Elmer's Special Day (Elmer Books) [Hardcover]

David McKee (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Age Range: 3 and up | Series: Elmer Books

Elmer, the patchwork elephant, has been a favorite of children around the world since the first book debuted in 1989.

It's almost Elmer's Special Day again, and the elephants are busy painting themselves in bright colors just like Elmer. But in all the excitement they are making an awful lot of noise and upsetting the other animals.

So Elmer changes the rules and invites every single animal to join in the parade. And they have a surprise in store for Elmer...

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—Elmer the patchwork elephant is back. Once a year the gray elephants decorate themselves and have a parade, and this story takes place on that day. The other animals are complaining about all of the noise made by the excited elephants as they prepare for the big event. Elmer recognizes the feelings for what they really are, jealousy, and he invites them to join in the celebration. McKee does a great job of creating the jungle environment and the festivities in vibrant, exciting colors. The textures and the patchwork-quilt look of the jungle will invite readers to take a closer look. The impact of the creatures coming together as a community to celebrate is a satisfying conclusion—everyone is having a great time and no one feels left out. A strong addition to the popular series.—Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ END

Review

"A special Elmer book, brilliantly bright and decorative. Great for growing reading prediction and confidence." -- Gill Roberts Carousel 20100406 "A deserved favourite with the 2-5s." The Sunday Times "Every child should get to know Elmer the patchwork elephant." Riveting Reads SLA 3-6 "Books featuring Elmer and his friends are universally acknowledged as essential for the nursery." Julia Eccleshare - lovereading4kids.co.uk "This book is a wonderful celebration not just of the fun that can be had when everyone "all joins in" but also of Elmer's 20th birthday." Lovereading4kids --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: 21st Century (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076135154X
• ISBN-13: 978-0761351542
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review August 12, 2009

By Virginia S. Grenier VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Reviewed by: Wayne Walker

When the elephants have a special day, should the other animals be included or excluded? Elmer is a colorful patchwork elephant, first introduced by author and illustrator David McKee in 1989. Because Elmer is such a special elephant, all the other elephants celebrate Elmer's Day, when they decorate themselves and go on parade. However, as they prepare for the special day, they are excited and noisy. All the other animals, including the lion, the tiger, the monkeys, and even the rabbits, complain about the racket to Elmer. He asks the elephants to be quiet, and they agree, but it isn't long before they're noisier than ever. However, Elmer has an idea. What is his idea? And will it work?

Not only is this a fun and visually attractive book for youngsters to read, but it also contains the subtle message for kids that it is better to invite others to play with you than try to keep them shut out. David McKee published his first children's book in 1964, and since then he has been one of the leading contemporary children's book creators. Andersen Press is one of the most award-winning children's book publishers in the United Kingdom and is happy to announce that selected titles from Andersen Press are now distributed by the Minneapolis-based Lerner Publishing Group and are available to an American audience under the Andersen Press USA imprint. I believe that kids will really enjoy Elmer's Special Day.

5.0 out of 5 stars Elmer an excellent elephant across curriculum April 21, 2013

By James A Pratt

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Elmer stories provide the opportunity for many activities across curriculum, as well as provoke conversation about social issues that 5 and 6-year-olds need to understand. The text and pictures promote easy comprehension of story and are interesting. I encourage student teachers to consider using the series to create a thread of learning as many of the essential age-appropriate learning skills can be easily simplified or expanded upon, depending on the learner's needs. All-in-all, an excellent series of stories about a lovable character and his ability to "fit-in".

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Book; Nice Message November 12, 2012

By D. B. Rosenthal

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a lovely book with beautiful illustrations. I think David McKee's use of color and pattern has grown over the years and that this book is even more artful than the original Elmer. I also like the messages here of thinking outside the box to solve problems and of inclusiveness. I bought this to share with my kindergarten students as a way of introducing ideas of pattern and shape, but I found it worked wonderfully with my first grade students as part of closure after we spent most of an hour using basic shapes to analyze photos and draw more realistic elephants and giraffes. After that tough work it was a nice treat!