If you find a mammoth in your fridge, there are two questions you should ask: How did it get there? and How do you get it out?  One day, Noah opens his fridge to find there is a mammoth in his fridge.  At first his father doesn’t believe him, but when he looks for himself he freaks out and they call the fire brigade to solve the problem.  When they try to catch the mammoth it escapes and runs through the streets and ends up stuck in a tree, but when it gets dark Noah goes out to help it.

A Mammoth in the Fridge by Michael Escoffier and illustrated by Matthieu Maudet is a deceptively simple story with a surprise ending.  At first I didn’t think there was anything special about the story, until I got to the last few pages.  The ending left me with a smile on my face and children will love it too.  Both the text and the illustrations are quite sparse and simple but they’re fun and there’s a sense of anticipation throughout the story to keep children guessing what might happen next (will the firemen catch the mammoth? Where will he run to?).  I especially like the illustration of the mammoth squashed into the fridge.  The father is telling the children to stay away because it might bite, but the mammoth just looks upset that his hiding place has been discovered.  Thanks Gecko Press for another unique, curiously good picture book!

4 out of 5 stars