There have been some big anniversaries in the world of children's picture books and characters this year. The Very Hungry Caterpillar celebrated its 45th birthday in March, Dinosaur Roar was 20 in May, Peppa Pig turned 10 earlier this month. Now it's the turn of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant who is celebrating his 25th birthday.
Elmer has starred in 28 books since 1989 and the series has sold over 5 million copies in 40 languages around the world. How many have you read ?
We received a fabulous package of Elmer-themed goodies to celebrate the iconic elephant's special anniversary The first item we plucked out of the box was the original classic Elmer book, which we excitedly rediscovered, as it's been quite a while since we read it.
We also dicovered Elmer and the Monster, which is the latest Elmer title to be released. It's a lovely addition to the collection, with the familiar tale of Elmer heading out for his morning walk and discovering an adventure (rather like we do when we go out geocaching !), this time discovering all the animals of the jungle running away from a "monster" who is making a lot of noise. We love the bright colours, the detailed illustrations and the charming stories.
But there was still plenty more to discover in the box, starting with this big 24-piece floor puzzle.
Pierre and Sophie immediately got down on the floor and put it together. The big pieces are easy for little fingers to manipulate and the brightly coloured design is very striking.
Pierre was very proud of himself when he'd put it together and, when we started breaking it up to put it away, we discovered that it is double-sided, with a black-and-white picture on the back for you to colour in.
While they were occupied with the puzzle, Juliette sneakily had a peek in the box and let out a gasp as she discovered this gorgeous Elmer snow globe.
It looks beautiful as it is but you can also personalise it by putting a photo of you or your child in the scene with Elmer. How cool is that ?!
Back to the box ! We discovered this beautiful Elmer tin.
Inside are a selection of coloured pencils, all inscribed with the name Elmer (which should stop people from pinching them at school !).
There was also a pack of double-ended felt tips, which will be perfect for colouring in the back of the puzzle, as well as trying out some Elmer-themed craft activities that were suggested in the box. (I'll be back to tell you all about them once we've made them. In the meantime, look at what the wonderfully artistic Galina has featured over on her blog - a very impressive Elmer mural and an equally beautiful Elmer pancake.)
The final item in the box was this funky and functional PVC apron, which has the same colourful design on the front and back. This is great for messy play, cooking and crafts and the elastic keeps it perfectly in place. As you can see, Pierre loves it.
Happy birthday Elmer ! I wonder how many more generations of children will fall in love with him.
STOP PRESS ! : As part of the anniversary celebrations, Hamleys will be hosting a special all-day event from 12-6pm on Sunday 3rd August at the Regent Street Store, London. To kick off the celebrations, the colourful Elmer costume character will open the store to visitors at midday. The celebrations will then continue throughout the afternoon, with exclusive storytelling sessions to entertain both children and parents alike. Visitors will also have the chance to meet Elmer and take a picture too! The times for both the storytelling sessions will be listed throughout the store and on the official Hamleys’ website. For more information, visit: http://www.hamleys.com/explore-whatson-london.irs
Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.
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I love all the Elmer merchandise particularly the Snow Globe.
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