Happy Ever Elephants is a place where you can find a lot of kids' books about elephants. Here are some of our favorite books for kids about these beautiful, lucky animals!

Children’s Books About Elephants – What’s Not to Love?

In our store, we don't just love elephants; we celebrate them! We love books about elephants for kids as well as other books about elephants.

How did our blog's name come about? Let a three-year-old who loves to read do it. One night, he accidentally mixed up "happily ever after" with "happily ever elephants," but he didn't know what he had done. At the end of every story since, we've been yelling that phrase with joy. The rest is history.

List of our favorite kids' books about elephants: Every child needs a great story about this cute animal in his library, right?

So without further ado, here we go:

Our Very Favorite Children’s Books About Elephants – FICTION!

A Parade of Elephants, by Kevin Henkes:

With this cute counting book, Henkes, as always, is on top of the world. He knows what works to make our littlest readers fall in love with our books. Children will not even know that they are learning how to count while they read this book because it has musical prose, a muted color scheme and expressive elephants.

When Your Elephant has the Sniffles, by Susana Leonard Hill and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman:

Ugh. Your elephant has a cold. If he doesn't stop to cough, you'll have to make sure. You need to take good care of him, so get your tissues, pillows, and anything else you can think of to help your elephant feel better. If you get too close to your elephant, you might get sick. Absolutely wonderful!

Elmer, by David McKee:

This is a picture book about elephants that will always be a favorite. It tells the story of an elephant with a brightly colored hide that looks like a quilt. This elephant is making other elephants laugh and stare. When people laugh at him, they might not make fun of Elmer as much. One day, Elmer finds a disguise and wears it for a while. He quickly realizes, though, that when he blends in with the crowd, things aren't very interesting at all. As a group, we love this classic story about self-esteem and self-acceptance. It is so beautiful!

Ellie, by Mike Wu:

There are zoo animals who band together to try to save the zoo from being shut down. Ellie, at first, is angry because she doesn't know how she can help. She soon learns that she, too, has a great gift. If so, will the zoo stay open? In this heartwarming story, we learn how important it is to find and use our own unique talents.

Have You Seen Elephant?, by David Barrow:

Elephant wants to play hide and seek, and he tells his friend that he's very good at it. This book will make you and your kids laugh because the pictures don't match the text. The boy is shocked that he can't find the elephant, but the reader can see that the elephant is almost right in front of him. A simple, fun book with beautiful illustrations that will make everyone in your family laugh. This is a good book to read together.

Little Elliot, Big City, by Mike Curato:

Curato's Elliot, with his pastel polka dots, may be the cutest elephant in a book ever. When you help a friend who is in trouble, you can't help but be happy. Not to be missed: The illustrations should not be missed!

Strictly No Elephants, by Lisa Mantchev:

In Pet Club Day, a little boy and his pet aren't allowed in because there is a sign on the door that says "No Elephants." This is a great story to teach tolerance, because it makes an important message of inclusion clear to young kids in a way that they can understand.

Zola’s Elephant, by Randall De Seve and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski:

She doesn't want to meet Zola when she moves into the neighborhood, so she doesn't say hello to her. Why would Zola need a new friend? She already has an elephant to play with. If we think we know what's going on, we might be wrong. With a little courage, two little girls start a new friendship that leads to a world they can explore together. Zagarenski's beautiful art will always be a favorite of the people at Happily Ever Elephants.

Horton Hears a Who, by Dr. Seuss:

Anyone who doesn't love Horton will love this story. Love the rhyming couplets in this book. It's a great book to read aloud. And Dr. Seuss is the best way to open your child's mind. This book is no exception. The "who's" in the book will make noise, and your kids will want to look at every speck of dust in your house for hidden creatures and civilizations. A must-have!

Elephant and Piggie: We Are in a Book, by Mo Willems:

Elephant and Piggie books are all so unique that it's hard to pick just one to read. Special and very impressive. You can hear them reading their words in this scene. Elephant and Piggie learn how cool it is to have their words read aloud. In this work of metafiction, Willems comes up with another book that's great for the whole family, especially young readers who can read big text and pay attention to print. Always, Willems' works come out on top. This zany story will make you and your little readers want to read more in this amazing series!

When an Elephant Falls in Love, by Davide Cali, illustrated by Alice Lotti:

There are many things that happen when an elephant is in love: he's giddy with excitement, afraid of what will happen next. He feels both shy and bold, and sometimes a little foolish. There's nothing like the first time you fall in love.

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise, by David Ezra Stein: 

"Every great story has an elephant of surprise," the little red chicken learned at school. This is the sequel to the Caldecott Honor Book, Interrupting Chicken. Papa says that surprise is a "element" of surprise, but is it? The little red chicken thinks she is right, so Papa tries to convince her that she isn't. This is how it works: When you think about it, there aren't any elephants in Rapunzel or The Ugly Duckling at all. Or is there? The way this work of genius and humor makes us laugh every time we see it makes us laugh.

Humperdink: Our Elephant Friend, by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Claire Alexander: 

When a baby elephant goes to a children's playgroup, how does it get there? There is no doubt about it. He just wants to play with the other kids. Even though the slide broke and he had a hard time hide and seek, Humperdink realized it might not be as easy as he thought. He was sad. Humperdink and the kids start to think that playing together might not be so hard after they use some imagination and understand each other better. It might also be a lot of fun!

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