Once, elephants came in two colours: black or white.

They loved all other creatures - but each set wanted to destroy the other.

Peace-loving elephants ran and hid in the deepest jungle while battle commenced.

The war-mongers succeeded: for a long time it seemed that there were no elephants in the world at all, not of any colour.

But then the descendants of the peace-loving ones emerged from the jungle, and by now they were all grey. ‘This book was one of my favourites as a kid, I simply relished in the gloriousness of a load of elephants battling it out in a bizarre forest.

It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I recognised the importance of the message that lay (not so subtly) underneath.’ OLIVER JEFFERS