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Daddy, Could I Have an Elephant?
Despite his father's objections, Tony insists on wanting such impractical pets as an elephant, a python, or a flamingo
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 20, 2011
This is an enjoyable story - if for no other reason that every parent of a kid at least talking age has been through this or something similiar.
A little boy named Tony lives with his Dad (we see no Mom or other family in the story which I like because the "perfect" family always being a Mom, Dad, and 2 kids can start to wear on you after awhile) and he wants a pet. His first choice is an..... elephant! (You guessed it!)
Alternate pages come with imaginative renderings of what actually having an elephant would be like. Many questions are asked by Tony's Dad, for example, what to do if the elephant gets lonely. Tony's answer? Get him an elephant friend! What kid would say anything different? Surely not mine.
Tony has an answer for everything and as he starts to see that an elephant won't work he moves on. He systematically goes through a pony, a python, a flock of sheep, some gorillas, a parrot, flamingo, pelican, a dolphin and baby whale. Tony's dream ends with something a little more doable - a puppy.
The ending, with Tony asking when they can go and the time dwindling down until the answer Tony gets is "now" is particularly sweet.
This was published in 1996 and while this didn't affect my rating I would have liked to have seen maybe a shelter or rescue in place of the pet store on the last page. Not a deal breaker for the book IMO but someone with access to the masses like a childrens author, IMO, has certain responsibilities. It would have been more than easy to show Tony and his Dad adopting a homeless animal, puppy or adult dog, rather than purchasing one like a loaf of bread.
All in all it's a really good book and one I'd definitely recommend.
A little boy named Tony lives with his Dad (we see no Mom or other family in the story which I like because the "perfect" family always being a Mom, Dad, and 2 kids can start to wear on you after awhile) and he wants a pet. His first choice is an..... elephant! (You guessed it!)
Alternate pages come with imaginative renderings of what actually having an elephant would be like. Many questions are asked by Tony's Dad, for example, what to do if the elephant gets lonely. Tony's answer? Get him an elephant friend! What kid would say anything different? Surely not mine.
Tony has an answer for everything and as he starts to see that an elephant won't work he moves on. He systematically goes through a pony, a python, a flock of sheep, some gorillas, a parrot, flamingo, pelican, a dolphin and baby whale. Tony's dream ends with something a little more doable - a puppy.
The ending, with Tony asking when they can go and the time dwindling down until the answer Tony gets is "now" is particularly sweet.
This was published in 1996 and while this didn't affect my rating I would have liked to have seen maybe a shelter or rescue in place of the pet store on the last page. Not a deal breaker for the book IMO but someone with access to the masses like a childrens author, IMO, has certain responsibilities. It would have been more than easy to show Tony and his Dad adopting a homeless animal, puppy or adult dog, rather than purchasing one like a loaf of bread.
All in all it's a really good book and one I'd definitely recommend.
November 8, 2022
Literally half the book is reading the phrase “Tony said” or “his father said.” Didn’t really like it at all and neither did my child.
October 17, 2025
This was first published in 1996. Sadly, I was in my 20s by then. Had something like this been published AND if I had been allowed to read it when I was a kid, I might have had a happier life, due to the lesson taught here.
Although superficially about a kid nagging his dad for a pet, this book is actually about negotiation. You start off outlandishly big and work your victim into what you really want. That way, your victim is ready to kiss your feet with you being willing to make what seems like a monumental sacrifice ... when it isn't at all.
So, the boy starts with elephants, then goes on to gorillas, a 20 foot python, a flock of sheep, a dolphin and baby sperm whale, a parrot -- then a puppy.
Nice go see that the illustrator had the puppy pay more attention to the Dad than to the kid. Unfortunately, they get the puppy at a pet store. Well, it was 1996. And they live in an apartment. What landlord these days allows anyone to have dogs?
Going back to the book, there are loads of hidden gems here. When fantasizing about getting the baby whale, the shipping crate reads that the whale farm name is ....
Wait for it ...
Melville.
Gotta wonder if the grey and white puppy was named Elephant ... or Melville
Although superficially about a kid nagging his dad for a pet, this book is actually about negotiation. You start off outlandishly big and work your victim into what you really want. That way, your victim is ready to kiss your feet with you being willing to make what seems like a monumental sacrifice ... when it isn't at all.
So, the boy starts with elephants, then goes on to gorillas, a 20 foot python, a flock of sheep, a dolphin and baby sperm whale, a parrot -- then a puppy.
Nice go see that the illustrator had the puppy pay more attention to the Dad than to the kid. Unfortunately, they get the puppy at a pet store. Well, it was 1996. And they live in an apartment. What landlord these days allows anyone to have dogs?
Going back to the book, there are loads of hidden gems here. When fantasizing about getting the baby whale, the shipping crate reads that the whale farm name is ....
Wait for it ...
Melville.
Gotta wonder if the grey and white puppy was named Elephant ... or Melville
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2025
I love this book, not only for Marylin Hafner's jubilant illustrations, nor just for the bouncy, funny, back-and-forth dialogue, but especially for the child-like voice of the text which feels exactly like a kid to grown-ups and exactly, logically like the perfect argument (for getting an pet) to kids. Gloriously relevant thirty years later. Find a copy to share and enjoy!
March 27, 2018
Cute, but predictable. One of those books where I feel like I have read the book before because there's nothing unique. It isn't bad...not at all. I just wanted more than I got.
May 8, 2020
Good mentor text for persuasive writing. Of course, the boy’s scenarios are completely outrageous and hilarious, but he makes a strong case for an elephant as a pet.
September 16, 2016
Classic story of a kid who wants a pet...but comes up with some highly unusual ideas about what could fit in his apartment.
pets
pets
February 10, 2017
The typical strange pet story, but this one stands out a bit for me because the illustrations portray what it would be like to have the particular pets. I also like the dad calmly talking through with his son the various pets, being practical but not wholly negative, even with the son's creatively outrageous solutions to the questions until he figures out what might be a better choice.
2/8/17 Used as opener for E preschool theme. Wanted the longer book first, plus that worked well in helping some of the newer (and younger) people get an idea of the difference between our toddler and preschool storytimes. The kids really liked the story concept and all the different types of creatures Tony wanted. A lot of the adults smiled at the calmly reasoning father. I'm not sure how well they saw all the details in the pictures. But it held their attention and they sat still through it quite well. I think it was a success.
2/8/17 Used as opener for E preschool theme. Wanted the longer book first, plus that worked well in helping some of the newer (and younger) people get an idea of the difference between our toddler and preschool storytimes. The kids really liked the story concept and all the different types of creatures Tony wanted. A lot of the adults smiled at the calmly reasoning father. I'm not sure how well they saw all the details in the pictures. But it held their attention and they sat still through it quite well. I think it was a success.
November 24, 2015
In this story, a little boy is trying to persuade his father to let him have an elephant as a pet. His dad asks how he plans on feeding the elephant, fitting it in the apartment, and what would happen when it got lonely. His answers were not realistic, so he goes on to ask for other animals that were not realistic. Finally, his dad proposes the idea of getting a puppy... and a puppy is what he got.
My activity for this book would be a persuasive debate. There would be 2 teams & each team would pick an animal. They would have 5 minutes to come with with 5 reasons why I should get their animal as a pet. After time is up, both teams will present their reasons & receive a point for each reason that is better than the other team. After this, both teams will have 5 minutes to come up with 3 reasons why I should not chose the other team's animal. A point will be received for the most persuasive reason. At the end the points will be totaled & the winning team will be announced.
My activity for this book would be a persuasive debate. There would be 2 teams & each team would pick an animal. They would have 5 minutes to come with with 5 reasons why I should get their animal as a pet. After time is up, both teams will present their reasons & receive a point for each reason that is better than the other team. After this, both teams will have 5 minutes to come up with 3 reasons why I should not chose the other team's animal. A point will be received for the most persuasive reason. At the end the points will be totaled & the winning team will be announced.
November 15, 2011
Tony really, really wants a pet and those he suggests to his dad are a bit unusual and make for a great read aloud! Besides an elephant, Tony suggests a 20 foot python, gorillas, and even a dolphin and whale. The illustrations kept my 2nd graders laughing throughout the book. Great pet book to use to celebrate Picture Book Month!
December 19, 2013
Hilarious. With fabulously funny illustrations by Marylin Hafner, this adorable picture book about a boy wanting a pet jumps from the absurd to the more absurd, with plenty of laughs along the way. In the end, will Dad give in and will they finally find the perfect pet? Turn the pages to find out. Loved this one!
June 28, 2014
Daddy, Could I have an elephant? by Jake Wolf, pictures by Marylin Hafner – 1996 – boy, there are so many books like this- ask for the extreme and tone yourself down to get an acceptable pet like a dog… from elephant to dog, how can a parent say no? Enjoyed the book with the dad’s creative responses and humor embedded throughout.
August 31, 2025
I "Saved" this book from my younger brother's book shelf, because I love it so much! The story really cracks me up! The Illustrations are unforgettable and the way the Father just lets his son pose the questions, instead of turning him down with a big "No", touched my heart!
March 11, 2013
Another good persuasive text, though it veers off into other animals as the elephant idea is picked to pieces by his father. It ends with a more reasonable request and all is well that ends well. It would pair nicely with I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff.
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January 16, 2015Nice subtle jokes throughout the illustrations.
March 16, 2014
es muy bueno este libro!!!!!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews