Details
Synopsis
An Indian elephant befriends a mouse, a butterfly, and a parrot, and together they have many adventures.
| Size | | Length: | 76 pages | | Height: | 10.3 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 0.8 in | | Weight: | 13.6 oz |
Industry Reviews
Vibrant paintings embellish a chapter book based on an elephant character Jaffrey's father invented during her childhood in India. Robi Dobi, an elephant who rescues smaller animals, first encounters Kabbi, a mouse turned orange by a smelly snake-witch, who wishes to spot him when she's hungry. Robi Dobi suggests a curative pilgrimage to the Great Painter in the Sky. On the way, they encounter an injured butterfly air-ballerina and a kidnapped parrot princess. After considerable heroics involving the purple panther wedding liturgy, the "Tree of Flexible Glue" and the "Cave of Healing Liquids," the now-brown Kabbi et al. return to boil the snake-witch in her own bubbling brew. Jaffrey's (Seasons of Splendour) text is sprinkled with adventurous spirit and farcical detail. But it's Hall's (How the Leopard Got His Spots) delicious illustrations, both color and black-and-white, that breathe life into these characters, from the moment elephant rescues mouse in a dark purple monsoon, trees bending and river churning, to the victorious parade of Robi Dobi and the rescued mice at the close. All ages. (Sept.)
Lopate
K-Gr 3 A mouse painted orange by an evil witch, a parrot princess captured by a troop of predatory purple panthers, and a broken-winged butterfly all figure in the adventures of Robi the elephant. A contemporary touch or two (e.g., spray paint) enlivens the mostly stock fairy-tale elements, as the friendly elephant meets and assists several troubled animals. Robi's willingness to help those in need is rewarded only by further adventure; episodic excitement, rather than a moral, seems to be the point of the narrative. In vignette, full-, and double-page formats, the illustrations freely interpret an Indian palette, style, and motifs. Pink, jade, lavender, turquoise, and bright orange pictures alternate with half-tones in the flat, stylized, but lively renderings. This book lacks the richness of Jaffrey's Seasons of Splendour (Puffin, 1987), but manages to keep readers' interest without ever allowing a doubt about the eventual happy ending. Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Lopate
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