Elfrida Vipont's cumulative tale follows an elephant and a baby who go 'rumpeta, rumpeta, rumpeta' down the road, taking treats from shopkeepers without ever saying please. They help themselves to ice cream, pies, chips, biscuits, lollipops, apples, and chocolate—with the increasingly indignant shopkeepers joining the chase behind them. Raymond Briggs's exuberant illustrations capture the chaos of the growing procession and the baby's gleeful wickedness. The story's rhythmic repetition makes it perfect for reading aloud, with children quickly joining in on the 'rumpeta' refrain and anticipating each new shopkeeper's contribution to the parade. Vipont builds toward the satisfying moral moment when the elephant stops abruptly (sending everyone tumbling) and asks the baby why he never says please. The baby's mother resolves the situation by making pancakes for everyone, modeling both the apology and the community reconciliation that manners help maintain. The book works simultaneously as an entertaining romp, a gentle lesson about courtesy, and an implicit argument that communities depend on reciprocal obligation. Young readers love the transgressive pleasure of watching the baby take what he wants, followed by the reassurance of restored social order. Briggs's elephant is a magnificent creation—somehow both dignified and ridiculous, the perfect accomplice for childhood mischief.