"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"

by Patricia Thomas, Wallace Tripp (Illustrator)

Knowing the havoc it will cause, all the animals try to prevent the elephant from sneezing.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Humor, Storytime, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Patricia Thomas was the author of several picture books, including Firefly Mountain; “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!”; “There are Rocks in My Socks,” Said the Ox to the Fox; and The One-and-Only, Super-Duper, Golly-Whopper, Jim-Dandy, Really Handy Clock Tock Stopper. She taught writing for children at Marywood University and at the Institute for Children’s Literature. Thomas passed away in 2021.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. So funny, I truly did laugh out loud. The pictures are funny enough for toddlers to enjoy, the rollicking rhyme will encourage an independent reader to read this over and over, the pictures of the animals reacting to the elephant's announcement are vividly both true to the animals and true to the humor, there are a lot of different animals to meet, and the two-part ending packs a punch neither to be expected nor soon-forgotten.

As you can see by reading this review, I'm still breathless & giddy. I will read it again before I return it to the library and keep it on my to-read-again list for later, too. And I will try to find more by author and illustrator (though it's an older book, and maybe their other stuff is gone). Do try to get this from your library before it's culled!
---
I would love to read this aloud to a little. Or, even better, hear an 8 read it to a 5. All those juicy words, arranged in fun rhymes and a joyous rhythm!

So, what's even worse than an elephant's sneeze, that phenomon which blows the stripes off the zebra and the scales off the fish?

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is the bee's knees! *wink

Ages: 4 - 8

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this one of my favorite children's books, it's also a favorite of my mother's. I think she could recite nearly the entire thing. The illustrations are by Wallace Trip (who authored & illustrated another of my favorites: Sir Toby Jingle's Beastly Journey).

It's a wonderful & hilarious book. As the elephant is about to sneeze, he warns all the animals & insects to flee, due to the damage he inadvertently does to them. However, a small mouse takes it upon himself to try to interrupt the sneeze, with cataclysmic repercussions.

Everyone should own a copy of this book.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The elephant, of course, is going to sneeze. (Actually, there are youtube videos of elephants sneezing and not much happens because of it, but realism isn't the point, now is it?) So he warns everybody, and they start giving these long (long! don't read this book to a kiddo with a short attention span!) pleas, reminding him of the disaster that struck the LAST time he sneezed - the bear went bare, and all the hippopotamuseses fell on their bottomuseses, the feathers fell off the birds and the flowers off the trees.... Well! It was not a pretty picture.

But the poor elephant is undeterred. He MUST sneeze. He WILL sneeze... until he doesn't.

And this is so surprising he starts to laugh, and, well...

maybe he should have sneezed instead, that's all I can say.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas is a doozy of a title. But it gets to the heart of this silly rhyming story. An elephant is having a bad case of sneezes and they are causing no end of trouble for the other animals.

The winning element for me on this story is the artwork. The illustrations are just the right combination of realistic and ridiculous. Take for instance the very surprised zebra watching his black stripes fly in all directions or the birds having their feathers blown off.

The book was first published in 1971 and reissued in 1990.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely wonderful children's book that will delight everyone who reads it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the joys of working in adult services in the library is occasionally covering the children's desk and discovering old favorites. I doubt I had seen this book since I was a child (published when I was two), but I ventured across it while gathering reserves for customers this morning. I vividly remembered the great title, designed to pique a child's interest, and, for some reason, all of the hair falling off of the bear! The rhymes are fun and intricate and I imagine that's what made it memorable for me in the first place. I don't recall whether I read it at school, at home, or in the library as a child, but it clearly made an impression and must continue to all these years later since it is still in print. Funny and colorful, with pictures from illustrator Wallace Tripp.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know when I first read this children's book. I think I ordered it from the "I Can Read" book club back when my two children were quite young. That would be in the mid-70s. All I know is that I still have that copy. My children and I both loved it and they asked me to read it to them dozens of times. The story is charming, the rhymes hilarious, and the illustrations wonderfully done.

[Hannah Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

another childhood favorite of mine.
a longer story, but made fun of you can change your voice into the different dialects of the various animals!
Side note: I prefer the original print where there was only 2 colors in the images.... This reprint with the colored pictures is throwing me off lol
But that's just me being picky!

[Mark Pedigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I found this as a kid, it was hands down the funniest thing I’d ever read. I laughed until I couldn’t breathe. I read it years later and it was still hilarious.

[Tym · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is absolutely gorgeous as the rhymes are charming. This is exactly what I hope for in a children’s book.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is super cute! I was surprised Julia got as into the illustrations as she did, just because of the more reserved tone but she really, really enjoyed them. She devoured each page. I'd be lying if I said I didn't do the same.
The story is one of the few that really can make you LOL. In a time when this little term, three little letters, make everything seem so darn funny, this story really is.
We read in the back of the book that this was Patricia Thomas' first book! I'm going to have to see if she went on to write anything else.
I'd recommend this to parents for younger children and older toddlers/young kids - it can work for just about any age I think.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel so sorry for the animals who ever have to live with this particular elephants. Although he seems like he is friendly and maybe a great guy down in heart he is so unpredictable with his responses to the world around him that he ends up causing more problems than can ever be expected. Sounds like some of us right?

This is a great book and its rhyming words will please the ear of young children. Unfortunately it is a bit on the longish side so the youngest of children may not find it as entertaining as the older children although the illustrations can lead to some interesting laughs.

A definite favorite that should be out on more shelves....

[Melissa]

Our copy of this book is a Weekly Reader edition that belonged to my husband when he was little. Delightful art, bursting with personality and humor. The rollicking rhyme works well for this silly tale of animals begging an elephant not to unleash his powerful and destructive sneeze. A frequent read-aloud request from my younger children. (I admit: when the toddler is the sole requester, I usually only read the first couple of lines on each page. The book is a bit text-heavy for a two-year-old, but it entrances the five-year-old.)

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Month of January 2022: Young Reader’s Classics

AR POINTS: .5 READING LEVEL: 3.1

Another super cute children’s poem book written and published in 1971. This book reads very much like a Dr. Suess book, which I absolutely love. It’s the only kind of poems I even understand. It was in with my cousin’s (Lancer Woolwine) family photos, which I am currently organizing for their family. This book, missing its cover, stays with the family.

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is marvelous, wonderful, fantastic book. My friend Kelly loved this as a child and brought it out to use in our writing lessons. This is an excellent example of a cumulative tale and humor, among other things. I want a copy of my own to use with other classes. It's fantastic.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! I remember reading this aloud to my children 20 years ago! Wow! Where does the time go?! There is so much joy in the rhyming and my favorite illustration is the one where the zebra loses his stripes! This is a book that needs to be shared.

[Alinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! My daughter loved it so much we read it almost every night while we had it checked out from the library.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old favorite that still stands up well.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everbody has to run away because [spoiler alert] the elephant was going to sneeze. Was that a magic world? How did every single zebra stripe go bye-bye and his mouth turned rightside out?

[Samantha Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny, great vocabulary, wonderfully absurd! It is a favorite with our grandchildren.

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite in our family; the rhyme carries the story along so endearingly that the kids can’t get enough of this charmer

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: "Stand back," said the elephant, "I'm going to sneeze! I hate to alarm you, but I don't wish to harm you. My friends, I fear it's clear...oh, dear, you'd better stand back, I'm going to sneeze."

Premise/plot: ALL of Elephant's friends are super-concerned about the coming sneeze. And perhaps rightly so...considering their past experiences when elephant has sneezed! Every animal tells--in rhyme, of course--what happens when this elephant sneezes. But one animal has a plan...will it work????

My thoughts: I can relate to the protagonist in this one. I can. I have very LOUD sneezes--though it isn't so much gust as NOISE. (Spoiler alert, I also LAUGH really, really, really loud....again just like the elephant in this story.) I don't have personal memories of holding this book in my hand and reading it. But I do remember plenty of times when my mother has told me, STAND BACK, SAID THE ELEPHANT, I'M GOING TO SNEEZE. So I'm guessing that this one was read aloud to us plenty...I just don't remember.

It is written all in rhyme. I didn't love it or hate it. It's not as wonderful as say a Dr. Seuss book written in rhyme. But it wasn't dreadful either. (So many books that are written in rhyme tend to show the struggle author's have to force it. Forced rhyming just isn't fun for anyone, right?!)

Despite being a picture book with thirty-two pages, there is a LOT of text per page. So it wouldn't be inappropriate in a second or even third grade classroom. It would work as a read aloud, of course, but probably only for a child with a long(er) attention span. You could even ask questions throughout--what do you think is going to happen next? Do you think elephant is going to sneeze? do you think bees really crawl on their knees?! Or is the author being silly?!

Definitely recommend this one.

[Brooke Loewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is by far the most memorable book from my childhood. I vividly remember my mother reading this book to me with such expression in her voice every time the elephant was about to sneeze! I remember giggling every time the huge let out a sneeze that was so fierce and powerful it caused a disaster! Every time the elephant would sneeze, the animals from the previous disaster-causing sneeze would beg the elephant to never sneeze again! The illustrations were a great interpretation of the elephant and his animal friends. The illustrations were lively and captivating to the eye because of the over the top nature of the illustrations that still managed to be realistic and believable. Very genius Patricia Thomas! I think that children, and even adults, will appreciate and enjoy the rhyming scheme that this book uses to aid in creating the silly-nature of this book. Reading this book aloud to students would give the teacher a great opportunity to read with vigor and expression that will be engaging and lively for the students listening! I dare students to listen to this book being read aloud and not let out a silly laugh or two themselves!

[Kimber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been a long time favorite at our house. I'm reviewing it today because I want anyone reading this review who has young kids to get a copy! I read it to my Kindergartener's class today and even though it's a long-ish book, they were completely engrossed in it and laughed and laughed at the end. It is such a wonderful book all about what happens in the jungle when an elephant sneezes. The rhyming is fantastic and it's even fun to use different animal voices as you read it...i.e. bees, crocodiles, etc. It's as much fun to read as it is to hear, and I like to stop at the end of a rhyme and see if the kids can fill in what the word should be. The Kindergarteners did so well today. As the zebra, I said, "Yikes! You'll blow off my _______" and they all yelled "STRIPES" in my same voice. SO MUCH FUN! Just a great book. I just realized that this book is by the same author who wrote "There are Rocks in my Socks," Said the Ox to the Fox, a book I adored as a child! No wonder I love this one! I'll have to check out some of her other children's books.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” when my children were little, and now all these years later, it still brings a chuckle or two. The story is written in rhyme with lots of humor by Patricia Thomas, and Wallace Tripp’s artwork is charming. If you can get your hands on a copy of this delightful picture story book, it would be a perfect gift for the young ones in your life.

All of the animals panic when the elephant says he going to sneeze.
“Beware, beware,”
Called the bees to the bear.
“The elephant says he’s going to sneeze.”

“Oh, please,
Not a sneeze,”
“That’s not fair.
I declare,
The last time he sneezed he blew off all my hair,
And left me so bare
I spent the whole winter in long underwear –

I love children’s books, but this is undeniably one of my favorite. I give it 5 stars.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great read-alouds, particularly if you are a ham reader and pretend to be an elephant warning the forest and grassland and river and lake animals that you are about to sneeze while you are trying your best not to.

This was a favorite when my own thirty-something daughters were young children. I bought a gift copy (and one for me) for a friend’s three-year old. It is not quite Seussian, though it doth so aspire, McGuire, and it’s close enough in wit and rhyme to count or miscount as discount Seuss. It was written in 1970 or it might have had a an ASPCA verification that no zebra’s stripes, or bear’s hair, or bee’s stings, or bird’s feathers, or fish scales were harmed in the writing or reading of this book.

Best for parents or grandparents of three-to-five-year olds. Oh, and three-to five-year olds!

[Lori C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Children's Picture Book - Fiction
Ages: PreK-3rd

This is a book about an elephant who causes panic in the neighborhood with his warning that he is about to sneeze. The animals in the book hilariously recount the horror and trauma they suffered the last time he sneezed. There are many reasons that I love this book. The rhymes and really fun to read aloud
"we lost every feather.
We didn't know whether
We'd ever get back together." (p. 8)
But the best part is the illustrations of the havoc wrought by the elephant. The crocodile's snout was turned inside out, the bees lost their stings, and the fish lost their scales.
In this pandemic age, it's a great way to remind children to cover their mouths!

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a childhood favorite (my parents’ copy was falling apart for years, but they still have it, the spine held together with duct tape) and for Valentine’s Day, my mother sent me a reissued copy. So I re-read it for this packet. No wonder I loved it as a kid. It’s hilarious—all about an elephant who realizes he needs to sneeze, and the animals who plead with him not to because of the horrible things that happened last time. So instead he starts laughing, and he chortles so long and loud, that the same bad things happened as when he sneezed (the zebra lost his stripes, the bear lost his hair, etc.) One thing I noticed is that the text is rhyming—and I didn’t mind it. (Usually I do.)

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I can ever remember reading. My grandma would read to me in the day when she babysat me and she had a bag of books that we would read from. There are quite a few but this one stands out as my favorite in my memory. When I got older, my grandma gave me the bag of books and now my own children have read them as well. I hope they inspire the love of reading as they did to me! 5 stars!