absurdity of the situation, the deadpan humor, and the large illustrations combine to make this a great read-aloud for groups. In an imaginative format, witty computerized pen-and-colored-pencil pictures show a goggle-eyed elephant with a pink bow between her ears as she experiences the party events in the lively company of sharp-nosed, cartoon fellow guests.-Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This book is a Miss Manners-style guide to birthday-party etiquette for elephants. Readers will derive amusement from the images of an elephant at a kids' party and from the juxtaposition of a fundamentally absurd situation with matter-of-fact prose (For a swim party, Elephant will need to take a bathing suit). Unfortunately, the joke goes on too long, and readers may lose interest. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Party-going manners are taught through the agency of an elephant invited along for the fun. "When you take Elephant to a party, it helps to be prepared. First ask if you may bring a guest." So starts this do's and don'ts of proper birthday-party etiquette. Each page provides a little tidbit of advice: dress properly for the occasion; bring a gift "the birthday person might like"; don't be shy but don't be brash; if the chair you are sitting on happens to implodeas will happen to elephants now and thendon't be embarrassed but do help clean up; don't snoop; don't gorge; do say thanks. All solid counsel, told in mock seriousness, even if it does come at the reader mercilessly: should this, mustn't that, may this, cannot that. Seaver, in his first picture book, lightens the proceedings appreciably with his pen-and-pencil illustrations, which feature doll-like cartoon kids along with the cockamamie elephant, all bug-eyed, with a wrinkled trunk and a pink bow in her hair. For any kid who has felt as clumsy as an ox at a party, this elephant will be sweet sympathy. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
