Free to Be Elephant Me

Originally published in the U.K., this picture book by the creators of Giraffes Can’t Dance follows young Num-Num the elephant, who doesn’t have a talent to impress Elephant Mighty, the pachyderms’ throned ruler. Without a skill, Num-Num can’t earn a special Elephant Name, but after setting off to a different water hole, he meets a variety of animals, eventually resulting in a triumphant realization: “ ‘I’ll tell you my Elephant Name,’ Num-Num said,/ ‘I want to be/ ELEPHANT/ ME.’ ” Andreae relays the story in bouncy quatrains: “And each time an elephant managed to prove/ A talent or skill to the king,/ The monarch would give them an ELEPHANT NAME.../ An honor they all longed to win.” Parker-Rees contributes affable, dynamic art in a light-colored palette. While those familiar with the genre won’t find anything particularly innovative, this is a clear, uncomplicated morale booster. Ages 4–8. (June)