Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Determined girl sends great-aunt an elephant in quirky tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Little red-haired Sadie is concerned that her Great Aunt J. might be lonely, so she decides to send her an elephant to keep her company. When she realizes mailing the pachyderm will take more than a wheelbarrow of stamps, she looks for other delivery options: a plane, an alligator, a train, and even an ice cream truck. This girl is determined! And, she has quite an adventure.
Is It Any Good?
Sadie's story is an offbeat adventure, the kind kids tend to love. The characters in SPECIAL DELIVERY are offbeat too, from the eccentric postman to the helpful alligator and the band of bandit monkeys to Great Aunt Josephine. The language is playful, and the ink-and-watercolor illustrations are comically fantastic, full of detail and expression. Readers with a sense of humor, a love of adventure, and an appreciation of quirky artwork and spunky little heroines will love this book.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about postage stamps. How many different stamps have you ever seen? Does anyone you know have a stamp collection? What did you think of the postage stamp on the cover before you read the story? Why do you think the author used an idea similar to the Inverted Jenny stamp on his cover?
What did you think when Sadie chose to send her letter in the end before she had her hot chocolate? What did that show you about the kind of person she is? Did you guess who she was writing to? How did the illustrator show you who received her letter?
What do you think about Sadie's idea of sending the elephant to keep her aunt company? What would you send if you wanted to cheer someone up? Who would you send it to? How would you get it there?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Matthew Cordell
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Transportation ( Trains ) , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date : March 3, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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