Singing with Elephants

by Margarita Engle

A novel in verse about the friendship between a young girl and the poet Gabriela Mistral that leads to healing and hope for both of them.

Cuban-born eleven-year-old Oriol lives in Santa Barbara, California, where she struggles to belong. But most of the time that's okay, because she enjoys helping her parents care for the many injured animals at their veterinary clinic.

Then Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature, moves to town, and aspiring writer Oriol finds herself opening up. As she begins to create a world of words for herself, Oriol learns it will take courage to stay true to herself and do what she thinks is right--attempting to rescue a baby elephant in need--even if it means keeping secrets from those she loves.

Genres: Poetry, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Animals, Novel In Verse, Childrens, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2022

About the author

Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She lives with her husband in northern California.

Reviews

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers for sharing an early copy with me to review.

Margarita’s words are so beautiful and I will always read her stories. There is a beauty in the flow and rhythm, but also in her world that she builds. I really enjoyed experiencing the birth of a baby elephant through this book and it broke my heart learning about their music. It was a fantastic read!

[Gary Anderson]

Singing with Elephants is Margarita Engle’s masterful new middle-grade verse novel centered on eleven-year old Oriol who is caught up in a swirl of dynamics that just seems too big. Born in Cuba but now living in Santa Barbara, California with her veterinarian parents, Oriol misses her homeland and her family left behind. Then she meets Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Gabriela teaches Oriol how poetry can help her express and understand her emotions. When her parents are called to a nearby ranch to care for Surey, an elephant about to deliver twins, Oriol is drawn to the huge animal as it seems to comfort and communicate with Oriol. A movie star absconds with one of the newborn twins, so Oriol harnesses her language and love for the animals to mobilize her new community to restore the baby elephant to its mother. Author Margarita Engle’s poems provide currents that move the plot forward while deepening readers’ understanding of the characters’ feelings and motivations. Singing with Elephants is the perfect choice for young animal lovers, poetic dreamers, and budding activists. Thanks to The Penguin Young Readers School & Library for providing an advance copy of this title.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting out sad and lonely in tone, like the main character eleven-year old Oriol, the tone opens up and transforms thanks to Oriol’s friendship with a poet, who shows her how words in the form of poetry can change one’s life. And the lives of others.

Margarita Engle’s choice to tell her fictional story of the time real-life poet Gabriela Mistral spent in Santa Barbara in poem-form works well. We really get a feel for Oriol’s loneliness without her Abuelita, and how her life changes so much after meeting both the poet and the elephant. I love these creatures, so was thrilled when the author included a small family of them in this well told, heartwarming story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Group for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Ginger France · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable quick read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the review copy of Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle. I absolutely fell in love with this novel in verse from the first page. I love the main character Oriol and her fight to do what is right for the elephants on the nature reserve her parents run. I love the exploration of the power of the written word, and advocating for justice. This is a powerful story full of beautiful writing and a strong message. I talked with my students about this read nonstop, and have many interested readers "even though it is poetry..."

This book is perfect for today's youth who are struggling to find their voice or make their voices heard. Get this book in their hands!

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a novel in verse is written well it can transport you. Each word or phrase is carefully chosen. The prose is smooth, with room to breathe. And it’s in those pauses that the text truly transforms. That is what Margarita Engle does in Singing with Elephants.

At the center of the story is Oriol whose English isn’t perfect and neither is she. When Oriol meets Gabriela Mistral, she learns to think in new ways and to embrace her past while looking to the future. The duo’s interactions are a treat, and Mistral’s lessons can be applied in readers’ own lives.

My favorite moments, however, come when Oriol is with her beloved elephants. She sees them for the graceful, intelligent animals they are, and that love comes dancing off the pages.

Singing with Elephants is one of those books that you feel better for having read it. Though a quick read, there are layers upon layers, making a big impact. It would be a great summer read or as part of curriculum during the school year. I highly recommend it.

[Elizabeth Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea I needed a poem, a story about elephants, so badly. This book touched my soul.

The child who wrote the poems, Oriel, is fictional. The poet who mentored her, Gabriela Mistral, was real. She was the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature. She died in 1957.

The story, written in the form of poetry, is written from the viewpoint of an 11-year-old girl, struggling with language. Newly immigrated to the US, she is learning English. She is also learning about kindness.

When she meets Chandra, a captive elephant, and witnesses the theft of one of Chandra’s babies, Oriel finds her voice, strong and clear. Using her words, and newly acquired organizational skills, she manages to reunite Chandra’s family.

Gabriela Mistral, Oriel’s human friend, was a diplomat from Chili. She was also a poet and a literature professor, as well as a peace activist. When her son was killed in Brazil, her focus centered on xenophobia. She was a founder of the League of Nations, and also UNICEF.

This children’s book is a reminder for all to be kind.

[Annette Alden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuban-born Oriol has trouble fitting in with the other children in Santa Barbara where she lives. Then she meets an elephant who needs her help, and a friendship begins. These are my favorite lines from the book:

Libraries Aren't Always Perfectly Quiet -- .......

" I gasp, which brings the librarian
rushing to join me, but she also smiles kindly
so I know she's not really mad, just worried
about the old folks around me, who expect
libraries to be as solemn
as cemetaries.

Modern librarians
love fun and happiness,
not silence."

Especially those librarians in the children's room. :)

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful novel in verse about moving to a new home, culture, loneliness, bravery, and the love of animals. At just over 200 pages it’s super attainable for lots of our reluctant middle grade readers, too!

[Phil J]

I've often wondered what it would be like if Engle wrote about her own life instead of Cuban history. Apparently, it would be slow-moving. This is the least interesting Engle book I've ever picked up. I read about 20 pages.

[Lisa Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book about a young immigrant who finds her voice when she befriends poet Gabriella Mistral. Olivia (or Oviol, as she calls herself) feels lost, first loses her home and then her beloved abuelita. She now lives in Santa Barbara in 1957. She meets the poet, her neighbor. I love the words on the first page of the book:
Poetry is a dance/ of words on the page.

These poems are a story/ about the summer/ I learned to twirl/ and leap/ on paper.

It was the summer when I met a famous poet/ and a family of musical elephants.

Until then, all I culd do was wish/ like a caged songbird/ wordless/ wistful/ wishful...
This a lovely, quick, read for ALL ages.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was very beautiful, very lyrical. It has so many great poems and great lines. I think it's a Newbery contender. Probably my favorite of hers so far.

[Book Buying With Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet. Would be a great historical fiction companion to The One and Only Ivan. Loved the inclusion of Gabriela Mistral, who I had never heard of.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply gorgeous.

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book!

I honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting into. I won this book with the intention of putting it in the little library in front of my house. Part of me wants to keep it for myself, but the other can’t imagine not sharing it.

The story is told in verse and there are so many lovely moments that so found myself reading certain parts over and over.

The story is charming and I think adults and children alike will enjoy it.

[Cheryl Mizerny · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! I found so many phrases to highlight simply for their beautiful language. I appreciated all of the cultural references mixed with the touching story of Oriol. This one will be beloved in my classroom.

[Anne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet story of an actual literary hero, the first Latin winner of the Nobel Prize for literature. The rest is a sweet, but fictional story of a girl, Oriole, who is feeling lonely and wants to return to her home in Cuba. Instead she makes friend with the famous poet, and helps make a good situation out of a bad thing that happened to an elephant family.

The best part was Ms. Engle's poetry. I've been reading a lot of it lately and this is so, so good.

[Allison Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Date: 2022
Award: NCTE Excellence in Poetry Award
Genre: Poetry

Summary: This book is about a girl named Oriol and how she attempts to rescue a baby elephant in need. The book follows along her life, how she made a friend, and what got her to the point to attempt to rescue the baby elephant. I thought that this book was great and kids would definitely love the style of the read, being poetry and a quick read, with a fun story. I would use this book in my future classroom for students to either read independently or have as a daily read aloud throughout a month when they learn about poetry!

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it for a focus group at work. Didn’t blow me away. I would struggle to recommend this to kids; there are much better novels in verse and much better thematic treatments of the human-animal bond. I respect a book that inserts some authentic language and culture, for sure…but I found the style of this one to be over the top and even negatively influential on comprehension from time to time.

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Singing with Elephants written by Margarita Engle – an exquisitely written story in verse told by Oriol, a tween immigrant trying to find her way in a new country and learn a new language. Oriol moved with her family to Santa Barbara, California from Cuba in the early 1940s. She spoke no English when she arrived so school administrators assumed she was not smart and put in 3rd grade instead of 5th grade where she belonged. Teasing for her accent and not being able to read well out loud in her new language in class just added reasons for Oriol to not like school. She finds solace with her pets and the animals her parents treats in their veterinary clinic. While she is an animal whisperer, being able to connect to all kinds of creatures, she struggles to connect with humans. One day while walking her menagerie of pets, she meets a new neighbor writing poetry. As this neighbor (Nobel Prize for Literature winner Gabriela Mistral) guides Oriol through writing poetry, she shares literary devices, poetic structure and the power of words. At the same time Oriol’s parents are caring for a pregnant, captive elephant who is about to give birth any day. When the big day finally arrives, Oriol is beside herself, but soon the Hollywood owner shows his true self and Oriol must use her new found writing gift to make him correct his inhumane actions. A wonderful story for those in grades 4-7. Themes include: care and respect of animals, friendship, immigrates, multilingual text and writing skills. Makes a great small group or class read due to many discussion points and easy break points (although many readers won’t want to stop).

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Musical elephants are like
mountains with windy whispers,
the sea when it roars or chants a lullaby,
tree branches that clack like maracas,
and every animal that opens its mouth
to howl, bark, or chant
about the freedom
to walk, walk, walk,
rejoicing in the sheer joy
of touching
green earth
with rhythmic feet
and dancing
minds.

Premise/plots: Singing with Elephants is set in 1947 in Santa Barbara, California. Oriol, our heroine, is in absolute love with words. Inspired by a newcomer--a poet--Gabriela Mistral, she begins writing day and night, night and day. Little knowing--at least at first--that Gabriela Mistral is world-famous. Her other love is animals. Her parents are veterinarians. Oriol especially loves the new elephant--a PREGNANT elephant who is due to give birth soon....

But life is complicated, and this elephant family is threatened...it is up to Oriol--and other like-minded folks--to save the day.

My thought: ELEPHANTS IN PERIL. I don't know why I entered this novel without a care in the world little thinking that all wouldn't be happy-comfy-cozy. So I want to warn sensitive readers especially that this one will keep you tense. That isn't a bad thing necessarily. Just a thing.

It is a verse novel. It is a coming of age novel. It is well written. But just so very tense when it comes to the well being of these animals...

Quotes:

Poetry is like a planet, she says,
each word spins
orbits
twirls
and radiates
reflected
starlight.

---


Maybe
all I need
is a purpose
it's a word
filled with echoes
of other words
like courage
and hope

[Mariella Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Write from your blood, she advised me.
write from your tree sap, your spirit,
your heart, roots, breath.

If you want to write, you have to observe
movements, and absorb
stillness."

Singing with Elephants is a middle grade account of the life of a young girl--Oriel--who learns she is living next door to a famous Latin American poet, Gabriela Mistral. What starts as a young girl's curiosity about a new neighbor (and an incident with her goat trying to eat from Mistral's garden) becomes a story of finding yourself, finding your voice, and inspiring others.

Oriel's favorite places in the world are in the garden writing poems with Mistral and a wildlife/zoo where her veterinary parents work and Oriel helps raise baby elephants. When a famous movie star buys a baby elephant and takes it away from its mother, the twin elephant and mother become restless and sick with mourning. Mistral encourages Oriel to pour her grief into writing poems--poems they together mail to important people and eventually help to gather names and letters for petitions to have the elephant family reunited. (One of the early stories of the Humane Society's interference with zoos, circuses, and animals in the movies.) Was glad for the happy ending when it arrived, though the account isn't necessarily sad so much as moving. I was sad for the animals, but I felt compassion and hope for Oriel as she discovered her poetic voice and learned how to speak for herself--not only in an entirely new language but also in a form that was truly hers.

There are some places where bits of the narrative felt a little disjointed and I wanted more information, but otherwise 10/10 would read again.

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Singing with Elephants” by Margarita Engle is a novel in verse that chronicles the friendship that grows between a young girl and a poet. This friendship brings them closer together through a sense of hope and discovery that allows them to find peace and comfort in their lives.

Oriol lives in California. She is having a hard time fitting in socially, but her parents, who are veterinarians, allow her to help care for injured animals that they see, and this is something she finds solace in and enjoys. When Gabriela Mistral, a poet and Novel Prize in Literature winner comes into her life after moving nearby, Oriol begins to see growth in her own desire to be a writer. Her journey isn’t complete, though, as she finds that she must help a baby elephant at her parents’ veterinary clinic that is being threatened.

The book has many themes and morals, not the least of which is taking action and making change. Oriol starts writing and creating words that express herself and her feelings. She finds courage and strength in doing this, in seeking out what is right and pure and true.

The story is a pretty quick read due to the fact that it is written in verse. Oriol’s desire to help the elephant not only leads her to discover more about who she is, but to find that she has the power to affect change, even as the young girl she is during the course of the struggles she endures in the story.

Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oriol is struggling to adjust to life in California after moving there from Cuba with her veterinarian parents and Abuela. She likes helping care for all the animals, but she struggles with English and making friends. One summer, the combination of a famous South American poet moving into the neighborhood and the plight of a baby elephant help Oriol find more of her place in the world.

I like how Oriol helps convey the emotions of a child learning to navigate a new language and culture. It felt like something our international school students could relate to. The poet Oriol gets to know is based on a real person, Gabriel Mistral, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature and was an education reformer and ambassador. Adding her to the story helps Oriol know how to peacefully and legally protest what is happening with the baby elephant separated from its mother and sibling. It's a very simple story at its base of a homesick girl trying to rescue a baby elephant from misguided Hollywood types, told quickly through the novel in verse format. Not my favorite of Engle's stories, but it wasn't bad. I could see immigrant kids and animal lovers especially getting the most out of this story.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content beyond mentioning that Mistral held hands with her female secretary sometimes. A past suspected poisoning is mentioned, and non-violent cruelty to animals is part of the story.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hovers between a 3-3.5 star read for me. I loved the concept—a little girl who loves animals and wants to protect them while at the same time coming into her own voice as a poet. I also enjoyed learning a bit about Gabriela Mistral, whose work I was unfamiliar with. However, when I read a novel in verse, I want each entry/chapter to shine as a poem on its own. Of course you need the whole book to make sense of each piece, but I want to be swept up in the language and line breaks for each individual entry. (I’m thinking here of Brown Girl Dreaming). While there were certainly many beautiful passages throughout Singing With Elephants, there were plenty of poems that felt more like prose to me—they moved the plot along, but there was nothing that particularly captivated me in terms of language or arrangement on the page. I took the 5-10 seconds necessary to read the poem, then moved on without feeling the need to linger (and when I read a poem that really speaks to me, I want to linger, not rush). Again, there were exceptions, and I did think there were some lovely passages. Plus, I think it’s wonderful to introduce children to the intelligence and inherent dignity of animals, which Engle certainly does here.

[Elizabeth Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those “Ooooo, I like the cover of this book” moments led me to this beauty. So good. Written in verse so a very very quick read! I’d recommend 5th and up!

“A powerful novel in verse from Newbery and Pura Belpré Award-winning author Margarita Engle about the friendship between a young girl and the poet Gabriela Mistral that leads to healing and hope for both of them.

Cuban-born eleven-year-old Oriol lives in Santa Barbara, California, where she struggles to belong. But most of the time that’s okay, because she enjoys helping her parents care for the many injured animals at their veterinary clinic.

Then Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature moves to town, and aspiring writer Oriol finds herself opening up. And when she discovers that someone is threatening the life of a baby elephant at her parents’ clinic, Oriol is determined to take action. As she begins to create a world of words for herself, Oriol learns it will take courage and strength to do what she thinks is right—even if it means keeping secrets from those she loves.

A beautifully written, lyrically told story about the power of friendship—between generations, between humans and animals—and the potential of poetry to inspire action, justice, and acceptance.”

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

DD2 recommended this book to me.

Most books about Cuban-Americans are somehow connected to the Cuban Revolution. There are plenty of stories there worth telling, but it’s also refreshing to read a book about Cuban-Americans that doesn’t have anything to do with that event. In this case, Oriol and her family come to the US in the 1940s so that her grandmother can receive treatment for diabetes. In the meantime, her parents have found work as veterinarians, often caring for creatures that work in Hollywood. Oriol has to adjust to the reality that they probably won’t return to Cuba.

The format of the book is also unconventional, as it is a series of free verse poems. It works especially well with one of the themes: Oriol finding her voice—especially in English—by writing poetry under the tutelage of Gabriela Mistral, who really did live in California at that time. Even though Mistral was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in literature and remains the only Latin-American woman to have done so, her work still is not on a lot of people’s radars, so I was glad to see her depicted here.

This book is also a good read for animal lovers, especially fans of elephants.

[Victoria Marie Lees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle is a novel in verse. Not only is the language alive and visual, the story moves along crisply. Which is perfect for young readers. My Spanish is almost non-existent. No worries. Engle makes any Spanish in the story clear to the reader.

Oriol is eleven. Her family immigrated from Cuba to California to help her Abuelita [grandmother] who was sick with diabetes.

Oriol feels lonely. She doesn’t fit in at school. Her English vocabulary is limited. Her parents are veterinarians, and she smells of the animals she cares for.

But Oriol meets “la poeta,” the poetess Gabriela Mistral, in her town. [p-101, hardback edition] A Nobel Prize winner. A famous and kind person who shares her knowledge of language and poetry with Oriol. I love mentor stories.

Engle gives her fictitious characters a past and offers bits of Mistral’s real past. Engle gives a fuller account of Mistral’s life in her Author’s Note at the end of the book. She also offers “Further Reading” for both children and adults. [p-215]

Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle is full of tension and has a solid plot, an animal rights story. I learned much about animals and “making music of words.” [p-36] A truly wonderful story.

[Maria Steffen · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I Liked:
Books written in verse are always a hit at my school. There have been several books of recent written about elephants and I have become fascinated with these animals!

Oriol is a young girl adapting to life in California, after moving from Cuba. Due to the work of her parents helping care for injured animals, Oriol becomes invested in saving a baby elephant that was separated from its family. This overlaps with her new friendship with a famous poet, Gabriela Mistral, who helps her find her voice in an unfamiliar place.

What I Didn't Like:
While I love books in verse, this one did not strike me as one that will be appealing to kids. It seemed a bit more prose style, and maybe too deep for the intended audience. Since poetry and the relationship with the great poet Gabriela Mistral was a major part of the plot, I understand the prose, but just think it might be lost on middle grade readers.

Book Promo:
3rd-6th
ICCA book 2024-25
People who like verse books & poetry, activism, animal lovers, immigrants

[Christie]

So many beautiful truths shared via lyrical poetic phrasing that I couldn't help, but highlight, highlight, highlight as I read. Written with a mix of Spanish and English, and talking about the language of laughter and the language of animals, Singing with Animals honors the importance of communication and community, as well as the written, spoken and sung word (and tune). It honors cross-generational relationships and mentoring opportunities. It also advocates for peace at an individual level and a more worldly/global level. It also highlights that each of us has many facets, desires, dreams and skillsets. Humans are not meant to be just one thing. This is clear as the main character tries to share her writing, her talents with animals, her veterinary experiences and her longing for connection via friendship and family. There is such beauty and inspiration in this book with room for rich discussion amongst readers.