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The Invisible Elephant
From beloved Russian children’s author Anna Anisimova comes a heartwarming, beautifully illustrated chapter book about a blind girl who joyfully explores her environment using her senses and vivid imagination, inviting young readers to understand their surroundings in entirely new ways.
For the young, blind heroine of The Invisible Elephant, the world is a thrilling place full of sounds, smells, and sensations. Although she doesn’t see the world outside with her eyes, nothing stops her from interacting with her surroundings with joy and an impressively creative imagination. In four charming stories, we go with her to the zoo, the museum, art class, and get a peek into her wonderfully magical mind where her grandfather's walking cane can transform into a horse and a sled can become a whale. When the time comes for her to learn Braille, we watch how her family and friends cheer her on every step of the way as she discovers how to navigate the world in her own way.
With gorgeous, inventive illustrations by Yulia Sidneva and artfully translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, The Invisible Elephant, is a truly special book that helps kids to value all the different ways of seeing the world.
“Written in a simple language full of wordplay and humour, it speaks to all ages, while inventive illustrations by Yulia Sidneva perfectly capture the fragile balance between the real world and the invisible.”—Ekaterina Shatalova, Russian Kid Lit
For the young, blind heroine of The Invisible Elephant, the world is a thrilling place full of sounds, smells, and sensations. Although she doesn’t see the world outside with her eyes, nothing stops her from interacting with her surroundings with joy and an impressively creative imagination. In four charming stories, we go with her to the zoo, the museum, art class, and get a peek into her wonderfully magical mind where her grandfather's walking cane can transform into a horse and a sled can become a whale. When the time comes for her to learn Braille, we watch how her family and friends cheer her on every step of the way as she discovers how to navigate the world in her own way.
With gorgeous, inventive illustrations by Yulia Sidneva and artfully translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, The Invisible Elephant, is a truly special book that helps kids to value all the different ways of seeing the world.
“Written in a simple language full of wordplay and humour, it speaks to all ages, while inventive illustrations by Yulia Sidneva perfectly capture the fragile balance between the real world and the invisible.”—Ekaterina Shatalova, Russian Kid Lit
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Anna Anisimova
20 booksAnna Anisimova (Анна Анисимова) is a journalist, editor, and children’s book writer. Born and raised in the north of the Irkutsk region, in the village of Kropotkin, Siberia, Anisimova graduated with a degree in journalism from Novosibirsk State University. Anismova has written more than 10 books and been nominated for several literary awards including the Samuil Marshak Literary Prize, the New Children’s Book Prize, the Vladislav Krapivin International Children’s Literature Prize and others.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 19, 2023
A beautiful and engaging story told from the perspective of a young blind girl. I loved her voice and how authentic this book reads. This is what genuine inclusivity looks like; showing instead of telling and acting woke for performative activism. A charming and illuminating read!
June 9, 2023
charmingly illustrated episodes in the life of a little girl who is blind, exploring the world with her other senses and the help of the loving adults in her life. It is lovely to see her horizons expanding, and it is easy to imagine young readers being enthralled by all the sensory details that make her way of being in the world come to life. There is no pity her, except for one episode with a stranger that made me (and the little girl's parents) very angry.
July 17, 2023
Книгу рекомендовали в подкасте «Сперва роди», а благодаря названию запомнилась (ура!). Небольшую детскую книжку с невероятными милыми иллюстрациями хотелось максимально растянуть и читать по чуть-чуть каждый день - таким чудесным было прочтение.
Спасибо авторке за чуткую работу :)
Спасибо авторке за чуткую работу :)
August 31, 2023
I want to buy a copy for both of my nieces and read this with them! It’s beautiful in its simplicity and everyday-life-ness. It’s so imaginative and creative! I absolutely adore the illustrations, they’re just as important as the words! The writing feels a little weak and I think that’s only because it’s a translation from russian.
June 25, 2023
The world takes on new meaning in a set of delightfully crafted tales, which open up a new view to the world around us while adding a small touch of imagination along the way.
The stories surround the experiences of a young, blind girl as she goes to the zoo and museum, spends time with her grandfather, learns to read Braille, and plays in the snow. The scenes are familiar, but thanks to the girl's fun imagination, each one turns into a playful adventure.
The author has done a wonderful job opening up the world of the blind without ever feeling preachy or awkward. Readers meet the girl as she plays hide-and-seek with her mother...a very usual activity. Her inability to see isn't directly stated but glides in with natural actions. While readers might need a little heads-up about what is happening, the way the stories are told allows this to also be done through discussions, which does begin to help readers learn to understand the more subtle meanings in a text. The girl's unique circumstance is also never approached with pity, but rather, effortlessly demonstrates how the girl is as normal as normal can be.
Sentences are kept rather short, and the vocabulary fits well to the intended audience level. This book is broken down into four tales, each with over a dozen, short chapters. This allows young readers to go through a little at a time without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, the lovely illustrations add pleasant pauses as well as a visual means to help understand the stories.
These are enjoyable reads, which take everyday experiences and mix in a lovely amount of imagination to make dreams fly. Invisible elephants, grandfathers with three-legs, or whales living on balconies are only a few of the fantastical touches, which make each tale enjoyable to read. I see this one especially fitting for classroom and homeschooling settings. I received a complimentary copy and found it to be very well done.
The stories surround the experiences of a young, blind girl as she goes to the zoo and museum, spends time with her grandfather, learns to read Braille, and plays in the snow. The scenes are familiar, but thanks to the girl's fun imagination, each one turns into a playful adventure.
The author has done a wonderful job opening up the world of the blind without ever feeling preachy or awkward. Readers meet the girl as she plays hide-and-seek with her mother...a very usual activity. Her inability to see isn't directly stated but glides in with natural actions. While readers might need a little heads-up about what is happening, the way the stories are told allows this to also be done through discussions, which does begin to help readers learn to understand the more subtle meanings in a text. The girl's unique circumstance is also never approached with pity, but rather, effortlessly demonstrates how the girl is as normal as normal can be.
Sentences are kept rather short, and the vocabulary fits well to the intended audience level. This book is broken down into four tales, each with over a dozen, short chapters. This allows young readers to go through a little at a time without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, the lovely illustrations add pleasant pauses as well as a visual means to help understand the stories.
These are enjoyable reads, which take everyday experiences and mix in a lovely amount of imagination to make dreams fly. Invisible elephants, grandfathers with three-legs, or whales living on balconies are only a few of the fantastical touches, which make each tale enjoyable to read. I see this one especially fitting for classroom and homeschooling settings. I received a complimentary copy and found it to be very well done.
November 19, 2025
I believe the word "blind" is never used in this story about a blind girl going about her day; her first-person voice and her irrepressible energy and curiosity just pull readers along and let them sort it out for themselves.
There are many clues and cues, but all of her coping mechanisms come across as fun and creative ways to approach ordinary tasks and games, so that the word "disability" will never be how this character identifies herself.
I love the illustrations in a limited color palette - they look a little retro, perhaps they are monoprints? (It doesn't say.)
I believe it could work well as a read-aloud in a family with children ages 4 to 9, or in a classroom kindergarten to third grade, with opportunities for the children listening to share their responses and experiment on their own.
There are many clues and cues, but all of her coping mechanisms come across as fun and creative ways to approach ordinary tasks and games, so that the word "disability" will never be how this character identifies herself.
I love the illustrations in a limited color palette - they look a little retro, perhaps they are monoprints? (It doesn't say.)
I believe it could work well as a read-aloud in a family with children ages 4 to 9, or in a classroom kindergarten to third grade, with opportunities for the children listening to share their responses and experiment on their own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2024
An extremely charming slice of life chapter book about a little girl who is blind, her sweet parents, and cane-weilding grandfather. This book was surprisingly moving about the magic of childhood, with rep not often seen in children's books. This book also introduces the idea of Braille to children in an approachable way that doesn't seem out of left-field.
July 18, 2024
a good book filled with good stories for young 2-3 graders. I definitely will add to our collection - we don’t have many books on children with blindness and these were done in such a nice way- not sad or leaving you feeling sorry for the character.
A nice surprise book
A nice surprise book
December 13, 2023
It was a nice read. It is a children's book but I think even adults would enjoy the deep sense of warmth it radiates. The setting of the plot is in the winters but the coziness of the whole story just covers you up like a warm blanket .
And because of this book now I know how braille is read and how a blind person's world looks like to them. The story of this child is not tainted with the fakeness or the harsh realities of the world, it just exudes pure innocence.
And because of this book now I know how braille is read and how a blind person's world looks like to them. The story of this child is not tainted with the fakeness or the harsh realities of the world, it just exudes pure innocence.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews