David McKee 
Elmer and the Race 

The young elephants want to prove who is the fastest, so Elmer and Wilbur organise a race. Each decorated a different colour, the racers set off around the course and discover things about themselves – Blue may be first and Orange second, but White is kind, Pink and Violet are funny and Yellow is a cheat. Luckily Yellow also learns he is very good at saying sorry, so each young elephant gets a medal from Elmer.

About the author

David Mc Kee (1935 – 2022) was the creator of well-known characters including King Rollo, Mr Benn and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, which is now published in more than 60 languages and has its own successful global merchandise programme. David was born in Devon and went to Plymouth Art College, where he had a traditional training. On leaving college he drew regularly for Punch, Reader’s Digest, and The Times Educational Supplement. His drawings were influenced especially by Saul Steinberg and Andre Francois. In 2020, David won the British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year Award and Book Trust’s Lifetime Achievement Award.