The Elephant at the Waldorf - Hardcover

Miranda, Anne; Vanderbeek, Don

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816734526 ISBN 13: 9780816734528

Publisher: Bridgewater Books, 1995

Synopsis

A lively tale in verse recounts how an entire circus crew and one little boy figure out how to get an elephant into one of the poshest hotels in New York City. By the author of Baby Talk.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Campy pastel illustrations with the fluidity of graffiti art give this book a certain punch, but the story itself lacks staying power. A girl and her mother happen upon a circus truck at the doors of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. (The uninitiated may wonder what the Waldorf actually is, for although Miranda refers midway through to "the Waldorf hotel," she doesn't account for the carnival's presence there.) Inside the truck is an elephant that-despite the best efforts of a ringmaster, acrobats, and magicians-won't enter the hotel. Ultimately, an elephant trainer's young son politely asks the elephant to move, whereupon, naturally, the animal complies. First-time children's illustrator Vanderbeek's splashy drawings-with their fuchsia and electric-blue highlights against hot greens and purples-seem to belong on animation cels. People are rendered as empty-headed caricatures, and vast New York skylines take on lush yellow and orange hues. The overly vertical, sans-serif typeface, however, intrudes somewhat on the wacky artwork. And despite Miranda's attempts to enliven the text-by rhyming "euphoria" and "Astoria," for instance-her tale amounts to a pallid lesson in manners. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 2?A young girl and her mother watch from the sidewalk as a circus troop attempts to coax an elephant from its truck into the hotel where the animal is to perform. Acrobats, trapeze artists, and clowns all fail, as does the trainer, until the man's young son saves the day. This is a nicely written, humorous, rhyming tale, reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's work. Unfortunately, the illustrations, dominated by dark shades of purple, green, and gold and containing human figures with grossly exaggerated features, convey a garish, disturbing edge that is at odds with the light tone of the verse. There are many delightful circus stories already available; stick with them.?Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bridgewater Books
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0816734526
• ISBN 13: 9780816734528
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Vanderbeek Don