Yi-Min and the elephants - Caroline Heaton

Yi-Min, smallest and most indulged daughter of the Chinese Emperor, longs to see an elephant. Her father agrees to take her on an elephant hunt, but when Yi-Min sees a big wolf, she mistakes it for an elephant, and the same happens with a stripy tiger and a shaggy brown bear. Finally, she catches sight of elephants, and her delight leads to a birthday promise that Yi-Min's elephants will continue to pad softly over the earth. Caroline Heaton's original story, set in the T'ang dynasty and featuring China's legendary white elephants, is atmospherically illustrated by Tim Vyner.