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Can a 10-year-old boy steal an unhappy elephant, find him a good home, fall in love, and get his first kiss, all in one week?

The Parade

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This story came from a real childhood image that stayed with me for years, a small elephant at a gas station grand opening in Los Angeles. We did not steal the elephant, but we absolutely would have thought about it. I wrote The Parade because I wanted to capture that mix of innocence, wild logic, humor, and genuine feeling that belongs so completely to childhood.

Author’s Note

The Parade is funny, tender, and full of childhood conviction. It begins with a boy falling in love with a small elephant at a gas station grand opening, then realizing the animal is not a performing wonder, but suffering captivity, boredom, and stress. What follows is not just a mischievous adventure, but a story about empathy, freedom, and the moral seriousness children sometimes feel more clearly than adults do.

Can a 10-year-old boy steal an unhappy elephant, find him a good home, fall in love, and get his first kiss, all in one week?

The Parade

Author’s Note

Story Overview

Materials

A young boy risks everything to save a captive elephant.

The Parade