Elephant in the Dark

June 15, 2015
Inspired by a Rumi poem based on the parable of “The Blind Men and the Elephant,” Javaherbin offers a lively take on a classic story about the folly of a limited perspective. When a merchant named Ahmad brings a “mysterious creature” (an elephant) home and stores the animal in his barn, the villagers sneak in and attempt to identify it. One man, after touching the elephant’s legs, declares that the animal is “round and tall, like a tree trunk!” Another, feeling its tail, reports that it is “skinny and hairy, like a paintbrush!” Taking cues from Persian miniatures, Yelchin creates a rowdy, bickering cast of villagers in turbans and vividly patterned garments, successfully playing up the story’s comedic clashes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

June 15, 2015
An Iranian-American author recasts an anecdote from the Persian poet Rumi, itself based on a far older tale about perceiving parts of a truth rather than its whole. Javaherbin adds characters and plot to the bare-bones original and reduces Rumi's lengthy mystical exegesis to a line. So curious are local villagers about the strange beast Ahmad the merchant has brought from India that they sneak into the dark barn where the creature is kept. Each returns with a different impression: one trips over the animal's nose and announces that it's like a snake, but it is more like a tree to one who feels its leg, and so on. Their squabble is so intense that they don't even notice when Ahmad arrives to lead the elephant out to the river-leaving each with "only a small piece of the truth." Yelchin outfits the villagers in curly-toed slippers and loose, brightly patterned caftans. He also puts a nifty spin on the story by leaving the adults to argue obliviously but surrounding the elephant at the wordless end with smiling, plainly clearer-eyed children. Though the language is bland, the wildly gesticulating figures in the illustrations add a theatrical element, and the episode makes its points in a forthright way. An excellent source note traces the familiar tale back to its earliest versions. Less stylish than Ed Young's classic Seven Blind Mice but a serviceable rendition nonetheless. (Picture book/folk tale. 6-8)

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August 1, 2015

K-2-A merchant has brought a strange creature from India to a Persian village, and the locals are curious. The merchant puts off his neighbors because it is too dark in the barn and he wants to sleep. The villagers sneak in one at a time to figure out what is inside. Each one feels a different part of the animal, coming to a different conclusion about its identity. They are so busy squabbling among themselves that they miss seeing the elephant the next morning as the merchant leads it to the river. The villagers never see the wonder of the elephant because "they each knew only a small piece of the truth." This picture book is based on a poem by Rumi. Yelchin's illustrations are bright and colorful and filled with expressive faces. They take the story to an imaginative level. The story is told simply but with a meaningful impact. VERDICT Young readers and teachers who enjoy folktales with an entertaining moral will appreciate this story's message.-Kris Hickey, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Grades 1-3 Elephant in the Dark is an amusing retelling of a poem by the thirteenth-century Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi. When a merchant returns to his village with a mysterious creature procured in India (an elephant), the villagers are impatient to see what it is. One by one, they creep into the dark barn and emerge declaring that they know exactly what it is based on contact with one part of the strange beast: a slithery nose, a tall sturdy leg, a floppy fan-like ear. Amid wildly differing guesses, the villagers argue over the animal's identity late into the night. Eventually, they learn the truth (which the reader knew all along), and it becomes clear that partial knowledge is a dangerous thing. Colorfully illustrated in the style of Persian miniatures, the book's depictions of the villagers approach caricature at times, as often occurs in Western renderings of Eastern cultures, and may merit classroom discussion. Pair with Ed Young's Seven Blind Mice (1992) for an alternate take on this folktale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)