Strictly No Elephants

When the local Pet Club wonand#8217;t admit a boyand#8217;s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solutionand#8212;one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but andlt;iandgt;strictly no elephantsandlt;/iandgt; are allowed. The Pet Club doesnand#8217;t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

Having a tiny elephant for a pet sounds idyllic, but a boy discovers that the local Pet Club doesnand#8217;t allow them; a stern girl points at a and#8220;Strictly No Elephantsand#8221; sign. Heading home in the rain, the boy and his elephant spot a girl with her skunk. and#8220;They donand#8217;t want us to play with them either,and#8221; she says. Joined by other owners of unexpected petsand#8212;giraffes, armadillos, even a small narwhal in a bowland#8212;they make their own club with its own sign: and#8220;All Are Welcome.and#8221; In her first picture book, Mantchev (Ticker) examines true friendship, sprinkling observations about the behavior of boy and elephant throughout (and#8220;He doesnand#8217;t like the cracks in the sidewalk much. I always go back and help him overand#8221;) and punctuating them with the refrain, and#8220;Because thatand#8217;s what friends do.and#8221; Yooand#8217;s (Hands Say Love) linoleum block prints of brick buildings and quiet sidewalks have the softness and warmth of a favorite blanket. Itand#8217;s a message book about exclusion with an oh-so-gentle lead-in for discussion.

After a little boy and his tiny elephant are barred from the Pet Club, they befriend other children with unusual pets.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; The first-person narrative has a quiet, contemplative feel: and#8220;The trouble with having a tiny elephant for a pet is that you never quite fit in. / No one else has an elephant.and#8221; His pet is shy of sidewalk cracks: and#8220;I always go back and help him over. Thatand#8217;s what friends do: lift each other over the cracks.and#8221; Embodying dejection after the two turn from that large, titular sign on the door, a double-page spreadand#8212;a Photoshop-augmented linoleum block printand#8212;depicts a dark teal cityscape slashed with raindrops and bobbing with black umbrellas. The Caucasian boy, his pet (in matching red scarves), and a little African-American girl in cornrows and a red-and-orange striped dress are the bright spots in this poignant tableau. Turns out that this girland#8212;a pet skunk curled on her lapand#8212;has been turned away too. and#8220;He doesnand#8217;t stink,and#8221; she says. and#8220;No, he doesnand#8217;t,and#8221; concurs the boy and then suggests, and#8220;What if we start our own club?and#8221; Observant children will spot a porcupine, penguin, and giraffe peering from brownstone windows along the way; they and their children join others with equally exotic pets. Yooand#8217;s concluding scenes depict a treehouse occupation (its restrictive message changed to and#8220;ALL ARE WELCOMEand#8221;) and multiethnic, multispecies harmony.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Sweet and affirming.

A sunny, smart, tongue-in-cheek tale. The New York Times Book Review
Huffington Post Honor Book for Best in Kindness
Bank Street Best Book of 2015
NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Charlotte Huck Honor Book
CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center) Choice Book
When the local Pet Club won t admit a boy s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.
Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.
Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet."

"A sunny, smart, tongue-in-cheek tale." --The New York Times Book Review
"Sweet and affirming." --Kirkus Reviews

Huffington Post Honor Book for Best in Kindness
Bank Street Best Book of 2015
NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Charlotte Huck Honor Book
CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center) Choice Book

Sold in twelve countries

When the local Pet Club won't admit a boy's tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution--one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn't understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

"A sunny, smart, tongue-in-cheek tale." --The New York Times Book Review
"Sweet and affirming." --Kirkus Reviews

When the local Pet Club won't admit a boy's tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution--one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn't understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

"A sunny, smart, tongue-in-cheek tale." --The New York Times Book Review
"Sweet and affirming." --Kirkus Reviews
"With a gentle message of inclusion and helping others, this title reaches beyond a mere friendship story."--School Library Journal
"Heartening."--Booklist

In this bestselling and internationally beloved picture book, the local Pet Club won't admit a boy's tiny pet elephant, so he finds a solution--one that involves all kinds of unusual animals.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn't understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Strictly No Elephants has been sold around the world and is heralded as a pitch-perfect book about inclusion. Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

Lisa Mantchev is the author of andlt;iandgt;Strictly No Elephantsandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Sister Day!andlt;/iandgt;, and the Theatre Illuminata series. Sheandnbsp;studied drama at the University of California, Irvine, andandnbsp;now lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state with her family. When not scribbling, she can be found on the beach, up a tree, making jam, or repairing things with her trusty glue gun.Taeeun Yoo has illustrated many books for young readers, including andlt;iandgt;So Many Daysandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Only A Witch Can Flyandlt;/iandgt;, both by Alison McGhee. Her first picture book, andlt;iandgt;The Little Red Fishandlt;/iandgt;, was awarded the Society of Illustratorsandrsquo; 2007 Founders Award. Her most recent, andlt;iandgt;Here Is the Babyandlt;/iandgt;, was a andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; Best Illustrated Book. Taeeun studied Korean brush painting at Hong Ik University in South Korea and attended graduate school in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She divides her time between Seoul and New York City. Visit her at TaeeunYoo.com.