Picture Book Month Day 2: Elephants

Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative 

that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November. 

Visit the Picture Book Month website  

Picture Book Month Day 2 theme: Elephants

My pick for day two is a book our art teacher introduced to me. Elmer the Elephant. 

Elmer the elephant is quite a different type of elephant. Instead of a gray hide, his skin is a patchwork of colorful colors. He is also an upbeat, friendly, lively sort of fellow but lately he is suspecting that his elephant family might be laughing at him. Elmer devises a plan to hide his colorful exterior by covering himself in elephant berries which makes him look just like the other elephants. Elmer soon finds out that our outward appearance cannot hide our inner selves and he rejoices in becoming himself again. This is a wonderful teaching book and is ripe for connection activities.

Elmer the Elephant projects on Pinterest

The Story of Babar

Visit: Picture Book Month website

Day 11 theme: Elephants

The Story of Babar

by Jean de Brunhoff

Take a look inside the book

The classic first story about literature’s most beloved pachyderm. After his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar avoids capture by escaping to the city, where he is befriended by the kindly Old Lady. He becomes educated and cultured and, upon his return to the great forest, is crowned King of the Elephants. Translated from Jean de Brunhoff's original French, the adventures of the world's most popular elephant and his friends have enchanted an three generations. Delightfully amusing illustrations make this short collection of classic Babar tales a book to treasure for children young and old.

Originally published in France in 1931 under the title Histoire de Babar and later published in 1933 by Random House in Britain and the United States, The Story of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff  has been a well loved children's story ever since. The story of Babar was first conceived by Jean de Brunhoff's wife who made up bedtime stories for her children about an elephant named Babar. Jean loved the stories so much that he developed Babar into a children's book. He created six Babar tales before passing away and his son Laurent continued the Babar stories throughout his own lifetime.

I read many Babar tales to my children when they were young and we also enjoyed the television and movies based on the character. Sometimes these older classics become forgotten as time passes yet Babar tends to live live long in our memories. It is said an Elephant never forgets, let's hope we never forget Babar.  

Elephant Trivia: If you are wondering why people say "An elephant never forgets" click here or here for some validation.

Babar Extras:

Babar and the Adventures of Badou

Meet Babar characters, play games, watch videos, or make crafts 

Pre-Kinder-Kinder Arts Integrated Babar Lesson Plan

Elephant themed lesson plans with Babar focus and elephant crafts