My Elephant Is Blue

Author: Melinda Szymanik

Stock information

General Fields

  • : 21.00 NZD
  • : 9780143775645
  • : Penguin NZ
  • : Picture Puffin
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  • : 0.214
  • : May 2021
  • : .9 Centimeters X 23.9 Centimeters X 28.4 Centimeters
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  • : 19.99
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  • : books

Special Fields

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  • :
  • : Melinda Szymanik
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  • : Paperback
  • :
  • : Vasanti Unka
  • : en
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Barcode 9780143775645
9780143775645

Description

A sweet and quirky story about a child who is stuck carrying around an elephant, wondering if they will ever feel light and free again . . .


A story full of humour and heart about having the blues, in the form of a big heavy elephant.


One day an elephant came and sat on my chest.
I found it hard to get up or move around, to breathe or talk.


"I'm Blue," the elephant said.
"Can you please move, Blue?" I asked.
"I don't want to move. This is a good spot for me to sit."

"You're crushing me," I said.
"Yet I find you very comfortable," said Blue.


Mum read every book about elephants she could get her hands on, while Dad phoned an elephant specialist someone recommended. They all tried pushing, and pulling, and persuading. But would anyone - or anything - be able to shift Blue?


Warm, empathetic, hopeful and often funny, with the ability to be read on different levels, My Elephant is Blue is the perfect story to help children explore and understand the experience of living under the weight of a big sadness.

Author description

Melinda Szymanik (Author)
Melinda writes picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults. She has been a finalist for a number of awards, and five of her titles are Storylines Notable Books. Her picture book, The Were-Nana, won the New Zealand Post Children's Choice Award in 2009, and was shortlisted for the 2010 Sakura Medal. Her novel, A Winter's Day in 1939, won Librarian's Choice at the 2014 LIANZA Awards and her picture book Fuzzy Doodle, was a 2017 White Raven Selection. She lives in Auckland with her family, and loves watching movies, eating out with her favourite people, and travelling abroad when the stars are aligned. She strongly believes that you can never have too many books, and you can never be too kind.

Vasanti Unka (Illustrator)
Vasanti is an award-winning writer, designer and illustrator noted for the originality of her storytelling, her riotously colourful and inventive illustrations and the gorgeous design and production of her picture books. She illustrated Hill & Hole by Kyle Mewburn (Puffin 2010), and wrote and illustrated the The Boring Book (Puffin 2013), Stripes! No, Spots! (Puffin 2015), Who Stole the Rainbow? (Puffin 2018) and I Am the Universe (Puffin 2020). These books won or were shortlisted for major awards in New Zealand and overseas, and have been translated into several languages. Vasanti lives in Auckland, New Zealand, where she juggles creative work and numerous book projects.