Elmer is the patchwork elephant — bright coloured squares, in a herd where every other elephant is grey. In the first book, from 1968, he gets tired of standing out and paints himself grey to match. The others don't take long to tell him they liked him better as he was. David McKee kept writing Elmer books until he died in 2022, there are over forty of them now!

Most early childcare services have a copy or two on the shelf. What this bumper collection of twelve gives you is a character the children know well. Difference and belonging come up more than once a term, and Elmer gives you a place to start the conversation each time. It also helps that they're talking about an elephant and not about each other.

What's in the set

• Elmer — the original. Elmer paints himself grey to match the herd, and discovers his friends miss him exactly as he was
• Elmer and Wilbur — Elmer meets his match in his practical-joking cousin Wilbur
• Elmer in the Snow — Elmer takes his complaining friends up the mountain to show them what cold really means
• Elmer and the Lost Teddy — Baby Elephant can't sleep without his teddy, so Elmer goes looking
• Elmer's Special Day — Elmer changes the rules of the parade so every jungle animal can join in
• Elmer and the Rainbow — the rainbow has lost its colours, and Elmer offers his own
• Elmer's Birthday — the elephants pretend to forget Elmer's birthday, and it doesn't go to plan
• Elmer and the Race — the young elephants race, and each of them turns out to be best at something different
• Elmer and the Tune — a tune gets stuck in the whole jungle's head and Elmer has to shift it
• Elmer and Super El — Elmer helps a not-very-reliable flying superhero get where he's going
• Elmer and the Big Bird — a bully frightens the little birds, and the animals work together to see him off
• Elmer and the Whales — Elmer and Wilbur go to the coast to see the whales, and get further out than they meant to

Twelve paperbacks, 32 pages each, 24 x 27.5 cm. All written by David McKee, published by Andersen Press.

Aligned to EYLF Outcome 1: children have a strong sense of identity, and Outcome 2: children are connected with and contribute to their world. For children aged 2 to 5.

Twelve books for $38, RRP $180. That's just over $3 a book.

Frequently asked questions about Elmer's Patchwork Collection

What books are in Elmer's Patchwork Collection?

Twelve titles: Elmer, Elmer and Wilbur, Elmer in the Snow, Elmer and the Lost Teddy, Elmer's Special Day, Elmer and the Rainbow, Elmer's Birthday, Elmer and the Race, Elmer and the Tune, Elmer and Super El, Elmer and the Big Bird, and Elmer and the Whales.

What is the Elmer series about?

Elmer is an elephant covered in a bright patchwork of colours, living in a herd of grey elephants. The books are about difference and belonging, but they carry it lightly — most of them are jokes, adventures and small acts of helping, with the message sitting underneath rather than on top.

What age is Elmer for?

Children aged 2 to 5. The short text and bold pictures suit the youngest children at group time, and the ideas hold up for preschoolers and into the first years of school.

Do the books need to be read in order?

No. Each one stands on its own. It's worth starting with the original Elmer so the children know why he's patchwork, and after that you can read them in any order.

What does it support?

Social and emotional learning, and diversity and inclusion. It maps to EYLF Outcome 1 (children have a strong sense of identity) and Outcome 2 (children are connected with and contribute to their world). Practically, Elmer gives educators a shared reference point for talking about difference — children can say what they think about Elmer more easily than about themselves.

What is Elmer Day?

Elmer Day is an annual celebration of individuality and friendship held at the end of May, marked by services, schools and libraries around the world with colourful dressing up, patchwork craft and Elmer stories. Having the collection on the shelf makes it easy to build a week around.

Do these work as gifts?

Yes, and it's one of the main reasons services buy them. Because the set is affordable, every child can be given their own book, which suits graduation and end-of-year gifting, Book Week, and services running a book a month. They're also a good size and price for birthdays and party bags.

Who wrote Elmer?

David McKee, who both wrote and illustrated the series. The first Elmer was published in 1968; McKee continued writing them until his death in 2022, and the books are published by Andersen Press.

How much per book?

The set is $38 for twelve books, which works out to $3.15 a book