Elephants Never Forget!

Elephants never forget—but that doesn't mean they can't change. Ravishankar, who lives in India, writes lively verse about a young elephant who finds a new home with a herd of water buffalo (“With a buffalo calf/ He tumbled and wallowed./ The buffalo led/ And the elephant followed”). Her story is full of good read-aloud noises (“Toooot! Toooot! Toooot!/ The elephants called./ Belloow! Belloooow!/ The buffaloes bawled”) and moves with assurance toward a refreshing conclusion. Pieper (previously paired with Ravishankar for Alphabets Are Amazing Animals ) produces digital woodcuts that recall the work of Mary Azarian or Christopher Wormell, eschewing cuteness in favor of strength and clarity. A two-color scheme—black and periwinkle on cream-colored paper—and bold, simple spreads focus attention on the ponderous forms of the elephant and buffalo. Varied compositions as well as printed letters that grow and shrink and dance across the pages match the dexterity of the text with a visual sprightliness. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)