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The Elephantom
What do you do when a ghostly elephant won’t leave you alone?
When a phantom elephant turns up uninvited and starts getting a little girl into trouble, she has no idea how to make him go away. But her grandmother happens to have a menagerie of phantom pets herself, so she knows just who to go to for help--the shopkeeper at Spectral & Son. He gives her a box. . . . Does it hold the solution?
When a phantom elephant turns up uninvited and starts getting a little girl into trouble, she has no idea how to make him go away. But her grandmother happens to have a menagerie of phantom pets herself, so she knows just who to go to for help--the shopkeeper at Spectral & Son. He gives her a box. . . . Does it hold the solution?
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Ross Collins
183 books44 followersRoss was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1972.
He would eat anything and resembled a currant bun.
As he grew up he was fond of drawing, the Bionic Man and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.
He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1994 with a First in Illustration. In the same year he won the MacMillan Children's Book Prize an achievement that opened many doors in the Big Smoke.
Ross then spent two years in London cultivating an exotic image of the scribbling Scotsman abroad.
Longing for the cold and damp of the North, Ross returned to Glasgow, where he spends his time writing and illustrating children's books, doing animation character development, walking the dug by the banks of Loch Lomond and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.
from http://www.rosscollins.net/whothisguy...
He would eat anything and resembled a currant bun.
As he grew up he was fond of drawing, the Bionic Man and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.
He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1994 with a First in Illustration. In the same year he won the MacMillan Children's Book Prize an achievement that opened many doors in the Big Smoke.
Ross then spent two years in London cultivating an exotic image of the scribbling Scotsman abroad.
Longing for the cold and damp of the North, Ross returned to Glasgow, where he spends his time writing and illustrating children's books, doing animation character development, walking the dug by the banks of Loch Lomond and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.
from http://www.rosscollins.net/whothisguy...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 19, 2015
This book was weird because there was a ghost in it that was an elephant. It was crazy too.
The story was about a ghost elephant and a little girl who didn't want him in her house. This elephant wouldn't let her sleep and he took all the peanut butter when she wanted a sandwich. And one day all his ghost elephant friends came and they had a party which she did not like. And the elephant pooped in her bedroom.
I liked the pictures, they were nice pictures.
The book was alright. I would recommend it to people who are weird.
The story was about a ghost elephant and a little girl who didn't want him in her house. This elephant wouldn't let her sleep and he took all the peanut butter when she wanted a sandwich. And one day all his ghost elephant friends came and they had a party which she did not like. And the elephant pooped in her bedroom.
I liked the pictures, they were nice pictures.
The book was alright. I would recommend it to people who are weird.
November 5, 2019
A humourous and imaginative text.
May 5, 2019
A girl is haunted by the ghost of an elephant, which makes messes and other such young-readership-friendly issues. Of course, the girl's parents don't believe her. But her grandmother has lots of ghost pets and knows just how to get rid of an elephantom.
I don't like the resolution. Just making it someone else's problem isn't a good message.
I don't like the resolution. Just making it someone else's problem isn't a good message.
April 19, 2014
The National Gallery of Scotland had this really cool exhibit around Christmastime where they displayed art from established children's illustrators and up-and-coming artists they had mentored. As soon as I saw the art from this book, I feel in love, even without the accompanying story, the concept was wonderful. Then, imagine my joy a few months later when I see this book in the window of the Oxfam used bookstore for only a pound! The story was everything I hoped it would be. I can't wait to read this to Violet when she's older. :)
May 1, 2015
A young girl has a phantom elephant living in her house. It causes mischief and gets her in trouble. Her parents can't see it and don't believe her. When she can't take it any more, she goes to her grandma for advice. Her grandma believes her because her grandma has many ghost pets. Following her grandma's advice, she is able to rid her home of the Elephantom. This is an imaginative story that many children will enjoy.
May 27, 2015
Meh, it is a cute story but I thought that the author could have done more with the story. It is short and sweet and the illustrations are really flowing, soft, and lovely. I think that this book pails in comparison to the few children's books I have read today so that might alos be why it is underwhelming.
October 30, 2016
What do you do when you are stuck with an imaginary elephantom and you get blamed for everything? Great picture book showing that sometimes seeing things that others can't isn't always the best thing and that sometimes Grandmas know just what to do.
April 21, 2015
Very fun take on imaginary pets - or are they ;-)
May 6, 2015
Whimsical art makes this picture book a delight!It's a funny idea and is well done.
May 8, 2015
Fun playful idea, the colors of the illustrations are cool.
December 28, 2015
A little girl truly has an elephant in the room that no one else can see, it's an elephantom that's causing her a lot of problems.
September 14, 2016
I liked the flow of this book. And of course adults can't see the phantom animals, they're not cool enough. Great illustrations, with neat background stuff.
August 31, 2019
I would give this book a 5/5 because the illustrations were really cute and the story is a fun adventure for kids to read. The version I read was copyrighted in 2006 but published in the U.S. in 2015 and it falls into the genre of fantasy. The two main themes I noticed that occurred throughout the book were family (specifically communication) and courage (when the girl went by herself to find Mr. Spectral). My favorite part was when the girl went to Mr. Spectral's shop and it was filled with all sorts of oddities, like a Tardis box, a giraffe ghost, hands, mermaids, two-headed owls, etc. I might use this in my future classroom to teach students about how to problem solve when something is annoying you and to reach out to other people if your parents don't believe you.
September 26, 2019
I enjoyed this book and it did make me laugh. The idea that only the young girl can see the elephant I think goes to show that children have great imaginations, and we can all be guilty of losing this imagination as we get older. The writing along with the great, bold, detailed illustrations reminded me of what it was like to be a child all over again.
September 3, 2019
A very cute book about an elephant ghost that is haunting a girl's house. This book is on the longer side so it would make a great ghost themed read aloud for elementary children.
January 31, 2020
The story was a bit flat for me and the illustrations were way too bright.
August 8, 2025
Whimsical illustrations and a surprising resolution.
January 10, 2012
Exactly as it says on the tin... it was ok. A reasonable tale which could easily have been really good if the prose and/or artwork lived up to it. An odd mix of some pages as only illustrations, some with words and some with words but "side-conversations" that didn't lend themselves to being read out loud. May have been interesting for a child exploring on their own but in my opinion the reading level required would suggest the desire for a more intricate tale.
May 22, 2015
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Animal: Elephant
Fantasy: Ghosts
A little girl is having troubles with a pesky Elephantum that refuses to leave or listen to her. Although her parents don't believe her, trusty Grandma has phantom pets of her own, though not quite as bothersome as an Elephant. She gives the girl a card to see Mr. Spectral to find a solution to her very large problem. Beautiful, large scale illustrations accompany this introduction to ghostly stories without being scary.
Animal: Elephant
Fantasy: Ghosts
A little girl is having troubles with a pesky Elephantum that refuses to leave or listen to her. Although her parents don't believe her, trusty Grandma has phantom pets of her own, though not quite as bothersome as an Elephant. She gives the girl a card to see Mr. Spectral to find a solution to her very large problem. Beautiful, large scale illustrations accompany this introduction to ghostly stories without being scary.
May 28, 2015
Colorful and humorous.
April 21, 2015
Elephantine ghosties.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews