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I know that Rudyard Kipling was an incredibly talented, well-respected author and that I am supposed to embrace all of his work. Perhaps, too, The Elephant's Child is a classic story that has been enjoyed for generations. Unfortunately, this edition of the story does little to convince me that this book should be purchased - and this is despite the credibility that Kipling’s name would ordinarily deliver.
The story centers on a very curious elephant who consistently asks questions in an attempt to explore the world - asking, for example, why an ostrich’s tail-feathers grow in a certain pattern. Each time the elephant poses a question, the response is not an informational one; instead, he receives a spanking from whomever he asks. When he inquires about what a crocodile eats for supper, this leads to additional questions for which no one seems to have an appropriate response. Determined to satisfy his curiosity and find out the truth, the elephant embarks on an adventure to find the answers on his own.
Through his journey, readers discover a lot of information, including the author’s theory on the origin of the elephant’s long trunk as well as the nature of the crocodile’s dinner. As I turned to the last pages of this story, not only was I thrilled to learn that the spankings would cease, but I was just as delighted that I would soon be able to file this book away on my shelf and move on to something new.
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The Elephant's Child