Elephant on My Roof [Hardcover]

Erin Harris (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A young boy wakes one morning to find an elephant perched on his roof. He goes to the townspeople, but no one will help. Everyone believes that an elephant in town will only cause trouble. After the townspeople finally agree, the entire village realizes that a single act of kindness can often come back around in unexpected ways.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—Lani turns to the people in his village to help get an elephant off his roof after he realizes that he cannot do it alone. At first everyone refuses, but the youngster convinces them to lend a hand. Once down, he and the elephant reciprocate by assisting the fisherman, some children, and an old woman with their problems. The villagers then throw a surprise party for their new friend to say thanks. Coming full circle, the narrative ends with Lani and the elephant back on the roof. The story has the look and feel of a folktale, and the softly colored watercolors suggest an Asian setting. Harris offers a positive message concerning helping one another, but Heather Forest's The Little Red Hen (August House) and Jerry Pinkney's The Little Red Hen (Dial, both 2006) are better choices for reading aloud. An additional purchase for larger collections.—Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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Review

Lani has a problem. There's an elephant on his roof. Deciding that catching the elephant is not the perfect solution to the problem of getting the elephant down, Lani seeks the help of his fellow villagers. Reluctant to help and opposed to having an elephant messing up the village, the villagers finally acquiesce and agree to help. Using a boat and some rope the elephant is hauled down to safety and then proves that it really is a good thing to help an elephant. Lani and the elephant devise clever ways, which only an elephant can manage to help each of the skeptical villagers in turn. The villager's respond by throwing a surprise party to celebrate their newfound friend, the elephant. Erin Harris's watercolor illustrations are the heart of this picture book. You can tell the story, as I've just briefly done, but you haven t really read the story until you've read the illustrations. Harris has created a folk tale quality to this larger twist on Aesop's The Lion and the Mouse. --ChildrensPictureBook.info Review (Feb. 2007)

Imagine finding an elephant on the roof of your home. Lani did! He tries to devise a plan to get the elephant down by enlisting the help of the villagers. The people refuse to give assistance because of the possible problems they foresee involving an elephant in their community. Through Lani s persistence, the people of the village grudgingly agree to assist and collect the supplies that are needed to bring the elephant down to the ground from the roof. With some muscle and ingenuity, as seen in Erin Harris illustration, the elephant is brought down safely. The following day, Lani and his elephant go to thank the villagers for their help. The people now have their own set of problems. In a twist of fate, Lani and the elephant are able to assist the villagers in resolving their difficulties. At the end of the story, even Lani explores seeing things from a different perspective. The illustrations have a gentle tone of colors with softly drawn lines that reflect the heartfelt kindness revealed in the story. --Children's Literature

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Red Cygnet Press, Inc.; 1st edition (September 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601080026
• ISBN-13: 978-1601080028
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,300,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with more on the way!, July 16, 2008

By 

M. Roode "animator girl" (East Coast USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elephant on My Roof (Hardcover)

I'm a friend of Erin's, and I just love this book: her style is so fresh, fluid, and bright, and this story seems familiar even though set in an exotic location.

I wanted to let everyone know that the artist is still illustrating books under a new name: Erin Harris De La Cruz. She recently released "Frank is a Chihuahua," which features the same wonderful style you see in "Elephant on my Roof." Make sure you search for the new book on Amazon, and enjoy!

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, November 23, 2006

By 

Sally S. Doyle "Teacher" (Carlsbad, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elephant on My Roof (Hardcover)

I was so impressed with both the story and the illustrations of this book that I have encouraged libraries and booksellers across the country to stock up. You won't be able to find this book anywhere after it catches on! My students want to hear it over and over. Can you imagine the possibilities for this young artist?

5.0 out of 5 stars Briliant, November 1, 2006

By 

Jennifer McCarthy "librarian" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elephant on My Roof (Hardcover)

A highly gifted new artist is on the scene. Congratulations to Erin Harris on enriching the medium. We anxiously await her next work!