Singing with Elephants
Tween finds belonging in lyrical novel in verse.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Singing with Elephants is a novel in verse by Newbery and Pura Belpré Award-winning author Margarita Engle. It tells the story of Oriol who struggles to belong after her family moves from Cuba to Santa Barbara, California, in 1947. Oriol's verses are full of informative lessons for readers from animal fun facts to literary devices and even different tools for social justice. Though many of the animals at the wildlife zoo ranch aren't physically abused, they are isolated and caged. Oriol learns poetry from Gabriela Mistral, a famous real-life poet and the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature. Oriol finds out about a couple of sad moments in the poet's life like a mean teacher calling her stupid when she was a child and her son's death a few years before. Oriol's classmates bullied her during the school year and called her "zoo beast." Oriol is self-conscious about her accent, but eventually gains confidence and embraces it.
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What's the Story?
In SINGING WITH ELEPHANTS, 11-year-old Oriol and her family moved from Cuba to Santa Barbara, California. Oriol feels like she doesn't belong as she struggles with her accent, her classmates calling her "zoo beast," and teachers trying to place her below her grade. She's at peace with the animals her parents take care of at their veterinary clinic. One day in the summer of 1947, Oriol with a collection of animals in tow happens upon someone sitting in the dirt writing. The person turns out to be Gabriela Mistral, a famous poet, and diplomat as well as the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Gabriela assumes Oriol is there to learn about poetry, and Oriol, unable to refuse, happily takes the lessons. Gabriela teaches her a lot about poetry but also gives Oriol a place of peace where she can be herself without worrying about her accent or how many English words she knows. Meanwhile, there's a pregnant elephant at a wildlife zoo ranch where unfortunately many of the animals are caged and sad. When someone takes one of the elephant's twins away, Oriol wants to figure out a way to reunite the elephant family, but how? Can she bring the elephant family back together?
Is It Any Good?
This lyrical read is a beautiful story of kindness and belonging. Oriol's journey in Singing with Elephants is a beautiful one to witness. Though she begins self-conscious about her accent and all of the things her classmates tease her about, she's able to gain confidence through her lessons with poet Gabriela Mistral. She didn't need to lose her accent or change herself and was able to find power in her words and stand up for what she believes in.
Readers will learn with Oriol as she learns about animals, poetry, and activism. The novel in verse introduces some readers to Gabriela Mistral and though her interactions with Oriol are fiction, she was a real person. As this novel is in verse, many readers may find an easy and quick read to finish but should take their time through the beautifully written lines that tackle topics like loneliness, grief, and belonging.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the poetry in Singing with Elephants. Oriol learns poetry from a famous poet and the novel is in verse. What do you think about the story being told in verse as opposed to another form like paragraphs? What effect do the verses have on your understanding and appreciation of the story?
When someone separates the elephant's newborn twins, Oriol decides to do something about it. She gets advice from Gabriela on what action she can take. Were you familiar with the kinds of actions Gabriela suggests, like letter writing and petitions? What would you have done? What advice would you have given Oriol?
Oriol learns a lot about animals, poetry, and activism. She loves to ask questions and research the answers. Of what she learned, what topic or fact did you find most interesting and why? What other topics, not mentioned in the book, interest you?
Book Details
- Author: Margarita Engle
- Genre: Poetry
- Topics: Activism, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Wild Animals
- Character Strengths: Communication, Compassion, Courage, Curiosity, Integrity, Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: May 31, 2022
- Number of pages: 224
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: May 31, 2022
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