Book cover of An Elephant in the Garden: Inspired by a True Story

Book description

A thrilling and moving new novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war, for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfly Lion...

Dresden, 1945. Elizabeth and Karli's mother works at the zoo, where her favourite animal is a young elephant named…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked An Elephant in the Garden as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love historical fiction, and I love stories within stories and this novel is both! It’s set at the end of World War II, just after the Allied bombing of Dresden. We’re following 16-year-old Elizabeth, her Mutti, her little brother Karli, and a downed Swiss-Canadian airman as they flee to safety near Heidelberg in the company of—yes, really—an elephant! A story of survival, of endurance, of building lives. The human relationships, in a dark and dangerous time, are brightened by the unexpected presence of one remarkable animal. 

From Uma's list on middle grade featuring elephants.

If you love An Elephant in the Garden...

Book cover of The Afterlife of the Party

The Afterlife of the Party by Darcy Marks,

An interdimensional mixer with angels and other beings brings unexpected trouble for Malachi and his friends in this smart and uniquely funny second book about the squad of teens from hell.

When an angel comes to his home to deliver a message, Malachi immediately knows what’s going on. The seraph…

Want books like An Elephant in the Garden?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like An Elephant in the Garden.

Browse books like An Elephant in the Garden

Book cover of One Amazing Elephant
Book cover of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
Book cover of The One and Only Ivan

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,298

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like An Elephant in the Garden, you might also like...

Book cover of A School for Unusual Girls

A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin,

A spy school for girls amidst Jane Austen’s high society.

Daughters of the Beau Monde who don’t fit London society’s strict mold are banished to Stranje House, where the headmistress trains these unusually gifted girls to enter the dangerous world of spies in the Napoleonic wars. #1 NYT bestselling author…

Book cover of The Yesterday Dress

The Yesterday Dress by Teena Raffa-Mulligan,

Everyone in Angelina's big family has a story to tell.

The Yesterday Dress is a story for seven to nine-year olds about family connections and how learning about the past gives us a stronger sense of where we come from, who we are and how we fit into our world.…

5 book lists we think you will like!