The Elephant's Pillow

When a rich, bored young boy asks to see the Imperial Elephant in old Peking, he's just looking for entertainment. He doesn't expect to be asked to solve an enormous problem: the elephant hasn't slept a wink since the old Emperor died, and nobody dares go near him because of his temper. The venerable animal gently conveys a riddle to the boy, who must summon all his ingenuity to solve it. As he completes the tasks to solve the riddle, he finds that helping another brings unexpected happiness and leads to much-needed sleep for both the elephant and himself. Diana Reynolds Roome's tale, strikingly illustrated by Jude Daly, evokes the vanished elegance of ancient China and will strike a chord in all children with their own special bedtime rituals.