Through the Elephant's Door
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
It's a rainy day so the boy and his elephant, Émile, decide the perfect way to pass their time is with a trip to the museum.
Their problems start before they even walk through the doors. First, what door does an elephant fit through? And second, why does the grumpy guard assume they are going to cause problems? It seems like as soon as they start to enjoy an exhibit, he's right there yelling at them not to touch anything. Like they would ever do that!
Then, in a flash everything changes and suddenly Émile and the boy find themselves in a very precarious situation. Will the guard be right about these two after all?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
De Blois writes about being an ally to a friend who's different, with a crime-stopping plot twist thrown in as a bonus. The narrator brings his elephant pal mile to the art museum, where earnest mile's big ears and huge rear end come in for constant harassment. A guard lectures in every gallery, but the ceramics room is the worst: "Him with the with the behind... that's as big as a mountain!" The narrator's stumped for a reply ("What could anybody say to such an insult?"), and mile is reduced to tears. Moments later, the elephant's quick action foils a theft in progress, much to the huffy guard's chagrin. In Watson's natural-sounding translation, the narrator shares his own frustration ("I clenched my fists") and makes mile's point of view easy to understand (" mile doesn't like to talk about his ears"). Including an elephant protagonist keeps the proceedings funny rather than preachy, and saturated cartoonlike artwork by Cormier makes sweet comedy of mile's abashed looks. Not every friend will be able to stop a crime, but de Blois makes it clear that differences can be gifts. Ages 6 8.
