The Elephant Wish
By Lou Berger; Ana Juan (Illustrator)
(Schwartz & Wade, Hardcover, 9780375839627, 48pp.)
Publication Date: September 9, 2008
Other Editions of This Title: Library Binding
Categories: Animals - Elephants, Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic, Social Issues - General
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ON ELIZA PRATTLEBOTTOM’S eighth birthday, she wishes for an elephant to take her away from her boring life. Two days and six hours later, an elephant in a black floppy hat comes trumpeting down Bunthmather Street, lifts Eliza onto his back, and carries her to a magical jungle. Though her parents dream of her walking with a family of elephants, they don’t know where she’s gone. It is only Adelle, a 97-year-old woman with perfect posture, who is able to convince Eliza of the importance of returning home, and of enjoying her childhood while it lasts.
Lou Berger has been the head writer at Sesame Street for nine years. He helped launch Reading Rainbow in the 1980s, and co-wrote the prime-time special, The Street We Live On, which was nominated for an Emmy. This is his first children’s book. He lives in Forest Hills Gardens, New York.
Most recently, Ana Juan is the illustrator of The Jewel Box Ballerinas, about which Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Juan’s artwork is glorious.” She is also the recipient of the Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, and her paintings have appeared on the cover of The New Yorker. She lives in Madrid, Spain.
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2008:
"A stunning lesson in the power of wishes and memory."
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