No matter how often children open this book, they’ll always discover something new.
It would be possible to believe that Iranian author/illustrator Dalvand spent a lifetime painting this picture book.
Almost any page of this story contains enough characters to fill another book—but not necessarily the same book. A decorated military man might have come off the album cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. A woman in red resembles Carmen Sandiego. Few of the characters have quite the same skin tone; some of the colors on the artist’s palette may not even occur in nature. But in a way, all of these townspeople are the main characters here. The entire population of Mrs Bibi’s neighborhood thinks she should give up her pet elephant and focus on something sensible, like the newspaper or the stock market. Their closed-mindedness is comically cartoonish. Mrs Bibi leaves the book with her elephant surprisingly early, taking some of the drama with her even as those left behind come to understand what they’ve lost. But at moments, the story achieves the elegant simplicity of a fable—or, perhaps, a lost chapter of The Little Prince. Many readers will feel liberated by the ending, in which every child gets a new pet, but the real appeal is in the impossible details. A house is covered—like a quilt—with an elaborate floral pattern. The capital R in the type even resembles a tiny elephant.
No matter how often children open this book, they’ll always discover something new. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-912497-16-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
A slim story full of determination, problem-solving and pachyderm glee.
It’s awfully hard to hide an elephant.
Three kids find an elephant waiting at the bus stop (the Pachyderm Bus Line, of course). According to the luggage tag, his name is Phil. They take the squat, dumpy blue elephant, complete with tiny fedora, to the park and have a grand time jumping rope and sliding down his trunk. But suddenly, with wide-eyed terror, they realize something. Their parents will likely be less than thrilled about this new friend. “We must hide Phil!” they all shout at the top of their lungs. He’s too big for the doghouse, but piling leaves on top of him almost works until one of those leaves tickles his trunk. After one last solution that seems perfect, their parents enter and immediately ask, “Um. Is that an elephant?” (Gosh-darn parents—they always figure things out.) They order Phil to leave. But Phil just may have some hiding spots of his own. Spare text in scattered speech bubbles makes this a good choice for beginning readers. The illustrations are reminiscent of Harry Bliss’, and details charm; Dad wears a hat almost identical to Phil’s (as well as a goatee), and the kids’ dachshund joins in the fun. The ending is a bit slapdash, but the wide range of expressions found on Phil’s flattened face more than make up for it.
A slim story full of determination, problem-solving and pachyderm glee. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-46477-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This nearly wordless tale offers much for readers to discuss and interpret, as the power of the individual to make a...
In this heartfelt tale, a boy’s encounter with a fantasy world allows him to find acceptance in the real one.
When Cameron tries to join in a game of tag, he’s bullied and teased. The illustrations, done in a comic-book format with multiple panels, heartbreakingly display the boy’s feelings of rejection and loneliness. But when a creature from the bramble leaves an amulet behind, Cameron—like Alice with the White Rabbit—follows the creature through a dark hole. He emerges into a world where an ominous wave brings terror to all the creatures. Despite this, they welcome and befriend him, and when the wave reappears, Cameron bravely faces it. A game of tag defeats the wave, releasing long-lost creatures back to beloved family and friends. Nordling and Zick’s metaphor becomes clear as Cameron returns to reality and finds the courage to challenge the bully to another game of tag. The wave and the bully are one and the same, striking fear into those around, overpowering—even distorting and removing—people’s kindness and friendship. But this time, Cameron is victorious, and the boy accepts him into the group. The artist’s energetic pencil illustrations skillfully create atmospheric environments and intriguing creatures. Different tints are used to indicate the two sides of the bramble, but both worlds are filled with texture and detail.
This nearly wordless tale offers much for readers to discuss and interpret, as the power of the individual to make a negative or positive impact in the world is explored. A good addition to the overcoming-bullies bookshelf . (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5856-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
