An Unforgettable Journey
written by Sophie Strady
illustrated by Jean-Francois Martin
Back Cover Description:
An elephant never forgets...
In the memory of a very, very old, left-handed, helicon-playing elephant named Marcel, you'll find an aye-aye, the Empire State Building, cornes de gazelle, macarons, a Japanese macaque, a Komodo dragon, a Great Hornbill, a butterfly stool, a Japanese sable, a combo organ, an electric guitar, a giraffe piano, the seven seas of the world, a fenne fox, a desert rat, an ibis, the eight planets of the solar system, an ant chair, fruit sorbet, Ziggy hummingbird, a gecko, a boater hat, an edelweiss, an orangutan, a baobab, a black velvet mask, a tailcoat, the Agbar Tower, dozens of presents, a Viking longship, a caravel, thousands of knots, a balalaika, a fabulous party, and also...an enormous bunch of bananas!
My Thoughts:
There is SO much to love about this over-sized (11" X 14") imaginatively illustrated picture book; first published in France in 2012, and released in the United States this year. Themes of valuing life-long learning, and special friendships, are woven throughout the book, but what I most took away from Sophie Strady's story was: Live. Live as big as an elephant! Facts about elephants are also included throughout the book, as well as Marcel's taste in clothing - and seemingly everything else. The author also made extraordinary word choices in The Memory of an Elephant - something I always enjoy. I fell in love with the encyclopedia-writing elephant named Marcel, and you will too. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages, and for coffee tables in the most fashionable of homes.
