Elmer the Patchwork Elephant facts for kids
![]() Book cover for Elmer the Patchwork Elephant
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Author | David McKee |
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Illustrator | David McKee |
Language | English |
No. of books | 39 (List of books) |
Elmer the Patchwork Elephant (often called Elmer) is a popular series of children's picture books. These books were created by the British author and illustrator David McKee. Elmer is a colorful elephant known for his unique patchwork skin.
Contents
About the Elmer Books
The very first Elmer book came out in 1968. It was later re-released in 1989 with new drawings and a slightly shorter story. The idea for Elmer came from a mascot at a zoo in Bordeaux, France.
The Elmer books are published by Andersen Press in the United Kingdom. In the United States, they were first published by HarperCollins and are now handled by Andersen Press USA. Since 1989, more than 39 Elmer books have been created. This beloved series has sold over eight million copies worldwide. You can find Elmer books in fifty different languages! For example, Satoshi Kitamura translated the books into Japanese.
Elmer Merchandise and Shows
Elmer the Patchwork Elephant is not just in books. You can find him on many different products, like toys and games.
Animated Stories
Elmer's first story was also made into an animated cartoon. It appeared in a show called Anytime Tales, which told five stories by David McKee and Tony Ross. The original narrator for Elmer's story was a British voice actor named Johnny Morris. Later, Sophie Aldred also read Elmer's first story for an episode of Words and Pictures in 1993. This episode helped children learn about the letter 'E'.
Elmer on Stage
Elmer the Patchwork Elephant has even been turned into a musical stage show! Jonathan Rockefeller created this show, and Suzanne Maynard Miller adapted the story. Allison Leyton-Brown wrote the songs for the musical. The show first opened in Toronto, Canada, in December 2017. After that, the Elmer the Patchwork Elephant show went on a tour across the United Kingdom starting in January 2019.
All the Elmer Book Titles
There are many adventures of Elmer to read! Here is a list of the main book titles in the series:
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