HOW TO CATCH AN ELEPHANT

Taking a broad swipe at children’s silly bones, Schwartz (A Teeny Tiny Baby, 1994, etc.) concocts a strategy for elephant-snatching that involves raisins (“Elephants are crazy about raisins!”), cake (“Elephants hate cake!”), a telescope, and savvy advice from an uncle. In uncluttered cartoon illustrations, an intrepid, carrot- topped young trapper is pitted against an enormous, bright yellow elephant who, becoming very annoyed when the raisins run out, stomps the cakes “flatter than a pancake in Topeka,” and looks angry enough to stomp the child as well. Remembering her uncle’s advice, she takes a quick look through the telescope’s big end, and sees that the ponderous pachyderm is pocket-sized, just right for taking home. It’s a wild, daffy recipe for gasps and giggles: now, anyone for a bear hunt? (Picture book. 5-7)