Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room

Author: Bonneville, Hugh
ISBN: 9781526685957
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year first published: 14 Oct 2025
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback / softback

I couldn't stop reading it. 5 stars - Noah, aged 9

A laugh-out-loud new adventure from Paddington star Hugh Bonneville, perfect for fans of the real-world mischief, relatable characters and short episodic stories of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Horrid Henry and Just William, and filled with brilliantly funny illustrations from Loretta Schauer.

Rory Sparkes can't stand his red hair, freckles and being unusually tall, because all he's ever wanted is to fit in.

Donna loves being loud, charging around and starting water fights. Donna is terrible at fitting in.

That's probably because she is an elephant!

When Donna and the circus stomp into Rory's life, they bring him more attention than ever.

But maybe their chaos, noise and friendship is actually exactly what he needs?