Book Review: When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles – by Susanna Leonard Hill; fun activity, & announcements!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book: When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES
Author: Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustrator: Daniel Wiseman
Publisher: Little Simon
Date: July 11, 2017
Genre: children’s – age 2-4; Preschool & up
Pages: 26; board book
Price: $7.99 US; $10.99 CDN
My rating: An enjoyable story for picture book lovers of all ages

This is my fourth post (I’ll have 12) as my part in the back-to-back blog tours for Susanna Leonard Hill‘s three books coming out this month.

When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES, written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman is the second delightful story just right for little ‘uns in the new series of When Your … books.

The very exciting thing is that – as of TODAY – both books are available for purchase!

As with When Your LION Needs a Bath, the first thing you’ll notice about this board book is the adorable illustrations. On the front cover is a miserable-looking elephant with flushed cheeks and lots of tissues. He obviously is not well. Oh dear.

From the beginning of the story you know this little elephant needs some loving care. He is sniffling and has a fever, and the reader is informed that “you don’t want your elephant to start sneezing!”

The little girl in the story sets out to care for her elephant. She removes anything that will make him sneeze. The illustrator, Daniel Wiseman, came up with a funny idea for this visual included below; see it? She tucks her elephant into bed and makes sure he has all he needs. The clever touch you will notice as you read this book is his favourite stuffed toy is … the lion from the first book!

 

 

 

 

Text copyright © 2017 by Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustration copyright © 2017 by Daniel Wiseman
Used by permission of Little Simon

The real challenge begins when Elephant becomes bored as a patient but who is not yet well enough to get out of bed. The little girl is reminded to not make him sneeze as she tries to entertain him with props she chooses. But what if it happens anyway? You find out on the very last page. It’s a cute ending – an awwww moment – that will make you smile with Elephant.

This story, as with the first one, is not written in little words, or only three or four per page. It is written to be read to little ones. The uncomplicated, muted – with occasional splashes of bold colour – illustrations are well-suited to calm the child who is sick with the sniffles. When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles has definite child appeal so the child can fully appreciate what is being told. It will be fun for beginning readers to figure out the bigger words through remembering the story while feeling accomplished with the easier words. This story is for everyone’s reading pleasure.

When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles is the second book in the When Your … series, and there are already two more being released later with more planned.

BONUS: To add to the fun, Susanna has provided us with an elephant game! 

*** Elephants On A Tightrope Game

This is a fun activity for a group of preschoolers – at home, at the playground, or at school.  (Plus they’ll think it’s a game, but they’ll actually be practicing their balance and coordination 😊 ) It can be played indoors or outdoors.

Make a “tightrope” line with chalk or tape.

Start with one child balancing on the line while everyone sings: (to the tune of 5 Little Ducks)

“One elephant went out to play

On a tightrope string one day.

He had such enormous fun

He called for another elephant to come!”

The child calls out the name of another child who comes and joins him/her on the “tightrope”

Then the song starts again with:

“Two elephants went out to play

on a tightrope string one day…” etc.

The cycle repeats until all the children are balancing together on the “tightrope” and the last singing verse ends with:

They had such enormous fun

The tightrope broke and they all fell down!”

And all the children can collapse on the floor 😊

If you want to make the game a little harder, or appropriate for kindergartners or slightly older kids, use the raised edge of a sidewalk or patio or wooden border at the park or around landscaping or a floor-level preschool balance beam if you have one as the “tightrope”. ***

Wait! Before you go I have two other important things to tell you.

Come back on Thursday, July 13, for my first interview with an illustrator! Daniel Wiseman, illustrator of Susanna’s Lion and  Elephant books, shares some fascinating info. And … we’re having a giveaway! (Be sure to follow the fun and easy rules to get into the draw.)

Exciting things are happening all month! Read about it HERE. 

We look forward to your supportive comments.

You can find When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES by Susanna Leonard Hill on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there. 

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂