Ellison the Elephant

From AudioFile
Ellison's sad to discover that his trumpeted call differs from those of the other little elephants. When eventually he learns to value his own special voice (both jazzy and musical), others do too. Eric Drachman, himself an actor, dramatizes the story and enlists the acting help of much of his family, including his young nephew, Benjamin Drachman, who plays the sweet-voiced Ellison. The author has also enlisted the talents of a jazz composer and Bryon "BTrain" Holley to vocalize Ellison's tunes. The result is engaging, with one jarring note: Ellison's imaginary weasel friend has a New York-accented voice that's a bit of a harsh surprise. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
Ellison is aghast when he discovers his trumpet blast is different from those of his elephant friends. When he starts to withdraw, his mom explains being different is not such a bad thing. "All the greatest elephants in history were unusual!" she says. When Ellison's wisecracking imaginary friend Weasel starts to encourage him, Ellison is coaxed to be inventive and to find his own voice. Soon, pachyderms from miles around are swaying to the magic of Ellison's trumpet and its extraordinary new sound. This musical celebration is brought to life on CD with dramatic readings, sound effects, and the jazzy expertise of Giovanna Imbesi.


From the Publisher
Kidwick Books took on a new project with this book. We needed to get just the right sound for Ellison’s "jazz trunk" for the accompanying audio CD. We wanted it to come from a vocalist, rather than an actual trumpet, as in the story, Ellison discovers his very own voice. Thanks to the lively composition from Giovanna Imbesi and the playful performance from Bryon "BTrain" Holley, we put together original music that seamlessly blends with the story. It’s not a soundtrack, but rather Ellison’s genuine voice. The music is infectious and invariably the listener finds him or herself humming it for hours after hearing it!


From the Author
Having been an actor before I started writing children’s picture books, coming from a family of artists, and basing my career on my creative inspiration, you could say that I am familiar with what it takes to express yourself. When I was studying acting, we would frequently hear the phrase, "Get out of your own way." What it means is that as humans, we tend to try to hide something or censor our natural reactions… we try to "fit in." To be a real artist requires us to stand out. Frequently, that can be achieved by just letting go and being ourselves (easier said than done.) Perhaps that is the heart of Ellison’s story. He is a real artist.


About the Author
Eric Drachman has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.F.A. in Acting, with a minor in making kids laugh. In fact, it was Eric's desire to entertain his nieces and nephew that inspired his first rudimentary books-on-tape. It was the success of these tapes to entertain a whole variety of kids (and parents) that led Eric to write and produce Leo the Lightning Bug. Leo’s success has propelled Eric deeper into the world of children’s book publishing with his new - and equally encouraging releases –It’s Me! and Ellison the Elephant.


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Ellison's sad to discover that his trumpeted call differs from those of the other little elephants. When eventually he learns to value his own special voice (both jazzy and musical), others do too. Eric Drachman, himself an actor, dramatizes the story and enlists the acting help of much of his family, including his young nephew, Benjamin Drachman, who plays the sweet-voiced Ellison. The author has also enlisted the talents of a jazz composer and Bryon "BTrain" Holley to vocalize Ellison's tunes. The result is engaging, with one jarring note: Ellison's imaginary weasel friend has a New York-accented voice that's a bit of a harsh surprise. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine


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