• A colourful retelling of Rudyard Kiplings The Elephants Child, this fable explains how the elephant got its long trunk. As the elephant journeys through the jungle it admires the features of the other animals, until he gets a bit too close to one of them … This sweet and funny story has been written and illustrated by Charlotte Middleton.

• Red A/Band 2A books offer predictable text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story development
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• A story map on pages 14–15 allows children to recap the story and discuss each stage.

• Text type: A traditional tale

• Curriculum links: Citizenship: Animals and us