Elephants Can Paint Too!

by Katya Arnold

I teach in two schools.

One is in the city.

The other is in the jungle.

Some of my students have hands.

Others have trunks.

Elephants live in Asia. They eat three hundred pounds of food a day. They spray water out of their trunks. Even so, they are a lot like you. They like to eat cookies and hang out with their friends. They even like to paint pictures.

In this true story you'll learn about an amazing class of elephants that are taught to become artists by an amazing teacher.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Art, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Science

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2005

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: I teach in two schools. One is in the city. The other is in the jungle. Some of my students have hands. Others have trunks. Some students eat grass. Others eat peanut butter and jelly. But they all love cookies.

Premise/plot: Elephants Can Paint Too is a WONDERFUL nonfiction picture book. There is a simple, straightforward text that would be more than suitable for sharing with the youngest of readers. Yet, there's additional text that is just PACKED with fascinating details. I haven't yet decided how to perfectly blend the two when reading aloud. The facts can disrupt the narrative flow, something you probably don't want to do when reading to the youngest listeners, but yet the facts are truly something.

For example,

The elephant's truck is both a hand a nose. Not only can a trunk pick things up, it can smell, snore, trumpet, purr, drink, and spray. Elephants also use their trunks to communicate in a kind of sign language. A young elephant sucks its trunk the way babies suck their thumbs.

Elephants have 150,000 muscles in their trunks. (Our entire body has only 639 muscles.) Some elephants hold the brush by wrapping their trunks around it. Others hold it inside their trunks. If an elephant throws the brush away or eats it, he probably won't become an artist.

My thoughts: I love, love, love, LOVE this one. It's filled with I-didn't-know-that facts. It's engaging and compelling--both text and photographs do a GREAT job telling a compelling story. (I love the photograph of the elephant eating a cookie!!!) I love the comparing and contrasting. It's just a delightful book from start to finish.

Text: 5 out of 5
Photographs: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

[Randy]

This was the most surprising book I've read in quite a while. It's nonfiction, and it is indeed exactly what the title implies: elephants can paint too! The author travels to Thailand every year to train elephants to paint in order to help them earn their keep without hauling logs, contributing to deforestation, etc. This subject is obviously fascinating, but the structure is wonderfully appropriate for children, in that she parallels between children painting and elephants painting, which really helps them understand the process of teaching fine art to pachyderms (practice, clean up, etc.) The photographs are great too. There's even a website--elephantart.com--where you can buy art for market rates, starting around $400 a canvas, I think.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elephants Can Paint Too is a great non fiction book that shows kids paintings done by animals as well as provides students with different facts about elephants. The book is filled with pictures painted by both animals and children.

I would use this book in the classroom as more of an informational book on animals and what they can do. I think children would benefit seeing work similar to theirs in books as well as find it fun to see pictures painted by elephants.

After reading this text, I would bring in a variety of odd painting tools and have children paint their own elephants. This activity can be as abstract as they would choose to make it, and would then be displayed in the classroom, or outside in the hallway.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had the incredible fortune of being able to see an elephant paint, so I grabbed this book off the shelf when I saw it!

I did not know that elephants cry tears like humans do, and I ALSO didn't know that they like Oreo cookies! I was amazed to learn that they select paint colors, and can even learn to paint trees and flowers. The author's note at the back of the book directed me to her nonprofit's website, which shows some of the more amazing art pieces and has more information about this effort to conserve domesticated elephants.

A great book to teach children, and a great resource to get them more interested in elephants. This would make a great companion book for a trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo's expansive new elephant exhibit.

[Debbie Nicoletti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very unique children’s book that I checked out from our local library. My three year old granddaughter loves elephants and I love to paint! The Non-fiction story is fascinating because the Thailand elephants paint with their trunks and their art is sold to sustain their living expenses. The author does an excellent job of comparing children painting to these elephants’ art skills. We loved it!

[Eric Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book about how elephants can't learn to paint just like kids can. Everyone has their own style of painting which can be appreciated by anyone as well. A good book to show kids that no matter what it's not a bad thing to have your own style and work on it like an elephant would have to to learn how to paint, and at the same time, we're not much different from the animals too. We like the same things, like grass, water, and, of course, cookies but at the same time learn at your own pace and no matter what keep trying and there's no reason not to be silly and share your artwork and your styles with the world. Our book about Ivan drew me into the book to read and see where the author would take it and I like how it drew the parallels between youngsters and elephants in a cute way about what they like to eat and how they act, it's a great way to have the kids admire and appreciate the differences they might have but to keep on painting or doing what they are doing.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows how truly amazing elephants are. Katya Arnold is an art teacher who teaches in two schools...one in New York, one in the jungles of Asia. Elephants can understand and carry out simple commands. They can be 'taught' to paint by using brushstrokes and paint.

Many interesting facts about elephants' habits, habitats, and families are included on the pages of this book that supports the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project, an organization dedicated to saving the elephant.

Used for "Elephants!" Storytime: February, 2012.

[Greg Cockrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Title of this book is Elephants Can Paint Too it was written and illustrated by Katya Arnold. So in this book’s case Katya Arnold is the author and illustrator. The book starts comparing humans and elephants. And then gives some facts about elephants. Here was a fact that I did not know and was really surprised by; “Elephants have 150,000 muscles in their trunks. (Our entire body has only 639 muscles).” That just in their trunks! The protagonist would be the elephants and there is not really an antagonist character, but I would say the antagonist part of this story would be the elephants learning how to hold a brush and following commands.This book I would consider getting for my future classroom because it could serve as a good picture and read aloud book.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most surprisingly wonderful books I've read in a long time. Good enough that I read it again a week later...just because! I enjoyed the parallel between kids and elephants learning to paint, and the facts about the elephants were expertly included along with some great photographs of what look to me like some very happy elephants! I know there has been concern over elephants being exploited as artists, but it's clear from the pictures in this book and the details on the organization's website that these are certainly the lucky ones. They really are artists. Love it!!!

[Pam]

There are two type of texts in this book, one is a simple narrative that shows how kids and elephants are similar or different. That part can be read like a story. The other text on adjacent pages, easily set apart from the narrative with a different color, text and size contains delightful facts about elephants strewn throughout the book. It shows not just that elephants can paint but how they paint and what they paint, what they eat etc.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book to use with my first graders in discussions on fiction and informational books.

[Adrianne Rosal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book is what grabbed my attention. One of my third grade students went to grab it off the shelf at the same time as me. So we sat down and read it together!! Solid book!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book (and the fact that it’s a true story with real photographs) is really cool, but the formatting is now quite outdated.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elephants Can Paint Too is a very imaginative book that teaches children very important lessons about elephants. The book not only discusses elephants interaction with humans but intelligently speaks about endangered species. The book details how the elephants were taught to paint and their of pictures of elephants painting and showing their finished work. Elephant art is sold all over the world and the proceeds is used for the preservation of the elephants.

The photos in this book gives the reader details and facts about elephants that most people have never heard of. The book gives children a glimpse of how delicate these mighty animals can be. The pictures and text will open children's eyes and allow them to see the true beauty these animals have to offer.

[Baylee Washburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Photography is used as a visual medium to infuse a sense of the real world into the pages of this book. Written by a New York teacher who also spends time lending a hand to the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project, this picture book effectively uses photography to make a realistic connection between students in Brooklyn, New York and elephants in the Thailand jungle. By illustrating this book with actual photos of children and elephants participating in similar activities and behaviors, the author has provided the reader with real evidence that supports the notion that humans have many things in common with these fanaticizing animals from the Thailand jungle.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that shows how elephants can learn to paint, just as children do. The author teaches both and shows that elephants are playful, mischievous, curious, and even silly.

The narrative is short and the illustrations consist of big, colorful photographs that depict the artists and their artwork.

We really enjoyed reading this book together, especially the author's note at the end that explains her motivation for teaching elephants to paint as well as her promise to donate part of the profits of the book to the featured charity.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5-year-old loves this book and finds it inspiring. Right now, she is doing large "elephant" paintings with lots of dots and dabs. She particularly likes to paint while I read it to her. She really seems to relate to those elephants--the way the books parallels the artwork and behavior of children and elephants is wonderful.

[Chris Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

An artist compares teaching painting to children and elephants, and the elephants are often better painters than the children. I found this book by accident and it made me want to cry. An unexpected look at the joy of artistic expression that I usually attribute to human beings. It's nice to know that I still have a lot to learn.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did find this book recommended as a non-fiction book to read in storytimes. I have used it alot.
It works for an art or creative theme.

I included it in a collection of books outside at an "artfest" during ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. Of all the books I had out, this one was looked at most by adults and kids.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! March's National Geographic issue explores the minds of animals. Specifically, elephants possess a sense of self and retain long memories. Now I've learned that they can also learn to paint, even flowers and trees with a few years of practice. Amazing animals.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I begrudingly picked up this book thinking it would be too cutesy. But I really enjoyed reading it. The author teaches elementary school kids in NY and elephants in Thailand to paint. It was fascinating to learn about how the pachyderms learn how to paint.

[Drew Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great relation showing that animals aren't so different than people. Something as big as an elephant can paint just like you and me. It shows a great connection that if you put your mind to it even an elephant can accomplish anything!

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author writes of her own experiences with teaching children and elephants to paint. Yes, it's true: Elephants CAN Paint! Complete with laugh-out-loud parts, all my kids loved this book. I rarely buy books, but I just had to have this one.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book you can use for science. The book has a lot of information about elephants, as well as a true story about how they paint. This is a good book to use to discuss the characteristics of elephants.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my elementary students at the library last week and we all loved it. I did a little Googling and discovered that elephants can see two colors, so they likely view the world as a color-blind person does. This is a great non-fiction attention-grabbing read-a-loud.

[Brittany Basalla · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very amusing book that shows the work of elephants who are taught to paint with paintbrushes and paper. Children who have never heard of elephants doing this before (I had at a zoo) would surely get a kick out of this book.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly interesting and enchanting story of a woman who works with children and elephants teaching them to paint. Side by side photos show the different ways that humans and elephants do their paintings. Lots of fun facts about elephants I never knew.

Great photography.

[Miss Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the real photos of elephants painting in this book. The author compares two painting classes she teaches. One with children and the other with elephants. Yes, elephants can learn how to paint. There are also Amazing elephant facts throughout the book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun nonfiction book that reads like a picture book.

[Anna Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUN