Author: Leela Hope (no website found)
Publisher: Amazon
Rating: WORTHY!
This book is a real charmer. Ernie the Elephant is not only drawn and colored beautifully, but he's a smart little guy who doesn't panic, and who is willing to take advice. This is what I mean about a young children's novel that has educational value.
Ernie has lost his best friend The Purple Bear. Isn't this the same bear that Prince (or whoever he was formerly known as) sang about? Purple bear, purple bear, only want to see you tucked up with your purple bear.... Yeah that's the one.
Ernie sets off immediately on a search of the house, but no matter where he looks, the bear ain't there! The Jumbo fumbles! But there's a house mouse who is quite willing to help Ernie find his friend. despite the tow of them searching high (or as high as they can reach, anyway) and low (that's where the mouse comes in), they can see neither hide nor hair of the bear!
But Ernie does not give up. Persistence is his middle name,. Ernie Persistence Elephant. Yeah. Like that. So he asks for help from his parents. His dad's a bit of a grump, which is no news to Ernie, but his mom gives some good news: retrace your steps. I think she read that in Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban. The thing is that Ernie is smart: he's not too proud to ask for help, and he's certainly not too dumb to follow it. Working methodically, he and the mouse find his long-lost friend. Actually, he's a short lost friend in more than one sense, but since he's exchanging his blues for the purple, Ernie doubtlessly can grin and bear it. So: be like the elephant and don't forget! I recommend this story.
