The Endearing Charm of Elephant Stories

Guest post by Poulomi Pal

What is it about elephants that captivates children?  Could it be their height, their intelligence, their dignity or their mythical ability to remember? I recently came across a news story about two year old Bhama and her friend, the elephant, Uma Kutty.  I was charmed by how confidently Bhama walked alongside Uma Kutty,  the elephant gently nudging the child’s head with her trunk. 

Remember Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the 1941 Walt Disney classic that has recently been remade as a live-action film by Tim Burton? Dumbo, the circus elephant is ridiculed and shunned for his big ears till he learns to turn them to his advantage by using them as wings! The film is based on a book by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl (currently out of print).

In 1968, after watching his daughter being bullied for her mixed race identity, David Mackee wrote and illustrated the story of Elmer, the multicoloured patchwork elephant who wants to fit in with the rest of the herd (Mackee’s wife was Anglo-Indian). Elmer paints himself grey to look like the others until it rains and all his wonderful colours are revealed. Like Dumbo, Elmer learns to be proud of his unique qualities rather than hide from the rest of the world.

There are over twenty books in the Elmer series, with lovely illustrations and vivid colours. The simplicity of the stories  make them ideal for children aged between three and eight years. Over the years, Elmer has become a symbol of compassion, tackling themes such as kindness and inclusion. He has his own personal fan club of children from all over the world.

Mackee modestly claims that Elmer’s popularity has little to do with him. ‘I’m just lucky to be the one that put him there,’ he says.  (Not all Mackee’s books have been received as well as his Elmer series, but that’s the subject of another blog!). When the pandemic hit Britain recently, children in the Elmer Club received personalized letters, telling them not to lose hope.

A young friend of Elmer’s named Rose

Blushes from her head to her toes

Or sometimes instead 

From her toes to her head

But never from her tail to her nose.

From Elmer and Rose by David Mackee

One of the most well-loved contemporary Indian ‘elephant’ books is Gajapati Kulapati by Ashok Rajagopal (Tulika Books).  The first book on Gajapati Kulapati and his friends, Grandmother (Paati Amma), the banana-seller, the teacher, the flower-seller and the cow, was released in 2010. In an interview with  The News Minute the author said that he hadn’t intended to write a series but responded to the popularity of the first book by producing more. Children across the country started reading and listening to the story, demanding elephant cakes for birthdays and hunting for Gajapati Kulapati in zoos, neighbourhood parks and even bookstores!  At public readings of the book children often laugh hysterically and pretend to sneeze along with the elephant, competing to make the loudest aaaachooooo. Children enjoy  the onomatopoeic words, aaaachooooo, kalabalooosh, damaal.  My daughter’s favorite is plish, plosh, glish, glosh  and of course, kikli-gili-gili (tickle therapy).

Recently the fourth book in the series has been released, Kalicha Kulicha, which explores a favourite monsoon pastime, mud-splashing.  Like every story in the series, it starts by introducing Gajapati as the gentle giant with many friends and in that way, it closely resembles the true story of Bhama and Uma Kutty. 

Not every child is lucky enough to have a real elephant like Uma Kutty to feed, pet or ride, but we can all introduce children to the magic and majesty of these kindly beasts. Read the Gajapati and Elmer books with your children and or start a Gajapati Kulapati fanclub. Many children are eager to join the fun. 

Poulomi is a bibliophile and book hoarder who loves collecting folktales from different parts of the world. She has been working in the development sector for the past  twelve years at the intersection of gender and livelihoods. Currently, her daughter’s interests influence her reading choices. Poulomi is learning to ‘see stories’ with her daughter’s help.  Read her earlier post on adoption stories here.