“A pleasure for readers and listeners alike.” - School Library Journal


Check out my For Teachers page 
for ways to use Twenty-One Elephants 
in the classroom!

Twenty-One Elephants 
and Still Standing


Based on a true story of P.T. Barnum
and the Brooklyn Bridge
Illustrated by Francois Roca
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

⭐️"This well-researched, handsomely illustrated picture book captures the anticipation and uncertainties of those who witnessed the building of the Brooklyn Bridge... While many picture books have been written about this famous construction, this one is by far the best read-aloud. The sparse, yet powerful text contains both alliteration and occasional rhyme, making it a pleasure for readers and listeners alike. Roca's masterful paintings capture both the spirit of the times and of the expansive bridge."
​— School Library Journal, starred review

"The story is told with real poetry, and Roca's paintings are rich and warm. Both text and illustrations reflect the grandeur…of this historic event." — Booklist

"Using a rich palette of glowing golds and browns, Roca imbues the pachyderms with a calm solidity, sending them ambling past equally solid-looking buildings and over a truly
monumental bridge." — Kirkus

• Selected one of The New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading & Sharing 2005 
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• A Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book 2006

• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal
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