How Elegant the Elephant: Poems About Animals and Insects [Hardcover]

A rollicking collection of poems about the enchanting world of animals and insects, from former children's poet laureate and New York Times bestselling author Mary Ann Hoberman and Caldecott Honoree illustrator Marla Frazee.

So many kinds of animals
So many shapes and sizes
So many funny spots and dots
So many strange disguises

With her signature wordplay and wit, former children’s poet laureate Mary Ann Hoberman celebrates the magnificence, ingenuity, and quirky qualities of creatures big and small. This thoughtfully crafted collection features sixty of Mary Ann’s personal favorite poems curated from her sixty-five-year body of work, as well as eight new poems. 

From a fine fat pig and backward running porcupines to a beastly card game and a yoga class for agile animals, this memorable menagerie is cunningly brought to life by three-time Caldecott Honoree Marla Frazee, in an imaginary world where the characters meet and tell an entertaining tale all their own.

A tour de force collection of poems and pictures by two legendary talents, this book creates a world that readers will never want to leave.Mary Ann Hoberman(1930–2023) was aNew York Timesbestselling author, former children’s poet laureate, and winner of the National Book Award who wrote more than fifty books.How Elegant the Elephantreflects three of Mary Ann’s lifelong passions: a love of animals, respect for the natural world, and the joy of wordplay. Her many notable works include the classic picture bookA House Is a House for Me; the poetry collectionsAway with Words!,Forget-Me-Nots, andThe Llama Who Had No Pajama; and the You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You series. For more information about Mary Ann and her work, you may visit maryannhoberman.com.

Marla Frazeehas written and illustratelS*