A patchwork elephant

I'm going to say the BOO!!!!!

Who doesn't love Elmer? Those cheeky elephant smiles and bright colours are impossible to resist.

Little a, little pedant, likes to point out that all the elephants on the first page aren't actually 'all the same colour' - one of them is blue. But she still knows that one isn't Elmer. Even when Elmer's painted himself elephant colour, it's easy to tell him apart. Brilliant character in those elephant faces.

And if you insist on being educational with your bedtime stories, then there are plenty of opportunities to name the colours, count the elephants, learn animal names, even develop your budding fashionista skills by choosing favourite patterns (I like the yellow elephant with red hearts, little a likes that one and that one and that one and that one ...)

So, Elmer is every bit as good as I remember it being as a child. For some reason, I particularly remember the picture of him rolling in the grey berries to make himself elephant colour.

But actually it's not my favourite David McKee [little a loves the picture of him that's on the last page of our edition: that's the man what wrote this book, mummy. He drawed it too. Glad to see our love of books is helping with her grammar, then]. That's Not Now, Bernard. I used to take great delight reading it to little a on the bus in our commuting days. Ever the performer (show-off) my husband always points out that I don't need to read quite so LOUDLY, but Not Now Bernard is too good to keep to yourself.

Elmer and Bernard both have messages. Elmer's is one much beloved by children's storytellers - it's okay to be different - but told in a delicious and entertaining way. Not Now Bernard has a message too, but this one is for the parents. And that's what I love about it. Little a (strangely unperturbed by the monster eating Bernard) just likes the story. I like it for the great 70s wallpaper and furniture in the pictures, but mainly because it's a big reminder to pay attention to your children: they're not always vying for your attention to be annoying. And is watering a plant honestly a better way to spend your time?

So stop the housework and take a moment to read Elmer instead!




(I've linked to the Little Treasures version of Not Now, Bernard - all the better for reading loudly on the bus! Pop it in your pocket for entertainment emergencies ...)