Elephant Island

Leo Timmers, Gecko Press (MAR 1) Hardcover $18.99 (40pp), 978-1-77657-434-6

A shipwreck is usually a disaster, but Arnold is a resourceful elephant calf, with a built-in snorkel-slash-horn. He makes it safely to an island the size of his feet and signals for help. The one impediment to his rescue? He’s not quite aware of his size. This light-tension, winking tale of a makeshift homecoming is sure to delight audiences at story time. Its mixed-media illustrations evoke stop-motion films; the animals’ stiff, bewildered looks are humorous, and the colors and clever details are electrifying.