"Elbert the Elephant needs to find a place that lets him be himself"
May 2026 Book of the Month
From the creative partnership that brought us the adorable One in a Million, this is another warm and attractive story which will, I am sure, prove to be equally popular as a read aloud in class or at bedtime. Smriti Halls always manages to create fluent rhyming text which just trips off your tongue.
Young children will love joining in the all the action words and alliterative sounds, as our adorable hero Elbert goes trumpety trumping , bumpety bumping and stompety stomping through the jungle. He wants to have fun, but everything he tries to join in with, ends with him being told ‘Why don’t you try something else for today?’ This leaves him down in the dumps, until he hears an irresistible tune and finds a marching band that actually want him to join in because his trumpet is the best!
There will be lots of children who feel they are too loud and too clumsy and will recognise all too well, the feeling of not fitting in. The empowering message that everyone should be proud of their differences, is an important one and the book teaches a valuable lesson about accommodating difference with kindness. The lively and engaging illustrations are a perfect complement to this joyful and positive tale.
Discover where Elbert the Elephant feels most at home in this heart-warming tale by Smriti Halls and Nila Aye, perfect for children aged 3+Elbert the Elephant is full of life and ready to try anything! The only problem is that nothing ever seems to go quite as it should - from ballet dancing to swimming lessons to story time at the library...
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Discover where Elbert the Elephant feels most at home in this heart-warming tale by Smriti Halls and Nila Aye, perfect for children aged 3+Elbert the Elephant is full of life and ready to try anything! The only problem is that nothing ever seems to go quite as it should - from ballet dancing to swimming lessons to story time at the library... will Elbert ever find a place where he fits? ?Written by internationally bestselling author Smriti Halls and award-winning illustrator Nila Aye, this affirming story encourages every child to celebrate their individuality and find their place in the world.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Free to Be Me and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
Free to Be Me features in the following genres: Featured Books for 3+ readers, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Animal Stories, PSHE: Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem and Wellbeing, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children's and Young Adult Fiction
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Pre-order. 29th July 2027.
Free to Be Me was written by Smriti Halls and published by HarperCollins Children's Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Free to Be Me has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Pre-order. 29th July 2027.
