Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Elmer and Rose
Picture Book Series
For ages 4 to 6
Andersen Press USA, 2010 ISBN: 978-0761354932
One day Elmer the patchwork elephant and his cousin Wilbur (who is a black and white checked elephant) are watching a herd of grey elephants when Bird arrives to say that Grandpa Eldo wants to see them. When they get to Grandpa Eldo, they find him looking for someone, and soon Rose (a very shy young elephant) peeks out at them from behind a tree. She wandered away from her herd and now she is lost. When Elmer and Wilbur see Rose for the first time, they discover that Rose is nothing like the grey elephants that they saw earlier. Instead, she is a soft dusky pink color. She is unique, just as they are.
Grandpa Eldo asks Elmer and Wilbur to take Rose back to the herd, which the two colorful elephants are glad to do. Rose is a very sweet young elephant, and Elmer and Wilbur happily play with her as they look for her friends and family. It never occurs to them that Rose belongs to a very unique herd of elephants.
This delightful Elmer book explores that idea that uniqueness is relative. What you consider unique depends on your point of view.
With charming colorful illustrations and characters that children will identify with, this is a picture book that young readers will want to read again and again.
