Can any brilliant Mumsnetter identify this children's book - pre-1981, very scant details

[SquirryTheSquirrel]

Very long shot but I've been trying to find it for years. It was read to the class in infant school in 1981, but I seem to remember it had an old board cover so it could be much earlier.

It's not a picture book.

The story was about a boy who somehow came by a (baby?) elephant - it might have been a birthday gift. The boy and his elephant got involved/kidnapped by evil-doers (possibly a circus) and the last bit I heard was them being transported away on a train, in a cattle truck.

For some reason the teacher didn't finish reading the book and that's all I can remember (and some of it might be incorrect).

Any suggestions however vague would be very gratefully received!

It’s making me think of Dumbo, which probably isn’t what you’re remembering.

No, unfortunately it's nothing well known like Dumbo or Babar but thanks for the suggestion - it's a similar sort of theme!

The Great Elephant Chase by Gillian Cross?

I hadn't heard of the Gillian Cross - I've just looked it up and again, it sounds similar but GoodReads gives the publication date as 1992, so unfortunately that would be too late. It was definitely infant school I was at when it was read to the class. Thank you for the suggestion.

A boy with an elephant reminds me of Mr gallios circus by Enid Blyton

I love the Galliano books but it definitely isn't one of those, sadly - I still have my childhood copies . It's the right sort of vintage, but I don't think it was an Enid Blyton (though couldn't be 100% sure). Thank you for the suggestions.

If it’s Mr Galliano’s circus you might struggle to find a copy unless it’s second hand . Like many EB books there’s a lot of overt racism including the N word.

Cross posted sorry

@HasaDigaEebowai

If it’s Mr Galliano’s circus you might struggle to find a copy unless it’s second hand . Like many EB books there’s a lot of overt racism including the N word.

Yes, like many books of the era, there certainly is. My copies are from the 1970s so not exactly ancient, and some of the language, like the word you mention, is unbelievable.

It sounds a bit like Rosy is my relative by Gerald Durrell, though I'm not sure it would be suitable for reading to an infant class. Gerald Durrell's humour tends to be on the broad side. Perhaps that's why the teacher stopped reading it...

Unless it was hippos?

Sprout by Jenifer Wayne???

For sure that must be the elephant and the bad baby? Loved that book!

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/elephant-and-the-bad-baby/author/vipont-elfrida-briggs-raymond/?cmmmc=ggllUKUKETAETADSASA--naa---naa&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6s2IBhCnARIsAP8RfAh5a3V59WuR5lJOIvyss0fnnnr8yP9O4h9dTI-zb13mpUsxx4kWEaAstEEALww_wcB

@tuttifritti

For sure that must be the elephant and the bad baby? Loved that book!

I was about to suggest that!

"And he never once said please!"

Can't be the Elephant and the Bad Baby because op said it wasn't a picture book.

This rings v vague bells for me. Was the book set in England or India because for whatever reason, I'm seeing something like a book by Rumer Godden (although looking at her bibliography, nothing is jumping out at me).

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I've looked at Sprout but it was definitely a real elephant. As pp said, it wasn't a picture book so that rules out the Bad Baby (the excerpt from that one made me chuckle).

@TiredButDancing When you mentioned India that rang a bell, although it might just have been an Indian elephant that was involved. I will have a trawl through Rumer Godden's books and try searching more generally for children's books set in India.

It was definitely about a child, so I don't think it can be the Gerald Durrell as the hero is an adult. As pp said, that one sounds a little too grown up for a primary school in those days!

Its not something like Babar the elephant.

I need a new puzzle, I have spent three months trying to find a tune that I heard but could only remember the first 10 seconds of. Figured that out last night

Is it Travellers by Night by Vivien Alcock?

Youshallnotpass9 It isn't Babar unfortunately - it's not anything well known.

Daisymclazy The Vivian Alcock looked really promising but it was published in 1983 so a couple of years too late, alas. It was the summer term of 1981 when it was read to me in class. I do seem to remember it was a solo boy and elephant rather than a pair or group of children - but, my memory is so hazy that might not be accurate.

Thank you both for the suggestions!

@squirrythesquirrel

Having just gone down an Enid Blyton Rabbit hole, I have a vague memory of the Willard Price books, having had a google, it has two boys in it and not sure it fits it exactly, or to be honest would be good to read to young children.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_Adventure

I shall keep thinking, as this was my sort of era as well

I've just brought up a preview of Elephant Adventure - sadly, I don't think it's the one, as there's a striking/graphic description of shooting at an elephant which I'm fairly sure I would have remembered (and like you say, probably would be considered a bit strong for 6 year olds).

There's another Willard Price, African Adventure, but that one seems to have multiple animals in it.

I found a list of elephant-themed books on GoodReads but most of them were picture books, and this was definitely a chapter book - I can picture it having a green board cover (the kind that used to be beneath a dust jacket) .

A good suggestion though, thank you. I'm hoping something will 'unlock' my memory to a more distinctive word I can search online.

Nogbad and the Elephants? I found that one on oldchildrensbooks.com There's a search bar and quite a few elephant ones came up but that storyline sounds similar!

"When the King of Southland sends a bejewelled baby elephant as a present for Little Knut, Noggin is worried about how sad it seems, while Nogbad is plotting to steal it."

It really sounds like an Enid Blyton book I remember reading and loving as a child (clearly I was oblivious to the offensive language at the time ). Googling only brings up Mr Galliano's Circus though and you said it's not that so now I'm not sure. I seem to remember there was an attempted elephant-napping among other exciting incidents though!