Written & Illustrated by: Reza Dalvand
For ages: 4-8 years
Language: English
Topics Covered: Community Involvement, Friendship, Pets, Family, Chosen Family, Empathy, Economics, Social-Emotional Learning.
Summary: Mrs. Bibi has a pet elephant, and they spend all of their time together. The elephant loved playing with the children in the streets, and drinking tea with Mrs. Bibi, listening to stories. The others in the town are disturbed by the close friendship, they don’t understand why Mrs. Bibi would want a pet instead of fancy objects. The townspeople decide to send the elephant to the zoo. Heartbroken, Mrs. Bibi tucks her elephant into bed and makes a plan. It’s quite anti-capitalist, and we’re all about that! Mrs. Bibi doesn’t care about objects, she cares about the companionship that her elephant brings.
The ending of this book is unique (sorry, we can’t spoil it!). Typically in books there is an apology conversation and a rectifying of the situation. I actually really like the ending, it’s surprising. Mrs. Bibi and her elephant decide to leave town because they’re not valued in the community, and because the others in town prefer stock markets and fancy chandeliers over friendships and pets. When she and her elephant leave, the children are sad and eventually the town does realize that having pets and forming meaningful community connections are better than material objects. Will the beloved pair come back? Place your bets now, this book will be out soon!
This book was sent to us by Flying Eye Books, but all opinions are our own. The book will be available in April 2020!
About the Author & Illustrator:
Reza Dalvand was born in 1989 in the Iranian city of Andimeshk. As a child he had but one idea in his head: to draw. After studying graphic design at Isfahan University of Art, he completed a master’s degree in illustration at the University of Tehran. He has published more than 15 picture books in Iran, Europe, and Asia. He is a member of the Iranian Society of Illustrators and has participated in many national and international exhibitions from countries around the world, including UK, Japan, Iran, Korea, Italy, UAE, Ukraine, and Surbia, and his work was showcased at the Bologna Book Festival in 2018. Reza lives in Tehran.