Before 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, before A Wrinkle In Time or A Separate Peace, there was... The Saggy Baggy Elephant! Well, for this reviewer at least. Lions and tigers and parrots and gators-- vey mir! TSBE is the very first book of which he has any memory at all, and no doubt it had more than a little influence on his eventual world view. The spirit of a book can indeed last a lifetime-- his original copy long since lost, this reviewer replaced it just a few years ago, and still takes it out now and then to review times gone by. In just such a reverie last autumn he came again upon the picture of the little pachyderm on page 16, and realized suddenly that this image is more emblematic of his childhood than he had ever hitherto suspected.

After a parrot makes fun of Sooki’s big ears, long nose, and wrinkled skin, the “saggy baggy” elephant isn’t too sure of himself. But once he meets some beautiful creatures who look just like him, Sooki celebrates with a joyful “one-two-three-kick.” For over 50 years, parents and children have treasured this tale, with gorgeous art by Gustaf Tenggren, the illustrator of The Poky Little Puppy.

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Distributor: Random House, Inc.
Publication Date: 06-10-2003
Pages: 32
Measurements: 10.25in X 8.5in X .28in X .5875lb