Elephant Goes to School

Reach for this book when your child is feeling anxious about their own size, clumsy movements, or the daunting prospect of fitting into a new classroom environment. While many school books focus on the schedule, this story addresses the physical and social awkwardness of being different in a space designed for others. It follows a large, well-meaning elephant who desperately wants to join the local school children, only to find that his size causes hilarious and messy complications. Through these gentle mishaps, the story normalizes the feeling of making mistakes and helps children laugh at the 'big' problems that come with new experiences. It is an ideal pick for preschoolers and early elementary students (ages 3-7) because it uses slapstick humor to lower the stakes of social integration. Parents will appreciate how it frames school not just as a place for learning, but as a community that eventually finds a way to embrace everyone's unique attributes.