Kofi, a young elephant, was born with a knot in his trunk.  HIs disability keeps him from eating, drinking, and trumpeting as other elephants do.  His peers bully him, and Kofi feels isolated and inadequate.  When he discovers Big Ebo, the meanest bully, caught in a whirlpool, he faces a challenging decision.  Should he attempt to rescue the bully? Can he succeed?  Should he even try? 

 

Nancy Patz has written and illustrated such popular books as Pumpernickel Tickle and Mean Green Cheese, Moses Supposes his Toeses Are Roses, and Who was the Woman Who Wore the Hat?

 

Orthodontist Stuart Sheer has treated children with dento-facial problems in Bhutan, The Phillippines, Bangladesh, and Cambodia, among other countries, and at his office near Baltimore, Maryland.  His desire to ease the emotional and physical burdens these children experience led to his collaboration with Nancy Patz and the creation of The Elephant with a Knot in His Trunk.

​

The book has received glowing reviews by Kirkus Reviews and The Baltimore Magazine.

 

"Beautiful, useful, and compassionate." -- Kirkus Reviews

​

"The Elephant with a Knot in His Trunk is a picture book with talking animals, true, but all ages can glean some wisdom from its pages, as it’s charged with truths about how we overcome what we perceive as our shortcomings, and ultimately how that shapes our identity."  -- The Baltimore Magazine.