Review of Discovering the Elephant in the Dark

[Eunice Geres]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Discovering the Elephant in the Dark" by Rooma Para.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Discovering the Elephant in the Dark by Rooma Para is a children's book inspired by the teachings of Maulana Rumi. This beautifully illustrated picture book will teach young people the importance of understanding the point of view of other people.

In life, misunderstanding and chaos stem from people who don't want to consider other people's perspectives. In the teachings of Rumi, from which this book is inspired, children would see the adverse effects of being closed-minded.

The story starts with a group of people wondering what an elephant looks like. One night, an elephant arrived, and they couldn't wait until the morning to see the elephant. So, in the dead of the night, they visited the elephant and touched different parts of the animal to make sense of what it looked like. This led to people drawing different conclusions based on what they felt. And each fought for what they believed the elephant looked like without considering what the others said. Some say the elephant is like a rope because the person touched the elephant's tail, and some say it's like a stone column because the person felt the animal's leg. It was a chaotic discussion with divided opinions on what the elephant looks like, all because they did not consider that they only held different parts of the elephant. Would the people realize how foolish they were to not listen to each other, or would they learn to accept that they were wrong to conclude based on only one part? Read the story to discover this great lesson.

There's nothing I didn't like in this book. It is an excellent read for kids, and parents would love for their kids to understand this book's lesson. What I loved most about this book was the simplicity of how the lesson was taught. Even though another story inspires this book, I liked that this version is very straight to the point, and the illustration made it even more entertaining. Additionally, the art style of this illustration book is wonderful. It's like a watercolor style with soft, cartoon drawings. I also liked that the narration was in a poetic style. The lines have simple end rhymes, which children would find fun to recite.

This illustrated book is such a great children's book that teaches young kids the importance of open-mindedness and understanding beyond what their own eyes can see. That said, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's a great recommendation for preschoolers. And on the technical aspect of the review, it was exceptionally edited.

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Discovering the Elephant in the Dark
View: on Bookshelves

[Amy Luman]

I have heard this story before. I really like that it's in book form here. Readers can use it again and again.

[Jeff Kanda]

I haven't read this book yet but I believe that if somebody touched the trunk, they would argue on it being a different rope from the one who touched the tail. Thanks for the interesting review. I will look for the book.

[Rica Concepcion]

Every child has to learn that other people's opinions are valid. respects other people's perspectives. and be considerate. Thanks for this review. I'll definitely grab a copy of this book.

[issam grini]

"Discovering the Elephant in the Dark" appears to be a captivating and meaningful children's book that imparts valuable life lessons. I appreciate the way it introduces the concept of understanding different perspectives through a beautifully illustrated story inspired by the teachings of Maulana Rumi. Teaching children empathy and open-mindedness at an early age is crucial, and this book seems to achieve that in a simple yet impactful manner. The poetic narration and watercolor-style illustrations sound like they would make the reading experience enjoyable and memorable for young readers. As a parent, I would definitely consider sharing this book with my children to instill these important values in them.

[Kigen Valarie]

I'm not so familiar with Maulana Rumi but I've heard this story before. It certainly doesn't get old, different perception and maybe they do not agree. This is an exceptional book for children. I love the recommendation.

[Okewunmi Pelumi]

Honesty, this review is amazing. Yes, when one didn't believe what one see with one's eye and beyond, especially the picture in one's mind, one might not achieve one's aim.

I love this review, well written.