Elmer the Amazing Technicolor Dream Elephant Learns to Love Himself As He Is

One of my favorite musicals is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, based on the account in Genesis of Joseph, favored son of Jacob, and that glorious coat that symbolized the favoritism that made his brothers so jealous. That was the first thing that I thought of when I began to read David McKee’s Elmer, one of many books recommended to me by 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. The second was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all of the stories in that vein, in which an animal with an unusual attribute must overcome the derision of his peers. I suspected, then, that Elmer, a patchwork elephant, might be ostracized for his unusual coloring. Happily, however, McKee has woven a gentler fable that requires none of its characters to act with unkindness.

Elmer is a most unusual elephant. He certainly stands out in a crowd. While everyone else in his herd is some shade of gray, Elmer is every color of the rainbow, and a couple of others besides. His personality matches his appearance, for he is a class clown among pachyderms, always making the others laugh. They just love having Elmer around. But insecurity begins to kick in, and he fears that they are laughing at him rather than with him. And who could blame them? He’s an oddball. He doesn’t want to stand out anymore. So one day, he sets out to give himself an Extreme Makeover. When he returns from the tree laden with gray berries, he will be indistinguishable from anyone else, and that will certainly be an improvement, won’t it?

I love that McKee makes his case for individuality without having to make anybody look bad. Elmer is the only one in the book who thinks that he is inadequate. It’s apparent just from the expressions of happiness on the faces of the other elephants and the nearby jungle creatures that Elmer is truly loved. These are not derisive sneers; they’re expressions of simple joy. And that feeling is infectious. I couldn’t help smiling as I perused the colorful pictures and absorbed the waves of support and appreciation emanating from the supporting characters, none of the rest of whom are given names. There’s a clear difference in how the others interact with him in his disguise, yes, but it’s not what he expects. While they remain courteous, the wide smiles that stand out so clearly early in the book are diminished. They miss their jolly friend.

Elmer is a short book that packs a lot of happiness into a few pages, and the elephants’ eventual reaction when they discover Elmer’s deception leads to one of the most exuberant two-page spreads I’ve ever seen. I can’t help wondering if McKee’s creative ending inspired a public art project or two; I’m certainly reminded of my own city’s highly popular GoFish and LeapFrog projects that resulted in dozens of delightful fish and frog sculptures being scattered all over town. It’s a conclusion that goes to show that different can be good, and at the same time that ordinary doesn’t necessarily mean bland. That’s definitely a message I can live with.