ELEPHANTS NEVER FORGET!

A baby elephant suffers an identity crisis until he discovers where he really belongs. Separated from his herd during a thunderstorm, a little elephant is on his own in the jungle until he stumbles upon the water buffalo hangout. Happy with his new pals, the little elephant wallows and tumbles in the river and when a tiger drives the buffalo herd away, the elephant follows. As he grows big and strong, the elephant helps the buffalo by clearing jungle paths, showering them with his trunk and foraging leaves when the grass is dry. Even though he doesn’t fit the buffalo profile with his large ears, long nose and huge physique, the elephant likes being a buffalo until some elephants arrive and he’s forced to decide whether to join them or stay with his adopted herd. The onomatopoetic rhyming text effectively captures the cadence of chattering monkeys, bellowing buffalo, roaring tigers and tooting elephants, while bold illustrations reminiscent of primitive block prints embody the moves and moods of jungle critters in a striking palette of black, white and purple. A simple tale of nature versus nurture brilliantly rendered. (Picture book. 2-4)