McKee David

The elephants decide to play a trick on Elmer. Snake suggests pretending to Elmer that he looks pale and ill, to see if they can make him believe that he really is unwell. However at the same time, Snake also plots with Elmer to trick the other elephants into thinking he is sick by covering Elmer in pale mud. It works, and the other elephants get rather worried about him. They ask Snake to give his advice — and he suggests tickling Elmer! Of course the dried mud cracks open, and the elephants realise that Snake has tricked them all. But they can't tickle Snake because he's very sensibly gone on holiday.

This sturdy, shaped board book is an ideal first counting book — perfect for small hands! Count from 1 to 10 with Elmer, everyone’s favourite patchwork elephant!

The elephants are not very happy: the hippos have come to live in their river, because their own has dried up. Strange, thinks Elmer, so he goes to investigate. He discovers the problem of the dry river could be solved: but only if the hippos and the elephants drop their prejudices and work in unison.

Elmer loves practical jokes, but so does his black and white cousin Wilbur. Until, that is, Elmer has an idea which brings Wilbur back down to earth, in more ways than one...

At the first hint of a chill in the air, Elmer's friends start complaining about the cold, so Elmer decides to show them what cold weather is really like. They set off for a walk up a mountain, and the higher they get, the colder it gets. A good snowball fight at the top warms them all up, but the elephants agree that compared with the freezing mountain top, their home is not really that cold at all. With his typical sense of mischief and fun, Elmer shows how hot and cold are only relative.

Baby Elephant can't sleep because he has lost his teddy, so Elmer sets off to look for it. Eventually Elmer hears a voice shouting 'Help! I'm lost!' Can Baby Elephant's teddy talk, or is Wilbur playing a trick on Elmer, as usual?

Elmer the colourful patchwork elephant has been a nursery favourite since this first book was published in 1989. A modern classic, this picture book is known to millions, and continues to be the strongest seller of the whole series, having sold over 2 million copies around the world. The subtle message is that it is OK to be different, and combined with the vibrant colour and cheeky humour of the main character, this small edition is a celebration of its continued popularity.

Elmer woke up one sunny morning, and decided to go for a walk. Down by the pond, he meets Hippo, Crocodile and Frog. As he carries on walking through the jungle, he meets all his many animal friends. While the story is being read to them, small children can be encouraged to find the relevant animal sticker and put in position, to create their very own story book that can be re-read.