Strictly No Elephants

by Lisa Mantchev (Author) Taeeun Yoo (Illustrator)

Strictly No Elephants
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
"A sunny, smart, tongue-in-cheek tale." --The New York Times Book Review
"Sweet and affirming." --Kirkus Reviews

"With a gentle message of inclusion and helping others, this title reaches beyond a mere friendship story."--School Library Journal
"Heartening."--Booklist

In this bestselling and internationally beloved picture book, the local Pet Club won't admit a boy's tiny pet elephant, so he finds a solution--one that involves all kinds of unusual animals.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn't understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Strictly No Elephants has been sold around the world and is heralded as a pitch-perfect book about inclusion. Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.
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Hardcover
$18.99

Publishers Weekly

Having a tiny elephant for a pet sounds idyllic, but a boy discovers that the local Pet Club doesn't allow them; a stern girl points at a "Strictly No Elephants" sign. Heading home in the rain, the boy and his elephant spot a girl with her skunk. "They don't want us to play with them either," she says. Joined by other owners of unexpected pets--giraffes, armadillos, even a small narwhal in a bowl--they make their own club with its own sign: "All Are Welcome." In her first picture book, Mantchev (Ticker) examines true friendship, sprinkling observations about the behavior of boy and elephant throughout ("He doesn't like the cracks in the sidewalk much. I always go back and help him over") and punctuating them with the refrain, "Because that's what friends do." Yoo's (Hands Say Love) linoleum block prints of brick buildings and quiet sidewalks have the softness and warmth of a favorite blanket. It's a message book about exclusion with an oh-so-gentle lead-in for discussion. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Oct.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2--It's Pet Club Day, and the sign on the door at #17 clearly states, "Strictly NO Elephants." Current members treasure their birds, fish, cats, and dogs, but a young boy taking a walk with his tiny elephant, sharing an umbrella in a cool fall rain, sees no welcome for his friend, so he simply gives his usual support. "That's what friends do--lift each other over the cracks...brave the scary things for you." The boy and his elephant meet a girl with a skunk, who were also excluded from the Pet Club meeting, and decide to start a club of their own, one in which all are welcome. Friends "never leave anyone behind." Illustrations emphasize the warmth of this message with Photoshop, block prints, and pencil in color spreads alternated with smaller vignettes highlighting the expressions of the children and their pets. VERDICT With a gentle message of inclusion and helping others, this title reaches beyond a mere friendship story. A solid general purchase for libraries and classrooms.--Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A sunny, smart, tongue-in-cheek tale by Lisa Mantchev. . . . How nice . . . to imagine such a peacable kingdom in our midst, especially as depicted in Taeeun Yoo's intimate, warmly rounded and colored mixed-media illustrations—a richly textured meld of drawing and linocut art finished off in the Photoshop blender.—The New York Times Book Review "January 17, 2016 "
Lisa Mantchev
Lisa Mantchev is the author of many picture books, including the internationally acclaimed Strictly No Elephants, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo; Remarkables, illustrated by David Litchfield; and Someday, Narwhal, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. Lisa lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. Learn more at LisaMantchev.com.

David Litchfield is the author-illustrator of The Bear and the Piano, which won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in the illustration category and has sold in twenty-four countries. He is also the author-illustrator of Grandad's Secret Giant and the illustrator of many books for young readers. He lives in England with his family. Visit his website at DavidLitchfieldIllustration.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781481416474
Lexile Measure
490
Guided Reading Level
9
Publisher
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date
October 20, 2015
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002080 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Elephants
Library of Congress categories
Pets
Toleration
Elephants as pets
Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children
Honor Book 2016 - 2016

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