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How Elegant the Elephant

Poems About Animals and Insects

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How Elegant the Elephant Open the full-size image

Contributors

By Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated by Marla Frazee

Formats and Prices

Price

$20.99

Price

$27.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. Hardcover $20.99 $27.99 CAD
  2. ebook $12.99 $16.99 CAD

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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.

Genre:

  • * "Many of Hoberman’s poems adeptly incorporate scientific facts.... A labor of love, both a fitting tribute to its poet creator and a grand reimagining, thanks to incredible artistic skills."
    Kirkus Reviews, starred review
  • "This collection celebrates the acclaimed poet’s lifelong love of animals and bugs.... The artwork simultaneously complements each poem and engages observant readers in amusing subplots set in various locales in and around the hotel.... A playful addition to larger poetry collections."
    School Library Journal
  • Praise for Away With Words:

    A Bank Street College Best Children's Book
  • Praise for Forget-Me-Nots:

    * "A multidimensional and thoughtful cross section of verse with keepers on nearly every page." B>Publishers Weekly, starred review

    * "A treasure trove of the familiar and the fresh.... A wonderful gift book for poetry lovers, but even children who have never considered learning a poem by heart will find much to love here."
    The Horn Book, starred review
  • Praise for You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together:

    "Hoberman is really the master of unforced rhyme...and Emberley's pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are as consistently spry as the poems."
    The Horn Book

On Sale
Mar 11, 2025
Page Count
88 pages
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13
9780316417129

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Mary Ann Hoberman

About the Author

Mary Ann Hoberman is a former Children’s Poet Laureate and a winner of the National Book Award. During her tenure as Children’s Poet Laureate, Ms. Hoberman visited numerous classrooms and libraries, introducing both children and adults to the joys of reading and memorizing poetry. She is the author of more than forty books for children, including All Kinds of Families! and the award-winning You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You series.

Learn more about this author

Marla Frazee

About the Illustrator

Marla Frazee is a two-time Caldecott Honor winner and the recipient of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, including All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Stars by Mary Lyn Ray, and Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, as well as her own Farmer Books trilogy, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, and The Boss Baby, which inspired the DreamWorks Animation film. She is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Clementine chapter books by Sara Pennypacker. The mother of three grown sons, she lives in Pasadena, California. She invites you to visit her at MarlaFrazee.com.

Learn more about this illustrator