Elmer Bookmark

Look closely. What seems at first like a bright patchwork quilt is in fact a whole herd of Elmers, tumbling over one another from top to bottom — every one made of the same red, green, blue, pink and yellow squares, every one unmistakably himself.

Which is rather the point. David McKee first put Elmer on the page in 1968, and since the Andersen Press edition arrived in 1989 the books have sold more than twelve million copies in over sixty languages, all on the strength of one idea: that the thing making you different is the best thing about you. McKee, who also gave us Mr Benn and Not Now, Bernard, was awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

At 48 × 162mm with a purple ribbon marker, it slips flat into a picture book or a first chapter book — a lovely reward for a child who's just finished a book on their own, a party-bag extra, or something to tuck inside a birthday card next to an Elmer story.

Come and see the full Museums & Galleries range in the shop — there's always more on the shelves than we can fit online.

Key features

• All-over repeating Elmer design by David McKee (1935–2022), in Elmer's full patchwork palette
• Purple ribbon marker
• 48mm × 162mm
• Museums & Galleries, the British art-stationery publisher behind the V&A, Tate and British Museum ranges
• Flat enough to post inside a greetings card
• Perfect for young readers, Elmer fans, party bags and stocking fillers

FAQ

• Who is Elmer? A patchwork elephant created by British author and illustrator David McKee, first published in 1968 and a children's classic ever since. The stories celebrate being different.
• Who was David McKee? A British writer and illustrator (1935–2022), also known for Mr Benn and Not Now, Bernard, and winner of the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
• What does the design show? A repeating pattern of Elmers across the whole bookmark, rather than a single scene.
• What colour is the ribbon? Purple.
• What size is the bookmark? 48mm wide by 162mm tall.