Elmer and Butterfly

Elmer

by David McKee

The famous patchwork elephant is back in another heart-warming adventure about friendship and teamwork.One day, as Elmer is strolling through the jungle, he hears a cry for help. A butterfly has been trapped in a hole by a fallen branch. Elmer rushes to the rescue and frees her with ease. In return she promises to help Elmer should he ever need it. Elmer cannot imagine how a tiny butterfly could ever help him, but he finds out sooner than he expects.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Storytime, Friendship

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

David McKee was a British writer and illustrator, chiefly of children's books and animations. He also used the pseudonym Violet Easton. He is frequently referenced as David (John) McKee. He has been commended for his gentle, playful but insightful stories.

For his contribution as a children's illustrator he was UK nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006.

Reviews

[Gil-or (readingbooksinisrael) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A retelling of 'The Lion and the Mouse' from Aesop's Fables.

The Good
-It's a book that uses the same characters which kids already know which is good in pre-reading.
-The Lion and the Mouse is a good story.
-It uses the elements from The Lion and the Mouse in a way which fit into Elmer's world very well.

The Bad
-There was a place where the language was a bit clunky.
-The whole arc of Elmer's cousin being able to mimic other animals' voices was unnecessary and took focus off from the main story. Why have two arcs in a book that has more pictures than words?

[KT · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you butterfly

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a multi-coloured elephant named Elmer. He goes on a walk and stumbles across Butterfly who has become trapped behind a fallen branch, Elmer rescues Butterfly and Butterfly is extremely grateful. Butterfly tells Elmer that is he ever needs her all he has to do is call out her name. Elmer finds this amusing as he doesn’t think a small little butterfly would be able to do anything to save a big elephant.

Elmer continues his walk until he reaches a narrow path leading to a cave, realising he can’t walk backwards Elmer continues onto the cave where some of the path collapses leaving him trapped! No one can hear Elmer’s cries for help; he then remembers what Butterfly said. Butterfly appears as soon as Elmer has called her name and calls upon all of the other elephants to help rescue Elmer from the cave.

This book is a lovely story and is extremely well illustrated with the pictures depicting the words on the page. All illustrations are brightly coloured and capture the audience’s attention. If a child is not secure in their reading they will still be able to understand and follow the story using the pictures.

I would say that this book is aimed more at 4-5 year olds.

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting twist on "The Lion and the Mouse" fable
Fables

[Elvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but cute story suitable for children. It also had a great moral. And the art was very pleasant. At the center of those great visuals was the main character Elmer. It was great that he was a kind elephant, but that he was a colorful patchwork one, made him a remarkable, memorable character. I'd almost say that he is an iconic-looking character.

It's a super quick read and it's mainly designed for children. Yet as an adult I had to check out what this intriguing character was all about and look at the glorious art. It's all inspiration for my own art. And it was inspiring. Nice, clean, heartwarming story proficiently written. But it was the art that I truly admired. It felt painterly, having a naive, bright, colorful, whimsical tone that reminded me of Paul Klee and Henri Rousseau. Those are two of my favorite artists and it was easy to see why this struck me so well.

An enriching read for kids and a delightful display of art and visual storytelling for artists of all ages. I'm curious to see more of Elmer's adventures.

[D. Dorka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elmer természetesen a jóság mintaképe, ezért amikor a pillangó bajba kerül, segít neki. De még a legjobbakkal is megesik, hogy alábecsülnek valakit a könnyű testfelépítése, apró termete vagy bármi hasonló dolog miatt. Elmer is beleesik ebbe a hibába – el sem tudja képzelni, egy pillangó milyen helyzetben segíthet majd neki.

Őszintén szólva itt valami nagyobb durranásra számítottam, valami meglepőbbre. Röviden a tanulság, hogy nem a méretek és az erő az egyetlen, ami számít. Hozzátenném, hogy ez a 21. századi civilizált társadalmakban hatványozottan igaz. Aztán persze elég pár disztópiát elolvasni, és elég világosság válik, hogy még nagyon is eljöhet az az idő, amikor megint előnyt fog élvezni a fizikai rátermettség.

[✨️ Louise Allen ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just finished *Elmer and the Butterfly* and I have to say, I absolutely loved it! David McKee really knows how to craft a lovely, heartwarming story. It’s such a charming read, perfect for kids but also really enjoyable for adults. The illustrations are bright, cheerful, and full of character — you can’t help but smile while flipping through the pages.

What I appreciated most was the gentle message about kindness, patience, and understanding. Elmer’s adventures always remind me of the importance of being true to yourself and helping others. It’s a lovely story to share with little ones or to enjoy on your own with a cuppa. Definitely a five-star read in my book! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, uplifting tale.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love an entertaining story with a good moral and this book has many morals that quickly come to mind. Together we can save others. Together we can do hard things. Going places with a buddy is a good idea. No one is too small or insignificant to help you or do you a favor someday. When you do others a favor, they will want to return it. What morals do you get when you read this story?

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok. My kids enjoyed it but more for the colorful elephants than for any of the actual plot. Although the moral of the story is good (never underestimate who might help you out) the story is just forgettable.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. I loved the concept that such a little creature as a butterfly could save an elephant, simply because he could hear Elmer and fly to talk to him. The illustrations were cute, and it is interesting to see how the illustrations have changed from the first Elmer book.

[BookWormBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story about not under estimating anyone and the value of kindness. Plus a bonus of how sometime curiosity without thought can get you in to difficult places and you should never be afraid to ask for help.

Cute illustrations and I feel a lot of scope to help children learn.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Just not keen on Elmer books.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A preschool and up book about Elmer the elephant helping a butterfly who then promises to help him should he ever need help. How can a butterfly ever help an elephant?

[Terri Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teamwork makes the dream work!

It was a good book. My son liked Wilbur and his black and white pattern. I enjoyed the illustrations and the teamwork theme.

[Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the elephant saved the butterfly, then the butterfly saved the elephant.

[dmerey · Rating 3 out of 5]

sayilir mi bilmiyorum ama bence sesli okuma yaptigim icin sayilir. (kesinlikle reading challengeimda behind oldugum icin boyle pathetic bir yonteme basvurmadim why would you ever think that)

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elmer the patchwork elephant helps a trapped butterfly then how the butterfly helps him.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely message about friends being able to help each other no matter what size they are.

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jotenkin tosi vanhanaikaisen tuntuinen kirja, vaikka onkin vuodelta 2002. En osaa sanoa miksi tuollainen tuntemus, mutta jotenkin kuitenkin ei ihan tätä päivää oikein miltään osin.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone's favorite patchwork elephant is back in Elmer and Butterfly by David McKee.

When Elmer helps Butterfly get out of a hole blocked by a fallen branch, he doubts that she will be able to return the favor. Then Elmer wanders onto a narrow path and becomes trapped in a cave. With Butterfly's help, Elmer's cousin Wilbur and the other elephants mount a rescue.

This story reminiscent of the fable of "The Lion and the Mouse" but also includes McKee's own brand of writing and humor.

Butterfly reminds readers that even the smallest animals can help a friend in need. McKee's signature style includes high contrast and sharp detail on every page along with easy to read text. Bold colors and whimsical illustrations make this an excellent read-aloud choice, while longer text selections on each page make this book ideal for older storytime attendees as well.

*A more condensed version of this review appeared in an issue of School Library Journal from which it can be seen in various sites online*

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. Since we're studying butterflies right now this seemed to be a good one. We were a little stumped by the idea of a patchwork elephant. Why is he patchwork? The other stumpifying material was the elephant's friend, Wilbur. He seems to play a significant part of the story by throwing his voice, but he isn't a significant part of the story.

We did love the idea that a butterfly could save an elephant though. Everyone has strengths!

[Megan Groen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elmer and the Butterfly (2014)
David McKee

(Fantasy)
This book reads very much like a modern day folktale, similar to the Lion and the Mouse, in which a small creature helps a large creature. With it's overly predictable plot, I didn't love this book; but I did realize that it was part of a collection of "Elmer" books that might be worth checking out.

[Peninnah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun addition to the Elmer canon.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute version of lion and mouse

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie's favorite parts were that they saved him and they made new friends. I liked how it highlighted our different strengths

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and cute story! My daughter loved Elmer! We cannot wait read more about this colorful elephant's adventures for sure <3

[Liz De Coster · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are really visually attractive but the storytelling language seems a little ... stiff or formal.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

just like the old fable the lion and the mouse

[Ginny Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me of "The Lion and the Mouse" plot. Love the way Mr. McKee fills up the illustrations with lots of visually stimulating colors.

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan fall reading 2016, children's book, picture book, series, elmer, differences, helping, friends, prek, kindergarten, first grade, second grade