Kali, a young elephant, is teased by her classmates for having unusually large ears, eyes, and trunk. Feeling hurt and self-conscious, she tries to shrink them by soaking in water and sunbathing. Alas, neither water nor sun work. Then she reads a comic book about Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, who was also teased about his large ears, eyes, and nose. Socrates challenged his friends to a beauty contest, and won by arguing that his features were the most beautiful because they functioned best.
Inspired by Socrates’ reply, when her friends start teasing her again the next day, Kali proves to them that she is a lucky little elephant to have unusually large ears, eyes, and trunk. Her friends end up admiring her and wishing that they looked like her!
This picture book encourages young readers to respond to teasing with good humor rather than anger or vengeance, and to see value in their unique traits.
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Review of Kali the Elephant Learns from Socrates the Philosopher
5 out of 5 stars”Kali the Elephant Learns from Socrates the Philosopher” by Neera K. Badhwar is a wonderful children’s book. It beautifully covers childhood bullying and the different ways parents and children can work together to find a solution. Kali is a young elephant who comes home from school upset after other children make mean comments about her appearance. Not only is the story very relatable, but the illustrations are excellent, and they help bring color and life into the story. Also, the editing is stellar because I found no errors while reading the novel.
As a teacher and a parent of two children, I am faced with the complex topic of childhood bullying quite a lot. We want to protect our children from any harm they may face in the world. Because of this, I enjoyed how the author didn’t have Mama Elephant automatically fix Kali’s problem. Instead, Mama Elephant supported Kali while she tried to think of solutions to her problem. This strategy can help children develop their confidence while also letting them know that they are not alone when going through a hard time. Also, the end strategy helped Kali embrace her differences and taught the other students to see her differences in a positive light.
I also enjoyed how the author included more complex vocabulary to broaden children’s vocabulary. These words are also broken down to help kids sound them out. As an English teacher and a mom to a six-year-old still gaining confidence in reading, I love this strategy because it allows kids to learn new words without frustration.
The book deserves 5 out of 5 stars . I could not find a single negative about the book, except that there are not more of them. I read it with my six-year-old daughter, and she loved it. I recommend this book to any teacher or parent of young children.
