Friederike Dammermann was born in Brunswick, Germany, in 1972. That’s where she spent her youth and put her first drawings to paper. Later, she studied art and German language and literature in Hamburg and Bremen, with stays abroad in New York, Paris, and Nîmes. Friederike has been working as a teacher since 2002, but when the chalk is at rest, she turns to art. Many of her pictures have been part of exhibitions over the years, and her books have already been published in German, Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese, and English. Together with her partner and their dog, Bill, Friederike enjoys cycling tours in the beautiful surroundings of her hometown Flensburg.
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When an elephant appears in the city, Ben’s parents fret, though the young boy knows why the pachyderm is there. It’s an odd sight, an elephant on a bicycle in the middle of a busy street. As Ben’s parents gaze down on the scene from above, they begin to wonder why the elephant is there in the first place. They imagine silly scenarios that involve the elephant going shopping, doing a cannonball into a swimming pool, and blowing everyone away with a giant sneeze. All the while, Ben is quietly preparing to leave, because he knows exactly why the elephant is in town: “for their ice cream date, of course!” Translated from Dutch, the matter-of-fact text is paired with whimsical artwork; readers see the large gray elephant looking bewildered while squished on a bus, then joyfully jumping into a swimming pool. The splash looks like a delightfully realistic spray across the page; the sneeze a splotchy mess. Children will enjoy the silliness of a wild animal cohabitating with people, especially one that feels larger than life. Leave it to adults to worry and wonder while young Ben simply enjoys the elephant’s company. Ben and his parents have pale skin; background characters vary in skin tone. A simple story of boundless imagination and a child’s willingness to believe.
– Kirkus Reviews
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