ELEPHANT WHITE

A Picture Book text for 2-5 year olds

Spread 1

‘Elephant White you are my best friend in the whole wide world!’ Lucy gave Elephant White her very special cuddle. Elephant White smiled his happiest smile...and then the doorbell rang…

Spread 2

‘Lucy? It’s Aunt Lizzie! And she’s brought you a present!’ Lucy tore the paper away, ‘A Big Blue Bear! He’s beautiful!’ she cried and she gave the Big Blue Bear a very special cuddle.

Elephant White sat on his own and sadly watched them play.

Spread 3

Later, beneath the Silver Spring moon, as Lucy slept clutching her Big Blue Bear and dreamed of candy floss dragons, Elephant White shimmied down the drainpipe and looked back at the house.

‘It’s time to find a new home’ he sighed, and sadly walked away.

Spread 4

Elephant White joined the famour Mouse Circus! He pulled on a p-air of baggy trousers, painted his trunk red and rolled it up into a big round nose. At the grand finale of the show he climbed to the top of the mouse pyramid and stood on one leg! How the crowd cheered and cheered! Elephant White thought 'THis feels fine!' But they wavered and they wobbled, and they swayed and they swaggered... 'The white elephant is too heavy!' cried the Mouse Ringmaster, and they all came tumbling down. The crowds cheered brightly and laughed out loud, But it didn’t feel like home.

Spread 5

Later, beneath the Golden Summer Moon, as the mouse clowns snored and the trapeze mice dreamed of flying with real wings, Elephant White tip toed away and looked back at the Big Top. ‘It’s time to find a new home’ he sighed, and sadly walked away.

Spread 6

Elephant White joined the Badger Pirates! The Big black and white Beardy Captain bellowed "Watch my white elephant swing in the riggin' Watch my white elephant find treasure by diggin’" The pirates sang shanties whilst jokin’ and jiggin’, But it didn’t feel like home.

Spread 7

Later, beneath a Bronzed Autumn moon, as the Captain cuddled his parrot and the pirates dreamed of pieces of eight, ten and even twenty, Elephant White crept along the gang plank and looked back at the ship. ‘It’s time to find a new home.’ He sighed, and sadly walked away.

Spread 8

Elephant White became a daredevil pilot with the Red Swallows! The Squadron Leader squawked, "See my white elephant loop the loop! See my white elephant roll and scoop!" The crowds applauded, and gasped and whooped, but it still didn’t feel like home.

Then the little plane coughed and began to droop so Elephant White with his parachute jumped out! A shout! Geronimooooooooooooo! And he floated down… But where did he go?

Spread 9

(Illustration here might suggest features from Lucy’s garden – so we are given a hint visually where he has landed)

Elephant White felt lost and alone and not any closer to finding a home so he curled his trunk around his cold toes, and sank into the snow..

Spread 10

Later, beneath a Pale Winter moon, as Elephant White lay making Snow Angel Elephants, and dreamed he was looking up at Lucy, he heard voices.

Spread 11

"Where’s my white elephant?" Squawked the Squadron Leader

"Where’s my white elephant?" Bellowed the Big Beardy Captain

"I’m here for my white elephant!" Announced the Ringmaster.

‘He’s not a white elephant!’ whispered another…

Spread 12

Elephant White slowly opened his eyes and there was Lucy, her face full of smiles.

‘He’s Elephant White! He’s my best friend in the whole wide world and I’ve been looking for him

for such a long time.

Then she gave him a very very special cuddle.