Elmer's Colours

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant is one of those characters who earns his place on the shelf, and this 1994 board book uses Elmer's multicoloured patchwork brilliantly to introduce toddlers to basic colours. He balances citrus on his trunk, enjoys a pink lolly at the beach, and romps across green grass — colour identification made cheerful and concrete. At sixteen pages it's exactly the right length for a restless two-year-old. The one thing to note is that this is a concept book first and foremost: the 'story' is really a colour tour, and there's no standalone critical assessment of this specific title. But as a first-concepts board book from a globally beloved series, it does its job with warmth and colour to spare.