Order of Book Series
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Elmer Books in Order

Elmer by David McKee contains 45 books, published between 1989 and 2020. The first book is Elmer (Short Story) (1989) and the newest is Elmer Opposites (2020). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
45
Published
1989–2020
Pages on record
598 in 24 of 45 books
Reading time
10.0–15 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 598 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 24 of 45 titles with a page count on record.

See all 45 books in order Printable Elmer checklist

Elmer is a patchwork-coloured elephant among grey ones, and David McKee built 45 books around him. The first, in 1989, turns on Elmer growing tired of the difference that makes the other elephants laugh. Colour, friendship and sharing run through the picture books, among them Elmer Again (1991), Elmer's Christmas (1993), Elmer on Stilts (1993) and Elmer and Wilbur (1994), and the series reaches Elmer Opposites (2020). Volumes are short, at a median of 32 pages.

How many Elmer books are there?

Elmer has 45 books, released between 1989 and 2020.

Elmer Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 45 Elmer books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Elmer (Short Story) by David McKee, book 1 of the Elmer series (1989)
  2. Cover of Elmer Again (Short Story) by David McKee, book 2 of the Elmer series (1991)
  3. Cover of Elmer's Christmas (Short Story) by David McKee, book 3 of the Elmer series (1993)
  4. Cover of Elmer on Stilts (Short Story) by David McKee, book 4 of the Elmer series (1993)
  5. Cover of Elmer's Day (Short Story) by David McKee, book 5 of the Elmer series (1994)
  6. Cover of Elmer and Friends by David McKee, book 6 of the Elmer series (1994)
  7. Cover of Elmer and Wilbur (Short Story) by David McKee, book 7 of the Elmer series (1994)
  8. Cover of Elmer's Colors (Short Story) by David McKee, book 8 of the Elmer series (1994)
  9. Cover of Elmer's Weather (Short Story) by David McKee, book 9 of the Elmer series (1994)
  10. Cover of Elmer's Special Day (Short Story) by David McKee, book 10 of the Elmer series (1994)
  11. Cover of Elmer in the Snow (Short Story) by David McKee, book 11 of the Elmer series (1995)
  12. Cover of Elmer Takes Off (Short Story) by David McKee, book 14 of the Elmer series (1997)
  13. Cover of Hide-and-Seek Elmer (Short Story) by David McKee, book 15 of the Elmer series (1997)
  14. Cover of I Can Too! (Short Story) by David McKee, book 16 of the Elmer series (1997)
  15. Cover of Elmer and the Lost Teddy (Short Story) by David McKee, book 17 of the Elmer series (1999)
  16. Cover of Elmer and the Kangaroo (Short Story) by David McKee, book 18 of the Elmer series (2000)
  17. Cover of Look! There's Elmer (Short Story) by David McKee, book 19 of the Elmer series (2000)
  18. Cover of Elmer and Grandpa Eldo (Short Story) by David McKee, book 20 of the Elmer series (2001)
  19. Cover of Elmer and Butterfly (Short Story) by David McKee, book 22 of the Elmer series (2002)
  20. Cover of Elmer's New Friend (Short Story) by David McKee, book 23 of the Elmer series (2002)
  21. Cover of Elmer and Rose (Short Story) by David McKee, book 24 of the Elmer series (2005)
  22. Cover of Elmer and Aunt Zelda (Short Story) by David McKee, book 25 of the Elmer series (2006)
  23. Cover of Elmer's Opposites (Short Story) by David McKee, book 26 of the Elmer series (2007)
  24. Cover of Elmer and Snake (Short Story) by David McKee, book 27 of the Elmer series (2007)
  1. 1
    Elmer (Short Story)1989 · confirmed 1/4
    1989–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Elmer Again (Short Story)1991 · confirmed 1/4
    1991–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Elmer's Christmas (Short Story)1993 · confirmed 1/4
    1993–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Elmer on Stilts (Short Story)1993 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199332
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Elmer's Day (Short Story)1994 · confirmed 1/4
    1994–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Elmer and Friends1994 · confirmed 1/4
    1994–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Elmer and Wilbur (Short Story)1994 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199432
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Elmer's Colors (Short Story)1994 · confirmed 1/4
    1994–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Elmer's Weather (Short Story)1994 · 16 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199416
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Elmer's Special Day (Short Story)1994 · confirmed 1/4
    1994–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Elmer in the Snow (Short Story)1995 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199532
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Elmer's Splash (Short Story)1995 · 10 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199510
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    The Elmer Pop-Up Book (Short Story)1996 · 10 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199610
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Elmer Takes Off (Short Story)1997 · confirmed 1/4
    1997–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Hide-and-Seek Elmer (Short Story)1997 · 24 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199724
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    I Can Too! (Short Story)1997 · confirmed 1/4
    1997–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Elmer and the Lost Teddy (Short Story)1999 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199932
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Elmer and the Kangaroo (Short Story)2000 · confirmed 1/4
    2000–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Look! There's Elmer (Short Story)2000 · 24 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200024
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Elmer and Grandpa Eldo (Short Story)2001 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200132
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Elmer's Concert (Short Story)2001 · confirmed 1/4
    2001–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Elmer and Butterfly (Short Story)2002 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200232
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Elmer's New Friend (Short Story)2002 · 10 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200210
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Elmer and Rose (Short Story)2005 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200532
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Elmer and Aunt Zelda (Short Story)2006 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200632
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Elmer's Opposites (Short Story)2007 · 12 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200712
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Elmer and Snake (Short Story)2007 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200732
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Elmer and the Rainbow (Short Story)2007 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200732
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Elmer and the Big Bird (Short Story)2008 · confirmed 1/4
    2008–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Elmer and the Hippos (Short Story)2010 · 32 pages · confirmed 1/4
    201032
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Is there a chronological order for Elmer?

No separate chronological order is on record for Elmer, because none of the book listings this catalogue draws on publishes one; the publication order above is the only order given.

Do you have to read Elmer books in order?

You should read the Elmer books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Elmer book also stands alone.

Where to start with Elmer

Start with Elmer (Short Story) (1989), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Elmer book?

Elmer Opposites (2020) is the newest Elmer book released so far.

Is there a new Elmer book coming?

No next Elmer book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Elmer at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Elmer title on record dates from 2020, 6 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Elmer books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
598 pages across the 24 of 45 books with a recorded length, a median of 32 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Elmer books, 16 of 45, were published in the 1990s.

What the Elmer books are about

36 of the 45 Elmer books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: children's fiction is tagged on 27 of 36. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

More books by David McKee

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.

Other series by David McKee

Each series linked below has its own reading-order page.