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You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency by Patricia Cleveland-Peck is a whimsical children's book that explores the humorous and chaotic scenarios that arise when animals are summoned to help in a variety of emergencies. With its playful rhymes and vibrant illustrations, the book delightfully conveys why some creatures, amusingly, just aren't suited for certain rescue tasks. It's an engaging read that tickles the imagination and teaches about the uniqueness of different animals.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love humorous and engaging children's stories filled with vibrant illustrations and delightful rhymes. It's perfect for young readers with a curiosity for animals and a keen sense of imagination, offering playful scenarios that spark laughter and feed creativity.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'You will laugh out loud' - Guardian, on You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus

An elephant firefighter? A traffic cop sloth?
A paramedic chimpanzee? What a catastrophe!

In case of emergency, you'd do best to avoid all of these creatures. Find out why in this hilarious picture book filled with the most unlikely rescue attempts.

This brilliant, laugh-out-loud romp is bursting with all sorts of emergency vehicles and crazy creatures. Nee-nar! Nee-nar!

Don't miss out on the other hilarious books in this series: You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus, You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger, You Can't Take an Elephant on Holiday, and You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Racing Car. Collect them all!

Series: You Can’t Let an Elephant...

View all
  • You Can't Take an Elephant on Holiday
    Brilliantly funny - Abi Elphinstone A cheetah in charge of a camper van? Rhinos rampaging round the campsite? Meerkats playing minigolf? This riotous book features all sorts of crazy creatures that you would definitely NOT want to take on your holiday! Imagine playing minigolf with meerkats or building a sandcastle with an armadillo! And don’t even think about eating candyfloss...
    Paperback
    $1899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Racing Car
    'BRILLIANTLY FUNNY' - Abi Elphinstone on You Can't Take an Elephant on HolidayHave you ever seen a weightlifting wombat, or a figure-skating alligator?How about a pole-vaulting hippo, or an octopus . . . playing table tennis?Get ready for all sorts of hilarious animal antics in this side-splitting picture book from the creators of the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Pull Santa's Sleigh
    Chaos at Christmas! Join a whole host of animals in silly situations as they try to celebrate the festive season.You can’t let an elephant pull Santa’s sleigh,if you want your presents on Christmas Day . . .He’ll do his best to tug it up to the skybut the sad fact is – elephants can’t fly!Raccoons decorating your Christmas tree? Pulling...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Pre-order
    You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Flamingo gym teachers swinging from the rafters? Hyena librarians howling in the hushed library? Koala science teachers causing a real stink? Written by the hilarious team behind the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant series, this is a must-have for both new and returning fans. With irresistible rhyme and laugh-out-loud illustrations, this action-packed book full of outlandish animal antics is...
    Hardback
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 1 Dec 2026
  • You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Pre-order
    You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Flamingo gym teachers swinging from the rafters? Hyena librarians howling in the hushed library? Koala science teachers causing a real stink? Written by the hilarious team behind the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant series, this book is a must-have for both new and returning fans. With irresistible rhyme and laugh-out-loud illustrations, this action-packed book full of outlandish animal antics...
    Paperback
    $1899
    Pre-order
    Out 1 Dec 2026
  • You Can't Take An Elephant On the Bus
    'You will laugh out loud' - Guardian _______________ Get ready for a fun-filled ride and join a whole range of crazy creatures on a hilarious board book adventure! You can’t take an elephant on the bus … It would simply cause a terrible fuss! Elephants' bottoms are heavy and fat and would certainly squash the seats quite flat. Never put...
    Board book
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Racing Car
    Brilliantly funny - Abi Elphinstone on You Can't Take an Elephant on Holiday You will laugh out loud - Guardian on You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus _______________ A band of weird and wonderful creatures try to compete in the most unsuitable sports in this fifth title in the bestselling You Can’t Let an Elephant... series. Have you...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Take An Elephant On the Bus
    'You will laugh out loud' - Guardian _______________ Now celebrating 10 years of sensational silliness, this timeless bestseller is full of crazy, clever and chaotic fun. Follow an ensemble of animals as they attempt to ride all sorts of thoroughly unsuitable vehicles in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind rhyming text. You can’t take an elephant on the bus … It would simply...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency
    'You will laugh out loud' - Guardian, on You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus An elephant firefighter? A traffic cop sloth? A paramedic chimpanzee? What a catastrophe! In case of emergency, you'd do best to avoid all of these creatures. Find out why in this hilarious picture book filled with the most unlikely rescue attempts. This brilliant, laugh-out-loud...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger
    'Chaotically witty illustrations will have little ones squealing with mirth' - The Evening Standard Elephants driving diggers? Gorillas on scooters? A shark in the bath? A kangaroo ... on the loo? Join in with the fun as an array of improbable creatures tries to be helpful (with hilarious consequences) in this laugh-out-loud picture book. Don't miss out on the other...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408880630

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 May 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens Books

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by David Tazzyman

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 4.0mm

Width: 242.0mm

Height: 270.0mm

Weight: 191g

Pages: 32

About the Author

Patricia Cleveland-Peck lived in France and Ireland before settling in rural Sussex. She has published fourteen children’s books and has also written adult books and plays. She now works as a travel journalist and, with a young granddaughter, she returned to the world of children’s books with the bestselling You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus and You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger which, together, have sold over 200,000 copies.

David Tazzyman is the bestselling illustrator of the Mr Gum books, which have won a multitude of awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. David grew up in Leicester and studied illustration at Manchester Metropolitan University. You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus and You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger are just two of his picture books for Bloomsbury and have sold over 200,000 copies. He lives in Leicestershire with his partner and their three children.

Also by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

View all
  • You Can't Take an Elephant on Holiday
    Brilliantly funny - Abi Elphinstone A cheetah in charge of a camper van? Rhinos rampaging round the campsite? Meerkats playing minigolf? This riotous book features all sorts of crazy creatures that you would definitely NOT want to take on your holiday! Imagine playing minigolf with meerkats or building a sandcastle with an armadillo! And don’t even think about eating candyfloss...
    Paperback
    $1899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Racing Car
    'BRILLIANTLY FUNNY' - Abi Elphinstone on You Can't Take an Elephant on HolidayHave you ever seen a weightlifting wombat, or a figure-skating alligator?How about a pole-vaulting hippo, or an octopus . . . playing table tennis?Get ready for all sorts of hilarious animal antics in this side-splitting picture book from the creators of the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Pull Santa's Sleigh
    Chaos at Christmas! Join a whole host of animals in silly situations as they try to celebrate the festive season.You can’t let an elephant pull Santa’s sleigh,if you want your presents on Christmas Day . . .He’ll do his best to tug it up to the skybut the sad fact is – elephants can’t fly!Raccoons decorating your Christmas tree? Pulling...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Pre-order
    You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Flamingo gym teachers swinging from the rafters? Hyena librarians howling in the hushed library? Koala science teachers causing a real stink? Written by the hilarious team behind the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant series, this is a must-have for both new and returning fans. With irresistible rhyme and laugh-out-loud illustrations, this action-packed book full of outlandish animal antics is...
    Hardback
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 1 Dec 2026
  • You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Pre-order
    You Can't Take an Elephant into School
    Flamingo gym teachers swinging from the rafters? Hyena librarians howling in the hushed library? Koala science teachers causing a real stink? Written by the hilarious team behind the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant series, this book is a must-have for both new and returning fans. With irresistible rhyme and laugh-out-loud illustrations, this action-packed book full of outlandish animal antics...
    Paperback
    $1899
    Pre-order
    Out 1 Dec 2026
  • You Can't Take An Elephant On the Bus
    'You will laugh out loud' - Guardian _______________ Get ready for a fun-filled ride and join a whole range of crazy creatures on a hilarious board book adventure! You can’t take an elephant on the bus … It would simply cause a terrible fuss! Elephants' bottoms are heavy and fat and would certainly squash the seats quite flat. Never put...
    Board book
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Racing Car
    Brilliantly funny - Abi Elphinstone on You Can't Take an Elephant on Holiday You will laugh out loud - Guardian on You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus _______________ A band of weird and wonderful creatures try to compete in the most unsuitable sports in this fifth title in the bestselling You Can’t Let an Elephant... series. Have you...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Take An Elephant On the Bus
    'You will laugh out loud' - Guardian _______________ Now celebrating 10 years of sensational silliness, this timeless bestseller is full of crazy, clever and chaotic fun. Follow an ensemble of animals as they attempt to ride all sorts of thoroughly unsuitable vehicles in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind rhyming text. You can’t take an elephant on the bus … It would simply...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger
    'Chaotically witty illustrations will have little ones squealing with mirth' - The Evening Standard Elephants driving diggers? Gorillas on scooters? A shark in the bath? A kangaroo ... on the loo? Join in with the fun as an array of improbable creatures tries to be helpful (with hilarious consequences) in this laugh-out-loud picture book. Don't miss out on the other...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

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