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Never Mail an Elephant
The narrator has trouble mailing an elephant as a birthday present to Cousin Edna.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Mike Thaler
294 books118 followersMike Thaler, born in Los Angeles, started his professional career drawing cartoons for adults. A children's book editor saw one of his cartoon stories in a national magazine and encouraged Mike to try writing for children. His first attempt met with success, and "The Magic Boy" was published in 1961.
Mike has produced over 220 published books and is known as “America’s Riddle King.” He has also been called “The Court Jester of Children’s Literature.”
Mike Thaler lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Patty. He gladly welcomes all invitations to do church and school programs, and other book events.
Mike travels each year throughout the world helping children and teachers create their own stories, riddles, and books. He writes and teaches with creativity, inspiring his audiences with a love of language.
--from the author's website
Mike has produced over 220 published books and is known as “America’s Riddle King.” He has also been called “The Court Jester of Children’s Literature.”
Mike Thaler lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Patty. He gladly welcomes all invitations to do church and school programs, and other book events.
Mike travels each year throughout the world helping children and teachers create their own stories, riddles, and books. He writes and teaches with creativity, inspiring his audiences with a love of language.
--from the author's website
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 9, 2017
One day the hero of our story, a little (unnamed) freckled-faced boy, decides that he will mail a present for her birthday to his cousin Dilly.
He visits the shops to purchase plenty of wrapping paper and a big ball of string, and empties his piggy bank to get money to buy some stamps from the post office.
He then goes to the zoo and somehow acquires an elephant! He takes it home, covers it with wrapping paper, ties it up with string, puts a fancy bow on it and then addresses it. He does not fancy licking the stamps so he lets his dog Lucky lick them for him. He sticks the stamps on the parcel, pulls Lucky's tongue off the floor, to which it is stuck, and pulls his present to the corner mailbox.
As one can imagine it is a terrible job getting the present into the mailbox but somehow he manages to stuff it in. On his way home he meets the mailman, who goes to the box, opens the door and pulls and tugs until he yanks the elephant out. He manages to get it on his cart (somehow) and takes it to the post office where while franking the stamps the elephant goes wild. Its legs shoot out of the wrapping paper (no surprise here), it jumps in the air and crashes through the wall and makes it way back to our hero's house.
Our hero is gutted but decides that the next best thing he can do it to deliver it by hand so he wraps pink ribbon around it, climbs onto its back with Lucky and rides to Dilly's house to present the present. And where is Dilly's house?... it is 321 Chestnut Street. And where does our hero live? Well I can't tell you for the answer is in the story but let me give you a clue ... it isn't too far away from that of Dilly!
So, as the party gets underway with the elephant giving rides to the children, the motto is very definitely 'Never mail an Elephant'!
A fun, nicely illustrated book for children and adults alike - well this adult anyway.
He visits the shops to purchase plenty of wrapping paper and a big ball of string, and empties his piggy bank to get money to buy some stamps from the post office.
He then goes to the zoo and somehow acquires an elephant! He takes it home, covers it with wrapping paper, ties it up with string, puts a fancy bow on it and then addresses it. He does not fancy licking the stamps so he lets his dog Lucky lick them for him. He sticks the stamps on the parcel, pulls Lucky's tongue off the floor, to which it is stuck, and pulls his present to the corner mailbox.
As one can imagine it is a terrible job getting the present into the mailbox but somehow he manages to stuff it in. On his way home he meets the mailman, who goes to the box, opens the door and pulls and tugs until he yanks the elephant out. He manages to get it on his cart (somehow) and takes it to the post office where while franking the stamps the elephant goes wild. Its legs shoot out of the wrapping paper (no surprise here), it jumps in the air and crashes through the wall and makes it way back to our hero's house.
Our hero is gutted but decides that the next best thing he can do it to deliver it by hand so he wraps pink ribbon around it, climbs onto its back with Lucky and rides to Dilly's house to present the present. And where is Dilly's house?... it is 321 Chestnut Street. And where does our hero live? Well I can't tell you for the answer is in the story but let me give you a clue ... it isn't too far away from that of Dilly!
So, as the party gets underway with the elephant giving rides to the children, the motto is very definitely 'Never mail an Elephant'!
A fun, nicely illustrated book for children and adults alike - well this adult anyway.
July 16, 2025
Day 1 of live storytime. Also one of my favourites as a kid. :)
September 13, 2017
A boy has goes through all the trouble of mailing an elephant to his cousin ... who lives next door: Wrapping paper, string, stamps, an elephant and, of course, there is the mailbox and mailman! Yikes!
The little kids thought it is hilarious - make sure to read it with suspense and it's a great story to ask "What do you think will happen next?" questions.
The little kids thought it is hilarious - make sure to read it with suspense and it's a great story to ask "What do you think will happen next?" questions.
November 22, 2019
This is a funny and relatable way to show how the mail system works. You can point out the mailbox and stamps in the story. You can mail pictures of elephants home to the students as a reminder about the story and as a fun way for students to receive mail of their own. I also think it would be cute to pair this story with a trip to the post office.
March 27, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the concept of mailing an elephant was unique and silly. The book has simple sentences that are easy for young readers to read. It would be an excellent book to get children talking about the process of sending mail or letters to people.
May 12, 2019
This is a fairly old book that should be continually published. It is funny on every page. The text sounds so much like the voice of an actual child. I need to find a really good copy to put back for my grandkids to read in twenty five or thirty years.
November 7, 2019
It's a funny book of a boy who thought he could mail a elephant to his friend. His imagination was big and he didn't let the impossible stop him from trying. Great book to motivative children with a funny twist to it.
October 19, 2021
A funny story about mailing a birthday present elephant to a cousin. All the troubles of wrapping and applying postage stamps and getting the elephant into the mailing box. Delightful.
May 12, 2023
i thought this was stupid but for some reason the 2 year olds loved it so i'm adding a star
August 15, 2023
Funny. Love the ending.
October 3, 2009
Illustrated by: Jerry Smath
Thaler, M. (1994). Never mail an elephant. United States: Troll Associates.
Summary:
A little boy decides that he wants to send his cousin an elephant for his birthday. He gets everything he needs to send a package and bought the stamps and then he gets an elephant from the zoo. He wrapped it up and addressed it and stamped. Then he put the elephant in his wagon and took him down to the mailbox. He stuffed it in and the mailman pulled it out and took it down to the post office. Then, the elephant went wild! It ran back to his house and so the little boy rode it over to his cousin Dilly’s house for his birthday. I think it is a great story that is good for preschoolers. It would be good to use in a unit about mail or community helpers. You could tie it in with a trip to the post office or walking down to the mailbox.
Thaler, M. (1994). Never mail an elephant. United States: Troll Associates.
Summary:
A little boy decides that he wants to send his cousin an elephant for his birthday. He gets everything he needs to send a package and bought the stamps and then he gets an elephant from the zoo. He wrapped it up and addressed it and stamped. Then he put the elephant in his wagon and took him down to the mailbox. He stuffed it in and the mailman pulled it out and took it down to the post office. Then, the elephant went wild! It ran back to his house and so the little boy rode it over to his cousin Dilly’s house for his birthday. I think it is a great story that is good for preschoolers. It would be good to use in a unit about mail or community helpers. You could tie it in with a trip to the post office or walking down to the mailbox.
March 21, 2012
This story is about a little boy who wants to mail an elephant to his cousin for her birthday. He wraps the elephant, put a stamp on it, tied a bow around it, addressed it, then took it to corner mailbox. It's just a funny story about a young boy using his imagination. I normally read this book before we begin writing friendly letters, teaching the students how to address an envelope!
July 13, 2013
Great way to teach children about the postal service and what can and can not be mailed. if it is possible to get a mailman as a speaker for the class to the children about the postal service and post office. The children can also learn about writing a letter to a friend or family member, and learn about how to properly address an envelope and stamp it
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December 3, 2013Never mail an Elephant is such a fun book to read to children. This little boy wants to mail an elephant to his cousin for her birthday. He comes to some trouble when he finds out it is impossible to mail an elephant! Teachers can read this book to talk about writing letters as well as the do's and don'ts of mailing things.
November 2, 2007
typical childrens book
August 12, 2016
Funny! For 1st grade.
March 29, 2012
Totally made me lol.
August 4, 2017
Extremely cute story about a boy that tries to mail an elephant to his friend next door.
January 9, 2013
Like the theme.... Don't make things so difficult!
March 7, 2013
This book is adorable!
I gave it five stars for its audience range, and me too, I suppose! :)
I gave it five stars for its audience range, and me too, I suppose! :)
September 9, 2013
A young child would find this funny. A boy trying to mail an Elephant. Its has limited text on each page for easy reading.
June 1, 2015
A silly book to start with, but the end made me laugh out loud. Loved it.
November 20, 2016
This is great little book about a boy who tries to mail an elephant to his cousin for her birthday. It's just as monumental a task as it seems!
April 18, 2017
I absolutely laughed out loud at the reading of this book. The absurdity of mailing an elephant is enough, but the process the young character went through was hilarious!
The author and illustrator obviously worked closely together to make this an adorable book. The cartoonish illustrations worked perfectly together. I especially loved the look on the mailman's face and the elephant peeping out from the mailbox. What a hoot! Oh, and the stamps...the stamps! *laughs*
This is one of those books that emerging readers will enjoy reading over and over. Children who cannot read will want the book read to them repeatedly as well.
Terrific book and 5 stars.
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collection. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon
The author and illustrator obviously worked closely together to make this an adorable book. The cartoonish illustrations worked perfectly together. I especially loved the look on the mailman's face and the elephant peeping out from the mailbox. What a hoot! Oh, and the stamps...the stamps! *laughs*
This is one of those books that emerging readers will enjoy reading over and over. Children who cannot read will want the book read to them repeatedly as well.
Terrific book and 5 stars.
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collection. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews