Jane Yolen 
Elefantastic! 
A Story of Magic in 5 Acts: Light Verse on a Heavy Subject

Experience a magical story of ele-friendship and one disappearing elephant’s ele-fate.


Discover the unlikely—and entirely unforgettable—friendship between Flora, an elephant calf stolen from her African home, and David, the circus impresario and magician who adopts, trains, and ultimately liberates her, in this tale freely inspired by actual events.


With a minimum of language—only 22 words in all—but a maximum of inventive ele-fantabulous wordplay, Jane Yolen deftly reimagines this initially tentative but ultimately unconditional relationship between a man and an elephant. Brett Helquist not only lovingly illuminates the tale with all the excitement and tension, mystery and color of a vintage circus poster but also fully captures the subtle range of emotions of a remarkable and enduring ele-friendship.


FRIENDSHIP TALE: There’s endless fascination with the deep bond of friendship that can grow between wild animals and humans. This spectacular narrative is based on the true story of Flora the elephant, which can be read in the back of the book.


READ-TOGETHER WHIMSY AND WIT: A simple text in which every word starts with ELE- makes this a great read-aloud and guessing game that will have children completing the whimsical text.


EVERYONE LOVES ELEPHANTS: From Babar to Elmer, elephants have been icons of children’s literature and continue to be one of the most popular animals featured in contemporary children’s books. This book is perfect for Elephant-fans of all ages!


Perfect for:


• Lovers of animal friendship stories

• Grandparents

• Parents

• The myriad fans of Jane Yolen

• Teachers and educators

• Librarians

Circa l’autore

Brett Helquist is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of many books, including Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Chasing Vermeer, and Guitar Genius by Kim Tomsic (Chronicle). He is also the author-illustrator of Grumpy Goat; Bedtime for Bear; and Roger, the Jolly Pirate. A native of Utah, Brett now lives in Brooklyn, New York. When he has a little free time, Brett loves to play guitar, ukulele, and banjo. Visit him at www.bretthelquist.com.