The Elephant Detectives

THE ELEPHANT DETECTIVES is a cute story about friendship and searching for a lost pet. Alan and his elephant are having a fantastic day until their balloon flies away and gets stuck in a tree. Alan climbs up to try to get it, but he finds that he cannot reach it. He comes down from the tree only to find that his elephant is missing!

Edie shows up, and luckily, she is an elephant detective. Together, they go to the library to get a book about elephants and use the facts as clues to search for Alan's elephant. Although they go and do a lot of fun things, they cannot seem to find the elephant- and Edie admits that she is not actually an elephant detective. As they give up, they start to notice some rain - which is not rain at all! It is Alan's elephant!

What I loved: This is a cute story about searching for a lost pet and solving mysteries. The two children start at the library, sending a great message about the power of books and learning. The comedy in the story comes from the fact that they are always on the right trail, even if they don't know it. Alan's elephant can be seen in each scene, where they are looking, even though they cannot see him. Readers will delight in this dramatic irony.

Each page features colorful and expressive illustrations with plenty of details. These really make the story, telling the tale alongside the words and giving readers plenty to visually explore. This story will work best for elementary school aged readers who can appreciate slowly turning pages and catch what is going on the background with the elephant. They will also understand why Edie lied to make a new friend.

Large, clear font throughout make this easy for caregivers to read aloud. Additionally, the book also includes a QR code to an audiobook for children to read on their own.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the lying was not my favorite element, especially as it is brushed off a bit, but there is also the element where Edie does tell the truth on her own. This is ultimately a good example for children of what to do after they tell a lie.

Final verdict: Overall, THE ELEPHANT DETECTIVES is a cute picture book about friendship and detecting skills that will charm young readers.