How Elegant the Elephant

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.