Have You Seen an Elephant?

In this delightful story, Alex the explorer sets out on an expedition to find some elephants. She brings her elephant journal which is filled with fun and interesting facts about elephants. She begins her expedition by asking all the other animals she comes across if they have seen an elephant. She asks a giraffe, a frog, a rhinoceros, and a lion. But none of the other animals have seen an elephant! Young readers will really enjoy pointing out the elephants that are “hiding” on each page.

Readers will also get to see Alex’s journal and learn many fun facts about elephants, including how much elephants can eat in a day, how long they live, and the names of the different species of elephants. After asking a few more animals, Alex realizes how hard it is to find elephants. She decides to try to find tigers. She starts by asking an elephant if it has seen a tiger.

Readers will learn a lot about elephants with Alex’s journal and will enjoy the bright and expressive illustrations that show an elephant’s habitat as well as lots of different animals. Although the story and illustrations make Have You Seen an Elephant? a fun book for young readers, it also serves as an allegory for why elephants are hard to find in the wild. At the end of the story, Ellis explains that both African and Asian elephants are endangered species, and she provides a thorough list of resources for further information on elephants and how organizations around the world are helping. There are also instructions for readers to create their own journals, just like Alex. Have You Seen an Elephant? is a great introduction to non-fiction books, animal conservation, and allows readers to explore their love of animals.