If You Meet an Elephant 'It may help you to know of some traits they might show...'. Space is given for readers to contemplate why a mouse may need to be careful around elephants that wheeze, shower and dance.
While elephants can be '...quirky and different...' they can be helpful, kind and fun.
Illustrating a story where the characters are so different in size can be challenging. Emma Middleton's watercolour illustrations depicts this scale by using double page spreads with wide angle and close up views.
My favourite page is where the words and images combine to create a most glorious picture of movement and emotion. The elephants are dancing and the reader views their '...big booty bottoms and flip-flappy ears...' as mouse leaps from friend to friend.
If You Meet an Elephant demonstrates that unlikely friendships, where understanding is applied, can develop into friendships with delightful moments and warmth.
A percentage of every book sold will be donated to IFAW's (International Fund for Animal Welfare) Baby Elephant Orphanage project in Zambia.
More stories illustrated by Emma Middleton include; Clover's Big Ideas and The Dream Bird. Emma is also the author of The Lion in our Living Room and The Bear in our Backyard.
Title: If You Meet an Elephant
Author: Debbie Smith
Illustrator: Emma Middleton
Publisher: Little Steps, $24.95
Publication Date: 15 August 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781925839104
For ages: 3 – 6
