Books all about elephants

Everyone loves elephants! Here are some of our favourite books about elephants. They’re unforgettable…

  • Elmer’s Friends

    by David McKee 

    1994 0 to 9 years 

    • Board books
    • Classics
    • Picture books
    • Disability

    A colourful board book in which the ever-popular Elmer the Elephant praises each of his friends for their different strengths

  • The Elephant and the Bad Baby

    by Elfrida Vipont, illustrated by Raymond Briggs 

    1973 0 to 4 years 

    • Classics
    • Picture books

    One day, an elephant offers a baby a ride through the town, and the set off on a great adventure.

  • Elmer

    by David McKee 

    1968 2 to 7 years 

    • Funny
    • Picture books

    The first book in David McKee’s iconic series about a friendly, fun elephant and his adventures, Elmer is a true ambassador of inclusion, acceptance and celebrating difference. 

  • Elephants Never Forget

    by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrated by Christiane Pieper 

    2014 2 to 9 years 

    • Around the world
    • Picture books

    A simple tale about an elephant who gets lost in a storm. He falls in with a herd of buffalo, who save him from a tiger attack and soon the elephant becomes one of them.

  • Elmer and the Bedtime Story

    by David McKee 

    2021 2 to 7 years 

    • Funny
    • Picture books

    Elmer, everyone’s favourite patchwork elephant, is looking after young elephants Stella and Mel and deciding which story he should tell them at bedtime. With colourful illustrations and gentle humour, this charming tale is the perfect bedtime read.

  • Have You Seen Elephant?

    by David Barrow 

    2015 2 to 7 years 

    • Around the world
    • Funny
    • Picture books

    This hilarious book – about an elephant who wants to play hide and seek – will delight children and adults with its offbeat humour and beautiful illustration.

  • Animal Actions: Stomp Like an Elephant!

    by Guilherme Karsten 

    2025 2 to 3 years 

    • Board books
    • Interactive

    Can you run like a cheetah, slither like a snake, swing like a monkey or stomp like an elephant? This book will show you how, with the ingenious use of slides and tabs that little ones can use to move the animals around on the page.

  • The Elephant that Ate the Night

    by Bing Bai, illustrated by Yuanyuan Shen 

    2018 2 to 7 years 

    • Around the world
    • Picture books

    Children and families will enjoy this calming lullaby of a book, with its gentle refrain, muted colours and fairy tale-like charm. It’s a great one for children who are scared of the dark, and it’s perfect for bedtime and settling down for the night. 

  • You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus

    by Patricia Cleveland-Peck, illustrated by David Tazzyman 

    2015 2 to 9 years 

    • Funny
    • Poetry and rhyme

    This wonderful picture book is filled with funny rhymes matched with irresistible illustrations.

  • Strictly No Elephants

    by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo 

    2020 4 to 7 years 

    • Picture books

    This is a touching picture book about a boy and his small pet elephant. The boy realises that having such an unconventional pet singles him out, yet he doesn’t waver in his friendship and loyalty.

  • The Elephant and the Sea

    by Ed Vere 

    2024 4 to 7 years 

    • Picture books

    A picture book about an old elephant looking back to his childhood dreams and how he achieved them 

  • Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency

    by Cressida Cowell, illustrated by Neal Layton 

    2016 4 to 9 years 

    • Adventure
    • Picture books

    Emily, her rabbit Stanley, and their friend Matilda are doing Very Important Things and having Great Adventures, but keep getting interrupted by the emergency telephone. Cowell and Layton perfectly blend imaginative play with reality.

  • Elephant in My Kitchen!

    by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Ella Okstad 

    2020 4 to 7 years 

    • Around the world
    • Funny
    • Picture books
    • Poetry and rhyme

    A young boy is rather perturbed when he discovers an elephant in his kitchen, munching her way through the chocolate biscuits. What’s she doing there and how can he get rid of her? The important environmental message of this book is delivered in an accessible manner, and children are sure to delight in the cheeky animal antics.

  • The Story of Babar

    by Jean De Brunhoff 

    2008 4 to 9 years 

    • Around the world
    • Classics
    • Comic books
    • Funny
    • Graphic novels

    ’ In the great forest, a litle elephant was born. His name was Babar…’

  • The Elephant

    by Peter Carnavas 

    2021 5 to 9 years 

    • Chapter books

    Olive’s Dad is followed around by a huge grey elephant that only she can see. It makes him sad and quiet, blocking out all the light in his days. Olive knows she has to get rid of the elephant… but how?

  • The Elephant Thief

    by Jane Kerr 

    2017 5 to 14 years 

    • Adventure
    • Chapter books
    • Historical

    This is a fast-paced story, based loosely on a man’s real-life journey from Edinburgh to Manchester, while riding an elephant – an event that captivated even Queen Victoria.

  • Bandoola: The Great Elephant Rescue

    by William Grill 

    2021 9 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Historical
    • Picture books
    • Travel

    William Grill’s stunning depiction of a deeply inspiring story of kindness and bravery might be his best book yet. It tells the remarkable story of one of the bravest escape missions in history: a man who tried to move an entire elephant sanctuary and its workers through Myanmar and out of a war zone. 

  • The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

    by Nizrana Farook 

    2020 9 to 14 years 

    • Adventure
    • Around the world
    • Coming-of-age
    • Thriller

    Against the backdrop of a stunning South Asian landscape, three youngsters are on the run from the King’s guards – on an elephant! With themes of morality, friendship, teamwork and loyalty, this exciting adventure book also has lots of tension and jeopardy.

  • Saving H’Non: Chang and the Elephant

    by Trang Nguyen, illustrated by Jeet Zdung 

    2023 9 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Graphic novels

    Created by environmental activist Trang Nguyen and award-winning manga artist Jeet Zdung, this is a great story that will delight young animal activists and enthusiasts, based on a true story.

  • The Elephant In The Room (Holly Goldberg Sloan)

    by Holly Goldberg Sloan 

    2021 9 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Coming-of-age
    • Funny

    Sila is lonely. But she’s not the only one and a chance encounter with an unwanted elephant and a wealthy old gentleman proves to be the start of something unexpected.