Review: When Your Elephant Has The Sniffles by Susanna Leonard Hill

WHEN YOUR ELEPHANT HAS THE SNIFFLES

By Susanna Leonard Hill

Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

Little Simon

Board Book

ages 2 to 4

26 pages

When your elephant has the sniffles, you better make sure he doesn’t sneeze! This charming and hilarious board book highlights the many ways to make an under-the-weather elephant feel better!

Does your elephant have the sniffles? Make sure to take good care of him because you don’t want him to start sneezing. Gather up your tissues and your pillows and make that elephant feel better! But don’t get too close…or you just might end up with the sniffles, too! 

MY TIDBITS

Sniffles are never a positive thing, especially when they strike your elephant. This tiny story brings tissue loads of giggles and a couple words of good advice--not only for elephant owners.

Your elephant has a cold, which is never pleasant, but there is one thing that you need to avoid at all costs--him sneezing. And this exactly tells you how to avoid such a catastrophe.

This is a cute, little board book, perfect for pudgy, small hands. It's robust, has thick pages and guarantees hours of reading even after being thrown around a few times. The cover caught my eye right away, and I wanted to hug that elephant before the story even begins. He's a friendly enough elephant and follows every word of advice the little girl in the story gives him. Young listeners will easily set themselves into both the elephant's and the girl's position and be engrossed in the simple but very familiar situation.

The illustrations are colorful, bubbly and hold enough detail to keep little eyes coming back time and again for another glance. Even when someone isn't around to help read-aloud, the story still comes to life in the pictures.

This isn't only a cute tale but holds a few pieces of valuable information on what to do if you have a cold. Lots of bed rest, warmth and love are vital for anyone to get healthy again. Mix this with the subtle amount of funny tension lurking in the background--what if the elephant really sneezes?--and this is a wonderful read for kids ages 2 and up.


Susanna Leonard Hill is the award-winning author of nearly a dozen books for children, including Punxsutawney Phyllis (A Booklist Children's pick and Amelia bloomer Project choice); No Sword Fighting in the House (a Junior Library Guild selection): Can't Sleep Without Sheep ( a Children's Book of the Month); and Not Yet, Rose (a Gold Mom's Choice Award winner). She lives in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley with her husband, children and two rescue dogs. She loves chocolate animals and being outdoors.


Daniel Wiseman likes to draw. A lot. He likes it so much, he's made a career out of it. Usually, he draws animals wearing clothes, or kids enjoying a good dance party. Daniel currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and son. When he isn't drawing, he can usually be found perfecting his biscuit recipe, hiking up a mountain in some faraway location, singing loudly in his car, riding his bike on the mean streets of STL, or napping.