Half of an Elephant

by Gusti

After the world has split in half, an elephant wakes to find that half of himself has disappeared and begins to search for it. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193360509X
• ISBN13: 9781933605098
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.4" x 10.9"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Review from www.firrkids.com

One night, without warning, the world cracks in half. Animals everywhere discover that they too have been split. Half an elephant finds many other animals wandering about in the same predicament. Unable to find his other half, he attempts to join together with other animals, but with disappointing results. This book does a fabulous job of demonstrating how trash can easily be transformed into treasure. Nuts, bolts, screws, wooden bits, torn cardboard and papers are all given a new life here. Our preschoolers were fascinated with the creations, racing to point out objects they recognized. Favorites included the rhino made of bread and the tape measure giraffe, although the monkeys are also outstanding. Animals and scenery are pieced together out all sorts of items that would usually end up in the trash bin. Readers can see first hand how found objects are brought together to make art. "My idea," said Gusti, "is to show children that creativity helps us to live a better life." This is a simple story accompanied by the most wonderful visuals. Definitely a combination designed to delight and inspire the creative person in all of us!

A quality product from Gusti!

HALF OF AN ELEPHANT by Gusti This is a very clever children's book where the pictures are made from collages of various junkyard items such as used paint cans, rusty metal and wooden planks. The story involves a world where everything has been divided into two parts, including the world itself! The main character is an elephant who goes in search of his hind legs, but considers matching up with other animals. Meanwhile, his hind legs are trying to find the rest of his body as well. It reminded me a little of the book 'JUST SO STORIES' by Rudyard Kipling. My only complaint is that the ending is very very abrupt. It is a great book though, and worthwhile for the excellent illustrations alone! A high quality product all around.

Fun with discarded objects

An award-winning illustrator from Argentina, Gusti uses "digital images of numerous discarded objects 'to show children that art can be created from objects that usually end up in the garbage can.'" And uses him he does. The discarded object illustrations are dynamic and quite humorous in their composition. The story begins with an unexplained catastrophe: "One night, all of a sudden the world split in two." An elephant, pictured on the cover, finds his back half is missing. In his search for the rest of him, he meets other animals missing a half. And they're all suffering from a sense that something is missing. On the other side of the world, the other halves of the animals are having the exact same problem. And combining two halves of two different animals doesn't solve anything. Some animals talk too much, and when a monkey half and an elephant half join up, they're too heavy to climb a tree. Fortunately, all ends well for the animals, but children will love the mess inbetween as the animals combine into strange elephant-monkey, duck-elephant, chameleon-elephant hybrids. New from Kane/Miller, "Half of an Elephant" is lots of creative fun for kids ages 4-8 and is an excellent choice for an art lesson at school or at home. Read the book and inspire discarded-object art.