#555 of 1001 · February 6, 2022

Have you ever felt as though you stood out from everyone around you? To be different can be an isolating experience…but what if embracing your unique qualities is exactly what allows you to fit in and be celebrated by your community? Here is a look at just such a case in Elmer by David McKee. In the jungle lives a group of elephants. All of them are gray…except Elmer. His hide is a rainbow patchwork, a bizarre hodgepodge of hues. With a personality as colorful as his skin, he keeps his friends entertained all day long with games and jokes. However, he secretly harbors feelings of self-consciousness and one day he sets off on his own. Out in the wilderness, Elmer comes across a bush of elephant-colored berries. He rolls in the berries and rubs their juices all over himself until he turns gray, just like his fellow pachyderms. Back at home, he blends in with the herd and chooses just the right moment to break a tedious silence with a good scare. Still, no one recognizes him until a rainstorm washes away his disguise. The other elephants are so tickled with Elmer’s good-natured prank that they resolve to commemorate the occasion with a yearly holiday on which they decorate themselves with all sorts of zany colors and patterns, while Elmer stands out in plain gray. McKee pairs his good-natured and goofy story with eye-poppingly chromatic illustrations. #elephant #elephants #color #colors #joke #prank #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks