The importance of being Elmer. (Elmer - David McKee)

Name: peel.rebekah

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Product:	Elmer - David McKee
Date:	14/07/01 (242 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Charming, easy, sweet and true.

Disadvantages: Can't think of any.

Pre baby in belly, I had little motivation to discover 'new' children's fiction, as you would imagine: I was quite happy with my own childhood memories of Mr Men and Beatrix Potter, thank you: Then those hormones start kicking in; one starts oohing and aahing over under-sized Adidas trainers and sickly sweet teddy bears with pinched up faces; one also begins to truely believe that ones baby in belly is sure to be the greatest thinker/writer/painter/lover etc. etc. that this world will ever have the chance to encounter, and so one listens to all the advice of stimulating ones child's brain and one delves into that expensive parent trap that is educational toys.

Damn that Early Learning Centre to hell; curses to the Lamaze company and co; we are all victims of this grand escapade that parts us from our money in search of the prodigy within (my god, there's even a site called geniusbaby.com, arrrgh).

And then I met up with Elmer.

The elephant in question was a soft toy; a patchwork, multicoloured, mirthful type of soft toy, that immediately caught my attention with his gleeful vibrancy and simple stuffing - sure to attract the unfocused eye of a newly born, and certain to pleasure that tiny tot with his overtly friendly smile...I just didn't see that consumer pitfall opening wide before me to swallow me whole.

You see, Elmer ain't just this cutely enamoring pretend elephant, oh no; he is, formally and foremost, a free thinking, fun loving, and slightly eccentric character of the books bearing his name, written by David McKee. He is also a plastic bath time friend that spouts water into the eyes of your babs, also a series of audio tapes that your babs decides he can not go to sleep without (either listening to or de-spooling), and, of course, he is also a pleasingly cute poster that your babs tries to rip from the walls at every given occasion.

*Elmer's history is still a little mystery to me:
You see, I later found his handsome self and trunk adorning some really cool 1960's wallpaper - gee, has he been around that long? (See Taschen series of decade decor books for proof).

All this consumerism aside (and it really is my own fault, as previously Victor was more than content with splashing water in his own eyes and listening to semi warped Bjork cassettes), Elmer has made a welcome entrance into our lives, and is continuing to find favour in my now 17 months old eyes.

So what's so special about Elmer? Well, he just ain't like the others: All the other elephants are grey; commonplace, indistinguishable, repetitive grey: Mummy elephant is grey, baby elephant is grey, great uncle twice removed elephant is, yes, you've guessed it, grey. And then in waltzes the bestest non conformist elephant - Elmer - with his plentiful flavoured hide backside.

Elmer lives with his herd deep in the jungle; in those first few words that were written about him, he questioned his differences, he tried to conform, but it just didn't work for him: He's a joker, our Elmer, and he likes to spring a gag or to on his peers; his (several) pranks of making himself 'normal' elephant colour causes bemusement and merriment among the ranks, and Elmer illustrates the point clearly that it's just dandy to be different.

His differences also cause the other elephants to admire him; to seek his advice and counsel - and our Elmer ain't no Dumbo.

Oooh, no: all the elephants are frightened because the elephant hunters are coming, what can they do to avoid having their feet cut off to make particularly unattractive umbrella stands (not in the book, I hasten to add, just a personal dislike)? Well, they can ask Elmer if he has any ideas. And just how inventive is this elephant? Raa-ther. He comes up with the idea of walking through the jungle on stilts, with cut out monster feet attached the wrong way round to the bo
ttoms - this way the hunters think that the monsters are going in the opposite direction (and of course, they'll never raise their eyes and notice a few tonnes of elephant passing lightly, sprightly overhead), and will be led away in hot pursuit - in the contrary direction to the elephants...

Except it doesn't quite work like that, as Elmer forgot just what scaredy cats elephant hunters really are: And when they see the monster footprints, the hunters turn to flee - bumping straight bang into stilted elephants, causing them to tumble - thump thump bump, straight onto the hunters' heads. (Elmer on stilts - Red Fox Picture Book, ISBN 0099296713).

And, aarh, poor little baby elephant has lost his teddy bear; mummy elephant just can't console him...who do they turn to in their time of need? Why, Elmer of course, to scour the jungle in search of that much loved teddy, asking his hoards of friends (Elmer knows everybody and everybody knows Elmer) to keep an eye out...the simple story illustrates that EVERYBODY'S teddy is sacred unto themselves; even Elmer's multicoloured 'special' teddy is no replacement for baby elephant's dull grey one (Elmer and the lost teddy - Red Fox Picture Book, ISBN 0099404168).

And of course, for a little variety, we can meet Elmer's cousin, Wilbur, who is also a little different: Wilbur is a black and white patchwork elephant, who dupes all the other elephants ('cept Elmer, 'cos he's too cleverish) with his ventriloquist acts.

All this in soft back, hard back or board book form (for the avid dribbler); all this in joyously easy prose; all this available in most European languages (handy for me as we have to have an equally mixed French/English library); all this with terribly pleasing pictures to boot:

That's what really does it for me, you see. I 'm aestheticly bought by most children?s illustrations (I feel a hungry caterpillar coming on s
trong), and Elmer is more than pleasing to the eye.

Colours, lots and lots of colours: Easy, but slightly peculiar flora and fauna; simply and sweetly rounded elephants with shrunken legs; rotund tiny blue birds scattered for young eyes to count; and ELMER: Never a more stylish and eye pleasing elephant to be found, I promise you. The illustrations are strong, simple, darling and eye catching - even a four month old Victor was fascinated.

As for those elementary moral stories hidden within the charming narrative: Well, for the moment, it's just me that gives them any attention, as Victor is more intrigued by mummy's silly reading books voices than the deeper, underlying reason to things...but then I'm sure the day will come when he realises that Elmer is different for a reason.

The Elmer books were the first books Victor picked up and brought to mummy's lap all by himself; I find him sitting at the bottom of the stairs pretending to read them; and every night my little Victor goes to sleep with his little stuffed Elmer held tightly in his arms.

Yeh, yeh, I'm a sucker mummy; a consumer of chubby distinct elephants for the intellectual stimulus of my child, whatever: This elephant has found a place in both our hearts, and I'm going to advise you to let him into your own and your child's.

Enjoy.

Also available: Elmer, Elmer again, Elmer and Wilbur, Elmer in the snow (to my shame, we have this in French, but I leave it to daddy), Elmer and the wind.

P.S. If anybody knows of the whereabouts of Elmer wallpaper, please tell.

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