with Drake The Duck Muse
Multi-Genre Author ~ Editor ~ Book Designer ~ Writing Coach
Emmett Elephant's Love
Pre-K Picture Book
This is the story of Emmett Elephant.
One day, with the help of his friends, Patrick Egret, and Gregg Giraffe, he learns a very important thing.
Smart elephants know that listening to their heart, even in sadness, is a strong thing to do.
This is a gentle picture book that teaches children about the death of a grandparent, and the strength of family and friendship.
Reading Audience: 3 years and up.
Illustrated by David D. Plopa
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50 pages
What Readers Are Saying:
"It's Okay to Grieve.
Little Emmett is a sweet little elephant that enjoys the company of his friends. The fun comes to a halt when he loses one of his grandparents. His family reminds him of the love shared and that it is ok to grieve.
Children are too young to understand some of life's events and at times don't know how they are supposed to act or feel. Emmett's friends come together to try to cheer him up. This story aside from the beautiful illustrations reaffirms how important it is to feel sadness and not hide it. A heart-warming story that addresses the difficult topic of family, love, and especially loss in a beautiful way. Recommended to children of all ages" ~A.G.
"I absolutely loved this book! I got emotional, as we lost my grandparents recently, and they were elephant lovers! The simple illustrations really emoted what needed to be there instead of distracting from the message. The language was simple but still poignant. What a great lesson in grief. Bravo, Diana! The purple also is the perfect background color for the grey elephants!" ~ Chelsea Gouin.; Special Education Teacher and Author
What a beautiful story so full of love, family, friends and loss. I loved how the author spun this adorable children's book that can be enjoyed by all ages. The illustrations were so beautiful and conveyed what the characters were thinking and feeling. It's truly a wonderful read and I highly recommend it!! Five Stars!
~Jenny Zimmerman
"I like reading younger books sometimes simply because they are relaxing. They do not take long and this book was a very short read. It was impressive that the books was also illustrated by the husband of the writer and he did a very good job. I was not sure what to expect and walked away both happy and sad with this book.
Of course reading always makes me happy and the books introduces you to Emmett and his family rapidly. It also takes a turn to a warm approach on a hard topic for many, death.
There are a lot of books that approach death, but not many for children, and this eases into the subject and brings it full circle. I am not sure if all children will understand, but I know that many will see it a different way after reading this book.
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5 of 5 stars for this wonderful book with a cute character and fun illustrations!" ~ Andrew Allen Smith
"This book is beautifully written and illustrated allowing a soft and safe touch on the topic of loss for children." ~ Shara Gunther.; mom to a four-year-old boy
"Oh look, there's a lot of elephants... Silly bird... I like giraffes... Mommy, this is a long book... 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 - that's a lot of elephants... Why did she die?... Butts! HA HA" ~Andreas Gunther. a four-year-old boy
"Nicely Written. Beautiful Illustrations."
~Diana Duel
What a beautiful story so full of love, family, friends and loss. I loved how the author spun this adorable children's book that can be enjoyed by all ages. The illustrations were so beautiful and conveyed what the characters were thinking and feeling. It's truly a wonderful read and I highly recommend it!! Five Stars!
~Jenny Zimmerman
I just wrote a review for Emmett Elephant's Love on Amazon. "I won this book in a promotional event. This is a book about dealing with the loss of a loved one, written for very young children. It's been a long time since I had littles, but I think this handles the topic in a nice way that toddlers through maybe 4-year-olds will find comforting. Anger as a reaction to death is not mentioned, so perhaps children old enough to feel this way will not relate, but parents can choose if this would be appropriate. The layout is simple and easy for small children to grasp cognitively. Illustrations are cute- depicting Emmett's family and friends. Lots of nice facial expressions. I found the large heart graphic behind the words distracting when the words spilled over the edge of the heart." ~Joan H. Young
"This is a sweet and message-driven tale about losing a loved one, specifically a grandparent, and how to cope with that loss. If you're looking for a gentle and straightforward way to broach the topic of death with younger children, then you should check out this book. Several specific suggestions are given about how to prepare for the passing of a loved one as well as how to deal with that loss. I enjoyed reading how Emmett's friends tried to comfort him, which I think children can relate to. Emmett is able to endure his sadness because he is surrounded by family and friends. Children will also enjoy reading about different animals. The illustrations are warm and realistic. The animals' faces express a lot of emotion, especially in their closeup views. I especially enjoyed the drawing of Gregg the Giraffe with his smart ears and big eyes. I also really liked the drawing of Emmett's grandma and grandpa embracing. It showed such a tender moment. The book lets kids know that it is okay to be sad, and it's okay to express those feelings of sadness. Thinking about a lost loved one can be difficult, but remembering that person keeps them close to your heart. " ​~A.J. Lang