Elephants Never Forget by Anushka Ravishankar and Christine Pieper (Tara Books)

Tara Books have reissued a real classic, a fantastic animal book that has a fairly simple story with simple artwork - but with so many brilliant little moments both heartwarming and delightful that make us glad it's coming back to bookshelves.

"Elephants Never Forget" is a fish out of water (or is that "Elephant out of Drinking Hole") tale of a baby elephant who ends up separated from his tribe. Left all alone in the hot sun, poor baby elephant doesn't have much of a chance of survival, but he's no dumbo, he manages to find the most unlikely allies. The buffalo love Elephant and his 'joie de vivre'. The young buffalos especially love the fact that elephant loves to play, particularly in the mud and water.

Look at his face! Now that's an elephant who LOVES having fun!

As elephant grows bigger and stronger, he becomes such an important member of the buffalo tribe that they are inseparable. He defends them against attack by the nasty tiger, he showers them every morning to keep the ticks at bay - and he's still the best playmate in the world. But what will happen when elephant once again meets his own kind? Will he choose to stay with the buffalo or will he go back?

Anushka's rhymes are wonderfully sing-song (she is described as India's "Dr Seuss" which is definitely apt). Christine Pieper's illustrations look like fairly simple line work but she has an astonishing knack for imbuing her characters with flowing movement and the most wonderful expressions (we can't get over how funny some of elephant's faces are when he's having fun).

It doesn't get any better than having a good wallow in the mud!

"Elephants Never Forget" is reprinted on 1st June 2014.

Like everything Tara publish, it's nigh-on unmissable!











Charlotte's best bit: Elephant wallowing with lots of baby buffalos using his tummy as a trampoline!

Daddy's Favourite bit: An entertaining story, fabulously told with flowing rhymes and a really heartwarming end. Loved the artwork too, it's brilliant and simple.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Tara Books)