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A Parade of Elephants

by Kevin Henkes

School Library Journal PreS-K-Caldecott winner and fan favorite Henkes is back with a delightful new picture book. "Hooray! The elephants are here." A parade of five round elephants. They march and march all day. They march up and down, in and out, over and under, all around town, and they don't stop until the day is through. But before their day is done, they have one last thing to do: they lift their trunks and scatter a blanket of stars across the night sky. The elephants are ready for bed, and so are viewers. Henkes's images are just as integral as the spare text. Done in a light, pastel palette, the five whimsical and expressive elephants speak for themselves as they march from page to page. Repetition of words and phrases in large, bold font make this a wonderful choice for new readers, but the story is simple enough for the younger set. VERDICT A must-purchase for all libraries. Recommended to be shared with a group or read one-on-one at bedtime.-Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Five sturdy elephants are rendered in a pastel color with a thick brown outline: the blue elephant first, then yellow, violet, green, and, finally, a smaller pink one. Bold panel arrangements portray the group steadfastly marching until bedtime. Henkes addresses the concepts of counting, colors, and prepositions while once again displaying his understanding of preschoolers: hungry for new information but also needing a framework of solidity and comfort. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Henkes' latest tale for preschoolers focuses on five elephants whose daylong march provides opportunities for counting and exploring opposites."Look! / Elephants! // One, / two, / three, / four, / five." A clear grid places the corresponding number of elephants to the right of each number. This parade (a collective noun for a group or herd of elephants) travels up and down hills, over a bridge above jumping fish, under palm trees, and in and out of a cave. Thick lines of brown ink contour the simple shapes, and a different pastel color distinguishes each elephant. (The first and largest elephant is blue; the fifth elephant, who marches last, is small and pink.) The pared-down narrative, delivered handsomely on thick, creamy paper in 46-point Futura Medium, is wryly funny: "They march all day. // And when the day is done, / they are done, too." After the elephants yawn and stretch, "they lift their trunks // and they trumpet / scattering stars across the sky." This lovely metaphor is humorously extended visually, as each elephant's trunk seems to spew a burst of five-pointed stars upward. (The little elephant manages five.) Then: "Good night." The elephants lie in a cozy huddle below the stars, signaling bedtime for sleepy kids, too. Brown endpapers bracket the story's simple arc: butterflies and the sun at the start; the moon and stars to end it.A muted palette and uncluttered yet nuanced compositions distinguish yet another winsome title from Henkes. Toddlers and grown-upssnuggle up and enjoy. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list Look! Elephants! With that simple direction, Henkes captures the youngest storytime audience members, focuses their attention, and proceeds to take them on a charm-filled adventure. As just one element of the masterful book design, the first spread includes counting and graphing as it introduces the elephant group. Simple repetitive text describes the elephants' activities, demonstrating a variety of prepositions. All of that marching tires out the elephants, who then stretch and yawn as they prepare to sleep. A play on words leads readers to investigate multiple meanings of parade and trumpet. An unexpected touch of magic at the end brings the tale to a satisfying conclusion. Although the color palette is similar to the one he used in Egg (2017), this time Henkes uses denser, more saturated gouache, perhaps to give the elephants a bit more heft. With little more than well-placed dots and lines, Henkes conveys the elephants' emotions and sense of accomplishment as the day turns to night. Well-executed and appealing, this book is a useful addition to preschool collections. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Henkes is a household name, and that's enough to boost demand for his latest.--Whitehurst, Lucinda Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly "Look! Elephants!" Henkes announces. And here they come, five in all: blue, yellow, purple, green, with a little pink one bringing up the rear. These elephants aren't up to any hijinks or even peanut-eating-they do one thing: march. For much of the book, Henkes arranges the elephants' simple shapes (they have few details beyond expressive eyes and a dash of texturing) into lines of action that demonstrate concepts, from counting to spatial ideas (up, down, in, out) and wordplay: "Big and round and round they are. Big and round and round they go." The characters may be single-minded, but there's a sense of energy on every page, leading up to the final spreads, which show the elephants "scattering stars across the sky" via collective bedtime trumpet. With clear, bold type sized for puzzling out letters, this spare offering will appeal to preschoolers who, like the elephants, are settling down into starry sleep. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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