The elephants' guide to hide-and-seek

In this picture book, Hayes debuts a fanciful guide apparently written by an elephant for other elephants struggling with hide-and-seek. Given the considerable size of a pachyderm, effective hiding requires creative thinking. The best bet, our narrator says, is to find large areas that disguise a voluptuous form, and colors that help elephants blend in. Similarly, there are must-nots: do not hide in tight spots, near flimsy furniture, in pantries filled with temptation, or in rooms with toys that may prickle your feet. Have fun, and don't overdo it! This is an adorable approach to a topic that children will find thrilling, and both text and illustrations take a humorous angle. Artwork denotes friendly characters with pale blue tones that match Elephant and his surroundings. Young readers will enjoy searching each spread for him. Pair with David Barrow's Have You Seen Elephant? (2016) and Gianna Marino's Just like My Brother (2019) for more interactive hide-and-seek fun.

Elephants can do lots of stuff; they never forget, for instance. But play hide-and-seek? Not so much.Face it: Whenever elephants play this game with child friends, guess who inevitably gets found first? These giants' girth and height, not to mention trunks, account for their consistent failure to hide successfully. Now the Elephant Hobby and Sport League comes to the rescue with The Elephants' Guide to Hide-and-Seek, which features crafty ploys to help level playing fields. Wise pachyderms would do well to bring their vaunted memories to bear on its pages. Sample tips: hiding in a large bathtub with shower curtains and standing behind a humongous pile of unsorted laundry (the kind found in a typical kid's bedroom). Some don'ts? Cramming into too-small spaces, like doghouses, or pretending to be a lump in a bed. If nothing works, the guide also advises that elephants just be "it"or simply accept the fun of being found. After all, "you love those kids!" This cute but slight tale mines humor from its snarky narration, voiced in the cheesy tone of a TV commercial. Cheery, energetic, expressive cartoons depict kids with varied skin tones and hairstyles playing in the park with their blue, bespectacled elephant pal as the latter demonstrates various tips outlined in the guide.Lively fun. Readers may pick up some pointers for their own games of hide-and-seek. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.