The Elephant and the Purim Crown by Haviva Kierzenblat and Rebeca Luciani - OPTIONAL

The Elephant and the Purim Crown by Haviva Kierzenblat, illustrated by Rebeca Luciani.  PICTURE BOOK. Kar-Ben Publishing (Lerner), 2025. $19. 9798765619896

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Rachel and her cousin pay to ride an elephant in their native Burma. When Rachel sees the old elephant's injured feet, she remembers how important it is to respect animals. After she wins the coveted Purim crown at her Jewish synagogue celebration, Rachel comes up with a plan to help the elephant.

This story is inspired by Kierzenblat's mother, who grew up in Burma in the 1950s. I liked learning about the Jewish concept of compassion toward animals. The message of this book is of compassion and taking action when you believe in something.

The characters are illustrated with brown skin. 

Rachel, Elementary library specialist