Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
De Blois writes about being an ally to a friend who's different, with a crime-stopping plot twist thrown in as a bonus. The narrator brings his elephant pal A%mile to the art museum, where earnest A%mile's big ears and huge rear end come in for constant harassment. A guard lectures in every gallery, but the ceramics room is the worst: "Him with the-with the-behind... that's as big as a mountain!" The narrator's stumped for a reply ("What could anybody say to such an insult?"), and A%mile is reduced to tears. Moments later, the elephant's quick action foils a theft in progress, much to the huffy guard's chagrin. In Watson's natural-sounding translation, the narrator shares his own frustration ("I clenched my fists") and makes A%mile's point of view easy to understand ("A%mile doesn't like to talk about his ears"). Including an elephant protagonist keeps the proceedings funny rather than preachy, and saturated cartoonlike artwork by Cormier makes sweet comedy of A%mile's abashed looks. Not every friend will be able to stop a crime, but de Blois makes it clear that differences can be gifts. Ages 6-8. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
A boy and his elephant friend spend a rainy morning in a museum, where--rather than damaging art as the guard expects--they foil a robbery. This short book (translated from the French) has plenty of fun. Everything in the illustrations is just a little off-kilter, and much of the humor comes from the juxtaposition of the deadpan text with the slightly exaggerated art. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Will the officious, sneering guard at the art museum eventually banish a boy and his elephant friend, mile?As soon as the boy and his pachyderm pal enter the museum, the guard greets them with, "Not so fast, sweetie pie!" After grilling them on the rules, he follows the pair through gallery after gallery, constantly bullying and berating the sensitive elephant. The bespectacled, large-headed boy narrator exhibits behavior that will resonate with readers. Each time the guard insults mile, the boy is politely acquiescent. After the guard has left the room, the boy lists all the rebuttals he wishes he had made. (Cleverly, these include interesting facts about elephants' ears and trunks.) The underlying, serious message is well-balanced by the humorous premise and continued humor in art and text. There is also a fundamental introduction to art appreciation. Young readers will particularly enjoy the semidark pages in which two criminals think mile is an exhibit. One sentence of narration feels a bit off: The boy asserts that the guard should know he and mile will be careful, since they are not "gorillas." It's more of the text's absurdity, to be sure, but it may subvert the message. All characters (except the blue-gray elephant) present as white. The text and illustrations have the air of a sophisticated picture book; the trim makes it look like a novel.This quirky French-Canadian import stands outrather like an elephant at an art museum. (Fiction. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
