When an elephant comes to school, well, he’s an awful lot like a new kid, especially when the other kids are humans. This elephant needs help in finding where to put his stuff; he needs lots of hugs; he loves story time and quiet time; he steps on toes by mistake, but he has his strengths, too, like giving science experiments an extra oomph and being a good ball handler. Elephants don’t like to share, though the other kids have learned the knack and so will he. Moreover, he loves to see his mom appear at the end of the school day. Ormerod’s light, busy artwork projects emotion and energy and fits snuggly with a story about awkwardness met by acceptance and inclusiveness. So the next time a new kid comes to your school, treat him like an elephant. (Picture book. 4-7)
