FICTION

Elmer and the Whales

by David MCKEE
illus. by David McKee. 32p. Andersen. May 2014. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781467734530; ebk. $12.95. ISBN 9781467734561.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—The patchwork elephant that children have come to know and love and his cousin Wilbur take a raft down the river through the jungle to the ocean to visit the whales, seeing colorful flora and fauna along the way. After a frightening but successful trip through the charging rapids, they float out to sea and meet the whales, who then push them back to shore. The writing flows and is a great complement to the vivid spreads. This book is appealing to Elmer's fans or as a first introduction to this endearing character.—Krishna Grady, Darien Library, CT
Elmer and his cousin decide to travel to the sea after their grandfather tells them about seeing whales "when I was your age." The elephants set out on a raft down the river, hit some rapids, then make it to the sea where they're greeted by--what else? While the plot lacks real surprises, McKee's signature rainbow-hued gouache and colored-pencil illustrations are dazzling.
Reviewed by Krishna Grady , May 01, 2014

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