Elephi
The Cat with the High IQ
by Jean Stafford
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Pub Date 19 Apr 2017 | Archive Date 30 May 2017
Description
"Oh, what an admirable cat is Elephi! (And what an admirable writer is Jean Stafford!) … Don't you miss knowing Elephi. (Or Erik Blegvad's apt illustrations.)" ― Publishers Weekly.
Elephi Pelephi Well Known Cat Formerly Kitten lives a comfortable life with a kind but dull couple who often leave him to his own devices. Being a cat with a high IQ, he longs for stimulating companionship, and when he spies a snow-covered car outside his Fifth Avenue apartment, Elephi recognizes the opportunity for an adventure. Taking advantage of an open door, the intrepid cat bolts out to the street and devises a rescue for the abandoned vehicle, a daring maneuver that leads to comic confusion and a surprising new friendship.
Splendid black-and-white drawings that evoke New York City of the 1960s complement this classic by the winner of the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Jean Stafford is best known for her short stories, which appeared in the New Yorker and other literary magazines. Her own beloved pet inspired this tale of Elephi, Stafford's only children's book, which is clearly the work of someone who loves and understands cats.
"The drawings by Erik Blegvad endow both cats and cars with vivid personality." — The Emerald City Book Review
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780486814261 |
| PRICE | $6.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 80 |
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 389654
What a cute story about an intelligent cat named Elephi and a car. There are a lot of books written about friendships and this book tackles the same topic but from such a unique perspective and with humor. This is a book I would recommend to an older child.
Laura M, Educator
I read this charming book with my seven-year-old son over the course of several evenings. It was a very enjoyable story, with the sparse illustrations adding enough that we could get an image in our heads, but still allowing us to picture most of the story in our minds on our own. Elphi Pelphi, Well Known Cat Formerly Kitten, was full of personality and humor. I loved his first-person narration of the story. My son got a kick out of the way that ordinary things were told from his point of view - especially the poor, abandoned car trapped out in the blizzard. My son kept chuckling and saying, "he thinks the car is alive!" The prose is entertaining and fun to read, even for an emerging, first grade reader. Overall, this was a cute children's book that I enjoyed sharing with my child, and would recommend to other parents or even first/second grade classroom libraries.
La La C, Reviewer
This book is delightful. I think it will be enjoyed by adults as much as children. It is a story about family, friendship, bullying, compassion, and a cat (of course). It's a perfect bedtime read-to-me story.
Zoe S, Reviewer
What a great book about a cat looking for a friend! This is the perfect book for a young reader who is quickly growing in skills! The book is dense with text, but it is easy to read and there are still pictures. It also features a super sweet story about a cat and a car. That may seem like an unlikely duo, but you'll have to read it to find out just how charming it is!
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