The Elephant Tree

by Penny Dale

Elephant wants to climb a tree - not a bird tree, or a monkey tree, or a tiger tree, but an elephant tree. So Elephant and his friends set out to find one.

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Friendship

Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Penny Dale was born in Abbey Road near The Beatles' Studio, but grew up in Ottery St Mary. Her first school was so small that all the children were in one classroom, and even that wasn't full. She drew and made things all the time and her dad showed her how to use a hammer properly, something she's still proud of. She made plasticine models of everything she could think of. When Penny was very small, she found her parents' folios from a time when they both went to life drawing classes in London. She remembers being immensely impressed by their drawing, and even though she was very young, she knew she wanted to draw like that one day. At her junior school she was encouraged to draw pictures to complement written work, and this she loved, though this was not encouraged later on at secondary school, which she found disappointing. However, she still managed to illustrate work in some subjects, like Science (lively diagrams), Geography (coloured-in maps) and even made a lift-the-flap Norman Castle in History.

After secondary school, Penny took a Foundation Course at Bristol, then took a gap year to work with the Arts Workshop in Bath, making props and costumes, acting, and counting the takings on foreign tours. Later she did a Fine Art Degree at Exeter, where she met her husband Bryan. After college she began working for a time at the Northcott Theatre, designing and making costumes and props again, before she and her husband moved to Northumberland to work on renewable energy projects and graphic design. Their daughter Sarah was born in Hexham, and a friendship developed with an artist she met at childbirth classes, which led to shared daughter-minding, making time for painting, drawing and print making. A year later Penny moved down to South Wales, where Bryan took up a lecturing post in design. It was there that she started to write and illustrate children's books.


Today Penny is one of the UK's leading illustrators of children's books. Her books have met with great success: BET YOU CAN'T and ONCE THERE WERE GIANTS were included in the UK SATS booklist for many years. WAKE UP MR B! was commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal 1988. ROSIE'S BABIES (written by Martin Waddell) won the Best Book for Babies award and was also shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1990. NIGHT NIGHT CUDDLY BEAR (also written by Martin Waddell) and TEN IN THE BED both won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award in 2001 and 2002 respectively. JAMIE AND ANGUS (written by Anne Fine) won the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award in 2003. Penny has sold over three million books worldwide and has been published in over twenty languages. Her most recent work includes PRINCESS, PRINCESS, as well as THE BOY ON THE BUS and JAMIE AND ANGUS TOGETHER.

Reviews

[Lucy Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a relatively simple story about an elephant who is facing a challenge that he is not suited to - climbing a tree. He is supported by his friends to help him find a solution to his problem. This is a sweet story of friendship to share with children who can discuss how their friends have helped them and how that makes them feel. However apart from this, there are few opportunities to expand this story in teaching.

[Amy Brydon Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, which tells the story of an Elephant who wants to climb a tree but cannot find one that suits him. I think the main theme of the book is friendship which is explored through the elephants friends helping him find one; this theme could be explored further in a KS1 PSHE lesson, however apart from this, there are not many other opportunities for teaching.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a play on words-- an "elephant" tree being a tree with an elephant in it! Good creativity, but not much of a story.

[Emily Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Elephant Tree is one of my favourite books from when I was a child. It was one that my Mum bought for me. I have always had a copy of it. I gave it 5 stars as it is a lovely book and I think everyone - adults and children should get the chance to read it.

In the story, Elephant decided that he wanted to climb a tree. However it needed to be the perfect tree. With his friends they go on an adventure to find that perfect tree. They found bird trees, monkey trees and bear tree. All the animals turn Elephant away and tell him their's aren't for elephants. Elephant was left feeling sad and that he would never find the perfect tree.
The tale ends with Elephant's friends making him his very own tree.

The book has bright colourful pictures that keep the reader engaged. There is a lot happening on each page, which could be useful in an Early years classroom. Due to there being a lot happening in the pictures every time it is read there is something else you notice. If reading the book on a one-one basis, you could ask the child to see if they can pick out how many monkey's, birds etc.
I would also use the story with year 2's and 3's. I would set them a take to come up with their own version of the story, adapting it so that it is suitable for readers of their age - using more advanced vocabulary and longer sentences.

I would want this book in my classroom and if possible I would have more than one copy so more children had the chance to read it.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Cute.

[Katheryn Christensen]

Picture book. I will use this to teach about friendship.