How to Be an Elephant: Growing Up in the African Wild
By Katherine Roy
David Macaulay Studio/Roaring Brook Press, 2017
Picture book, 48 pages, ages 7-11
A baby elephant is born on the African savanna. With the herd’s help, she learns how to be an elephant: walking, using her trunk, keeping cool, and more.
An author’s note and lots of additional resources on the back pages add more educational content.
This is a nonfiction picture book for a slightly older audience. While kids under 7 might enjoy this book, it is geared towards grades 3 to 6. There is a lot of descriptive text, full of fascinating information. It is well organized and easy to follow along.
The watercolor illustrations are gorgeous and add so much more depth and emotion. You can feel Katherine Roy’s love for elephants in her emotionally rendered illustrations. (Interesting aside: Katherine was growing her own baby while illustrating elephant babies!)
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Would kids like How to Be an Elephant? For kids who love animals and fun facts, yes. If it had been published when I was a kid, I would have worn out the cover and pages from reading it so much. As an adult, I still read it often, and have learned a lot!
Potentially objectionable content: contains a birth scene where a stylized amniotic sac and placenta are illustrated. Also contains an illustration of an elephant pooping.
How to Be an elephant: Growing Up in the African Wild by Katherine Roy gets 4 stars from this reviewer.