Stellarphant by James Foley

"One ordinary Monday, at 9am precisely, Stella walked into Space Command. 'Hello,' she said. 'I'd like to become an astronaut.' The man stopped clacking on his keyboard and looked up. 'But ... you're an elephant,' said the man. '

I am,' said Stella, holding out her application."

Stella the elephant is fighting interstellar discrimination one pachyderm at a time! Stella wants to be an astronaut. There is only one problem: Stella is an elephant. Every time she applies to Space Command, they come up with a new reason she can’t join. But where there’s a will, there’s a way and Stella is determined to reach for the stars. Fremantle Press

Stellarphant was published in 2021 and I was one of three judges for our National book of the Year competition so I was not able to talk about this book until late last year. In fact I am a judge again for this round (2022-23) and we have been sent SO many amazing children's picture books but I just have to wait until August 2023 to share them with you. Stellarphant won an honour award from the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia). I think by now I have talked about nearly all of the short list, winning and notable picture books from 2021 submitted for the 2022 award. You need to know Stellarphant is one of the best! 

This book ticks all the boxes for me. I adore the character of Stella – her persistence, her patience, her intelligence, her determination. The setting is perfect too, with tiny touches of humour in the illustrations which serve as a commentary on the idiocy of the bureaucracy who keep rejecting young Stella. 

On the cover, Stella looks so young but she is clearly fascinated by space and space travel and she has big dreams. The book design has been carefully crafted and the end papers are especially clever. I love the way curious readers can now potentially explore other animals in space. I did some research last year about Laika for example, and that story alone is a fascinating (and tragic) one. 

James Foley conveys so much emotion onto the face of Stella through her eyes, tongue and forehead wrinkles – just delightful. Adult readers will enjoy the sly jokes such as the “elephant in the room” and those young white male managers all wearing the corporate tie. The fold out page at the end is also a delightful addition. Make sure you find the office pot plant. Watching it grow a little bigger each time Stella rises to yet another challenge by the men of Space Command is such a terrific way to mark the passing of time. 

The addition of the sheep mopping the floors subtlety adds to this message about privilege and diversity – the ‘other’ is doing the menial work. Make sure you look for the sheep in Stella's space crew!

Stellarphant is a story of being creative and innovative, and overcoming prejudice. It's also about dreaming big and never giving up. Kids' Book Review

Stella is made of something impenetrable, undefeatable, and undeterrable. I guess it’s her elephant skin plus her brilliant mind and practical nature. Reading Time

The CBCA judges say...

This story about an anthropomorphised, larger than life elephant can be read either as an ironic comment on privilege and diversity or the power of persistence. Readers will admire Stella’s resilience and problem solving as she challenges the status quo of Space Command’s space programme. Foley’s use of humour and playfulness outweigh any dogma. Stella and her gang jump off the page with gumption and determination. The endpapers are fascinatingly informative. ... This book has the potential for lots of rich discussion around who become powerful, educated, and celebrated and who doesn’t.

Here are James Foley's web pages. Here are some resources to use with Stellarphant.

AWARDS 

• Better Reading’s 2022 Top 50 Kids’ Books (Winner 2022)
• Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year (Honour book 2022)
• WA Premier’s Book Award (Shortlisted 2022)
• Speech Pathology Book of the Year (Shortlisted 2022)
• Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year (Shortlisted 2022)
• Aurealis Awards for Best Children’s Fiction (Shortlisted 2022)

Image source: James Foley