A Parade of Elephants

by Kevin Henkes, Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)

Overview

New York Times–bestselling and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes follows five joyful elephants as they march from dawn to dusk. Where are they going? Read and find out!

This engaging picture book is just right for the youngest reader and is a perfect choice for story time and bedtime sharing.

Up and down, over and under, through and around . . . five big and brightly colored elephants are on a mission in this picture book for young children by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes. Where are they going? What will they do when they get there? It’s a surprise!

With a text shimmering with repetition and rhythm, bright pastel illustrations, large and readable type, and an adorable parade of elephants, Kevin Henkes introduces basic concepts such as numbers, shapes, adjectives, adverbs, and daytime and nighttime. A Parade of Elephants is an ALA Notable Book and an excellent choice for story time as well as bedtime sharing. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062668271
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/25/2018
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	391,610
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Hometown:

Madison, Wisconsin

Date of Birth:

November 27, 1960

Place of Birth:

Racine, Wisconsin

Education:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Website:

http://www.kevinhenkes.com

Editorial Reviews

The versatile, ever-perceptive Henkes has created a beguiling book of pastel-colored pachyderms, outlined in thick, pleasingly rough black lines. They look lively, yet extremely squeezable, as they march across the pages.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

06/18/2018
“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.)

Publishers Weekly

The versatile, ever-perceptive Henkes has created a beguiling book of pastel-colored pachyderms. . .The happy creatures demonstrate counting, a few apropos opposites like “over” and “under,” a dash of wonderous nighttime magic in the form of a shower of stars, and then—as always, parents will bless his name—the joy of settling down serenely to sleep after a full day.

New York Times Book Review

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.

ALA Booklist

Kevin Henkes has demonstrated a knack for getting it right...and he shows it again with “A Parade of Elephants,” a simple book done up in macaron shades of raspberry, blueberry, lemon, cassis and pistachio...It’s clear, clean and cheerful.

Wall Street Journal

★ 08/01/2018
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

School Library Journal

★ 2018-05-28
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-ups—snuggle up and enjoy. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews

Kevin Henkes has demonstrated a knack for getting it right...and he shows it again with “A Parade of Elephants,” a simple book done up in macaron shades of raspberry, blueberry, lemon, cassis and pistachio...It’s clear, clean and cheerful.” — Wall Street Journal

“Henkes’ latest tale for preschoolers focuses on five elephants whose daylong march provides opportunities for counting and exploring opposites. ...A muted palette and uncluttered yet nuanced compositions distinguish yet another winsome title from Henkes. Toddlers and grown-ups—snuggle up and enjoy.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Caldecott winner and fan favorite Henkes is back with a delightful new picture book. ...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. ...A must-purchase.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Henkes again displays his understanding of preschooolers: hungry for new information and experiences but also needing a framework of solidity and comfort. ... Simply perfect.” — Horn Book (starred review)

“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.” — ALA Booklist

“There’s a sense of energy on every page...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.” — Publishers Weekly

“A book that cries out to be picked up and petted and hugged…The softly musical flow of the text belies the delicate exactitude of the wordsmithing…the art turns the slightly individualized elephant poses into endearing choreography as the lines of elephants weave through the pages…high classic potential as a baby bedtime tale!” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

“The versatile, ever-perceptive Henkes has created a beguiling book of pastel-colored pachyderms. . .The happy creatures demonstrate counting, a few apropos opposites like “over” and “under,” a dash of wonderous nighttime magic in the form of a shower of stars, and then—as always, parents will bless his name—the joy of settling down serenely to sleep after a full day.” — New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

Henkes again displays his understanding of preschooolers: hungry for new information and experiences but also needing a framework of solidity and comfort. ... Simply perfect.

Horn Book (starred review)

Kevin Henkes has demonstrated a knack for getting it right...and he shows it again with “A Parade of Elephants,” a simple book done up in macaron shades of raspberry, blueberry, lemon, cassis and pistachio...It’s clear, clean and cheerful.

Wall Street Journal

A book that cries out to be picked up and petted and hugged…The softly musical flow of the text belies the delicate exactitude of the wordsmithing…the art turns the slightly individualized elephant poses into endearing choreography as the lines of elephants weave through the pages…high classic potential as a baby bedtime tale!

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

A book that cries out to be picked up and petted and hugged…The softly musical flow of the text belies the delicate exactitude of the wordsmithing…the art turns the slightly individualized elephant poses into endearing choreography as the lines of elephants weave through the pages…high classic potential as a baby bedtime tale!

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)