Singing With Elephants

Singing With Elephants

Engle, M. (2023). Singing with Elephants. Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 0593206703

Cuban-born eleven-year-old Oriol lives in Santa Barbara, California, where she struggles to belong. But most of the time that’s okay, because she enjoys helping her parents care for the many injured animals at their veterinary clinic.

Then Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature moves to town, and aspiring writer Oriol finds herself opening up. And when she discovers that someone is threatening the life of a baby elephant at her parents’ clinic, Oriol is determined to take action. As she begins to create a world of words for herself, Oriol learns it will take courage and strength to do what she thinks is right—even if it means keeping secrets from those she loves.
(Penguin / Random House, 2023)

This book of poetry paints a picture as you follow the thoughts and hopes of its main character, Oriol, or Olivia as her sister Cat calls her. The story introduces some serious elements, including animal cruelty, xenophobia, cultural displacement, and loneliness. The author touches on the subjects without getting lost in them. Her descriptive language is succinct and stunning. There is a range of diversity represented, but it doesn’t dominate the story. The themes of courage and friendship stood out as pillars of the storyline. There was even a nod to librarians:

“Modern librarians

love fun and happiness,

not silence.”

(Engle, 2023, p143)

The book is just over 200 pages of poetry; I was enchanted by the story of this young girl who learned that her voice can be powerful, too. I would recommend it to poetry lovers and novices alike.

Book Review Excerpts:

“Throughout, the power of words—both to help children find where they belong and to make the world a kinder place—profoundly resonates. Brilliant, joyful, and deeply moving.”
Singing with Elephants. (2022). Kirkus Reviews, 90(5), N.PAG.

“Engle’s writing style encourages young readers to fall in love with poetry. The reader learns along with Olivia about grammar and literary terms (noun, verb, onomatopoeia, etc.). Our young friend comes to discover that language shouldn’t be used to hinder but to create beauty.”
Puhr, B. (2022). Singing with Elephants. Booklist, 118(18), 57.

Connections:

- This story is a great companion for an SEL unit about loneliness and belonging.

- Students could use one or more of the poems in the book as an example of how to move a story along in verse.

Awards:

A New York Time’s

Year’s Best Children’s Book

References:

Engle, M. (2023). Singing with Elephants. Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 0593206703

Penguin / Random House. (2023). Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle: 9780593206706 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books. Penguin Random House.

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5360.