Mrs Bibi's Elephant by Reza Dalvand

Mrs Bibi loves her elephant. They walk together, play with the children, eat tea and cake, and Mrs Bibi tells her elephant gentle bedtime stories. 

BUT the people (adults) of the town don't like this elephant. All they can see is trouble. 

"They said instead of talking to an elephant, Mrs Bibi should read the newspaper, check the stock market and keep up to date with economics!"

There is a protest and Mrs Bibi is ordered to take her elephant to the zoo. Mrs Bibi is desperately sad and so the next day she decides to leave her town.

Can you guess the outcome? 

"After Mrs Bibi and her elephant left, the town wasn't the same. ... everyone felt as if something was missing."

Sorry - now you will have to read this book to discover how this tricky situation is resolved. 

Here is the blurb from Flying Eye Books: "A heart-warming story with a message as big as an elephant, this fanciful tale of friendship between an eccentric lady and her beloved pet is as poignant as it is beautiful.  When the townspeople tell Mrs Bibi her pet elephant is too big for the town, she reluctantly packs her bags and heads off somewhere they can live together in happiness. But what they both leave behind is far bigger than the other people could have imagined. Delicate artwork complements messages of acceptance, tolerance and love in this moving children’s story."

You can see art from this book here. And take a look at these glorious end papers which to my eye celebrate difference, happiness, nurturing, filling life with colour and filling your life with things that bring you joy.

... an older reader will be able to pick up both the sophisticated style of the illustration and all the lovely detail and reflect on the book’s more profound message. Book Trust

No matter how often children open this book, they’ll always discover something new. Kirkus

The illustrations are stunning. From the embossed cover to the end papers, there is so much to enjoy. For example, on the title page, Mrs Bibi is sitting under the title- look closely at her hairstyle. You can see the elephant, curled up! Each picture is packed with details- so many opportunities for storytelling offer themselves. North Sommerset Teachers Book Award

I have so many favourite things that delight me as I read through hundreds of children's books but one thing I really do enjoy is the discovery of a book which can be used across ages. Take a look at all of the themes I listed for this book. Two journalists were recently discussing the writing of children's books on a radio program. I was utterly horrified and even 'angry' when I heard one of these 'experts' declare anyone could easily write a children's book. She said 'How hard could it be?'  This is utter nonsense. I wanted to scream at the radio and grab a big pile of splendid books - picture books, junior novels and middle grade novels, and thrust them into the hands of this presenter. 

Reza Dalvand is from Iran.  Here are some of his other books: