By Smriti Halls (author) , Nila Aye (illustrator)
"Elbert the Elephant needs to find a place that lets him be himself"
Paperback Pre-order. 29th July 2027 £7.99 £7.19
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
View All Editions (2)
May 2026 Book of the Month
From the creative partnership that brought us the adorable One in a Million , this is another warm and attractive story which will, I am sure, prove to be equally popular as a read aloud in class or at bedtime. Smriti Halls always manages to create fluent rhyming text which just trips off your tongue.
Young children will love joining in the all the action words and alliterative sounds, as our adorable hero Elbert goes trumpety trumping , bumpety bumping and stompety stomping through the jungle. He wants to have fun, but everything he tries to join in with, ends with him being told ‘Why don’t you try something else for today?’ This leaves him down in the dumps, until he hears an irresistible tune and finds a marching band that actually want him to join in because his trumpet is the best!
There will be lots of children who feel they are too loud and too clumsy and will recognise all too well, the feeling of not fitting in. The empowering message that everyone should be proud of their differences, is an important one and the book teaches a valuable lesson about accommodating difference with kindness. The lively and engaging illustrations are a perfect complement to this joyful and positive tale.
A heart-warming, empowering story celebrating individuality and the freedom to be yourself from internationally bestselling and awardwinning children's author, Smriti Halls.
Read the full description
With beautiful illustrations throughout by award-winning illustrator Nila Aye, known for her loveable characters and softness of style.
Elbert the Elephant is full of life and ready to try anything! The only problem is that nothing ever seems to go quite as it should – from ballet dancing to swimming lessons to story time at the library… will Elbert ever find a place where he fits?
Smriti Halls is an internationally bestselling children’s author whose award-winning books have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her stories are loved by children and adults alike and include picture book classics Rain Before Rainbows and the I’m Sticking With You series, as well as Publishers Weekly #1 bestselling I Love You Night and Day .
Smriti is South Indian by birth, British by nationality and a Londoner at heart and her stories, whether fast-paced and funny or lyrical and tender, are filled with hope, humour and heart, where every child can find themselves
Read the author's Q&A here .
75 Best Back to School Books for Starting School
Brilliant Children's and YA Books to Read this Summer
Picture Book Joy from the Creative Partnership of Smriti Halls and Nila Aye
the best books for 5-7 year olds · the best books about starting school
Tony Rex's Seven Stomps to Success
Marigold Is a Chicken
Zadie Smith and 1 more
The Crow and the Peacock
A heart-warming, empowering story celebrating individuality and the freedom to be yourself from internationally bestselling and awardwinning children's author, Smriti Halls. With beautiful illustrations throughout by award-winning illustrator Nila Aye, known for her loveable characters and softness of style.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Free to Be Me! and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
Free to Be Me! features in the following genres: Featured Books for 3+ readers, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Animal Stories, PSHE: Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem and Wellbeing, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children's and Young Adult Fiction
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Free to Be Me! was written by Smriti Halls and published by HarperCollins Children's Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Free to Be Me! has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.