A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes has hit the store shelves, and I had the opportunity to review the book as part of a national Macaroni Kid campaign.
First off, I am a children's book author, so I love getting my hands on new kids books. There's always something valuable in each book, and this one was no exception.
Henkes is a New York Times–bestselling author, so he's written before. More importantly, he is a Caldecott Medalist...that's an award distinction in the kidlit genre. Get a Caldecott author's book and you know it'll be good.
I loved the rhythmic words that fit the elephant's "march." Where are they going? That's the gist of the book, and it educates children about different directions one can go. As you read the rhythmic prose, you anticipate and wonder where the elephants are headed. It kept me engaged until the end.
There aren't many words,--that's a trend in the kidlit industry too--and this book is a great example of effective writing that's not too wordy. He uses the words and illustrations to "show" us the story and not solely "tell" it. That's something all authors in the children's book writing world are told to do in their writing--show, not tell--and Henkes excels at this craft.
The illustrations are simple but effective to tell their own story, and demonstrate Henkes' talent as an author and illustrator.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and am grateful to add it to my son's collection. I am sure I will raid his book bins regularly, too.
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