Where's the Elephant? book cover

Top 5 Children's Books About Elephants

When trying to foster a love of reading in your children, literally anything that gets them excited about books is a win. You're likely willing to scour through topic after topic of children's books, trying to find one that catches your child's interest. It can be challenging to do so!


However, most children love hearing and reading stories about animals, and children's books about elephants are some of the best ones. Seeing pictures and reading about these majestic creatures that they'd otherwise only be able to see in a zoo can help children get excited about reading and want to learn more.

Encouraging Reading Through Interesting Topics

In a child's mind, there is little more exciting than exotic animals, and elephants top the list. Elephants are incredible creatures, and sometimes it's hard to believe that they're actually real when confronted with pictures of them, stories about them, or even videos of them. Though we know of their existence and understand a lot about them, sometimes it's still difficult to wrap our brains around how incredible elephants are.

Children's books about elephants genuinely capitalize on the natural magic and mystery that elephants possess. They're such bizarre creatures, but also extremely intelligent, strong enough to carry people on their backs, and they make an awesome noise! All of this combined makes an elephant children's book an exciting pick for children.

Your child may start reading an elephant children's book, but it won't be long until that love morphs from children's books to chapter books, textbooks, and beyond. Allowing your child to start with a topic that they love can encourage them to continue reading, even into adulthood. Through this love of reading, they can even learn important topics like conservation, compassion, manners, and more. So, even if you think buying children's books about elephants may be a bit silly, consider what amazing things those books can do for your child in the future!

Best Elephant Books

Does your child love elephants, but you aren't sure what children's books about elephants to get? Start with these five incredible books that your child will love!

Where's the Elephant? by Barroux

In this brightly colored and beautifully illustrated book, Where's the Elephant? encourages children to find the elephant or another jungle animal on the beautifully decorated pages. However, as the book goes on, it's easier to find the animals because the trees slowly disappear from the pages. This book is an easy-to-understand yet poignant way to touch on deforestation and environmental crisis in a way that children can understand.

Richard Scarry's Polite Elephant by Richard Scarry


Richard Scarry's Polite Elephant has been a children's favorite since the early 1960s, and for a good reason. This beautifully illustrated elephant children's book goes through the ins and outs of manners and politeness in a way children can understand. You'll love reading this book with your child again and again!

What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot by Michelle Robinson

If you're looking for a silly read full of "jungle advice," What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot is exactly the book you're looking for. This fun book is full of tips and tricks on navigating your way through the jungle, including through such scrapes as escaping a crocodile and the titular question of an elephant standing on your foot. This funny story will leave you in stitches and ready to read it again, hoping the hero will make it out this time!

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss

Horton Hears a Who is a classic tale by Dr. Seuss that has found its way into the hearts and onto people's bookshelves for generations. This is an elephant children's book that tells the story of Horton, an elephant who is shocked to learn that the city of Whoville is located on a teeny-tiny speck of dust. They have a mayor, grocery stores, schools, and more, all contained in this tiny speck! Horton, unsure of how to help but knowing he wants to, uses his large elephant size and his massive, compassionate heart to stand up for the Whos of Whoville when no one else will. This is a fun tale of an elephant who learns to appreciate everyone, "no matter how small."

Animal Families: Jungle by Jane Ormes

Animal Families: Jungle is a children's book geared towards babies and toddlers, focusing on different animals. In Animal Families: Jungle, this beautifully illustrated and captivating picture book shows a different jungle family on each set of pages, naming each animal. When you lift the flap, your baby or toddler can see what the baby's name is for that animal! While this isn't solely fit into the category of children's books about elephants, it's a great way to introduce this fantastic animal to them in a way they can understand!

Book and Bear's Reading Subscription Kit

Here at Book and Bear, we're proud to be in the business of getting kids excited about reading. Whether they're really into children's books about elephants, cats, or even parrots, we're thrilled to bring this to your doorstep with our subscription kit.


When you register with Book and Bear, you'll sign up for our Book Reading Subscription Box With Animal Stuffing Kit. In this kit, you and your child will receive a children's book or a chapter book about that month's animal (depending on your child's age) and a stuffed animal friend of that same animal!


Each stuffed animal comes complete with the soft body of the stuffed animal, plus stuffing to stuff inside. Each stuffed animal comes complete with either Velcro or a zipper, so there's no sewing required! Also, in your kit, you'll receive an adoption certificate and a purple heart to place inside your child's stuffed animal to make a wish with their new best friend. We earnestly hope each of these kits encourages your child to keep their love of reading and get excited about new books.


If you're interested in signing up for our Reading Subscription Kit, check out our information and see what kind of kit is best for you!

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