Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This resonant narrative offers a blueprint for approaching friends who are going through a rough patch. Though the animals of the savanna are unsure whether the elephant is "gloomy," "trying to hide his sadness," or just "preferred the shadows," they are determined to cheer him up. But their best efforts--the monkey's funniest joke, the ostrich sisters' "Swing-Can-Can" dance, and the crocodile's proffered snack of acacia leaves--were to no avail. The elephant, portrayed for most of the book on the recto side in stippled swaths of light blue and indigo, "remained in the shadows." When a mouse comes by, however, instead of attempting to coax a reaction from the elephant, she merely sits with him, shares her own story, and cries with him--which proves to be just what he needs to get back on his feet. Simple, stylistic art provides the background for this elegantly empathic tale. Ages 6--8. (Oct.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
The eponymous character in this French-Canadian import seems to be suffering from a bout of depression. Animal friends try to cheer him up, to no avail. First a monkey attempts a joke, then ostriches do a silly dance, and finally a crocodile serves up a bowl of delicious acacia leaves. Colorful textured art keeps the focus on the characters, with minimal backgrounds and a flat aesthetic that lets the animals' forms fill the pages. Then, a tiny white mouse appears midway through the story, and instead of trying to distract the elephant from his feelings, she asks, "Could I rest here next to you?" Leery, the elephant asks, "You're not here to tell me a story?" No, she's not, but after a while, the mouse begins to reveal her own tale of woe, and it turns out that this is just what the elephant needed to give himself permission to cry and vent his own feelings. It doesn't come across as a case of misery loves company so much as it does a moment of empathy for someone else's problems that allows for sympathy for one's own. As the pair walks off together "feeling much lighter," the scenes remain awash in a calm blueness, which suggests less of a happily-ever-after resolution than it does peace in their togetherness. Megan Dowd Lambert January/February 2021 p.91(c) Copyright 2021. 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
Misery loves company, they say. This Canadian import, translated from the French, deftly deconstructs that cliché. A blue elephant, eyes closed, lies on the ground, in the shadows. His friends on the savanna have been discussing his mental state: Is he gloomy or sad, they wonder, or does he prefer shadows? The monkey tells a joke, the ostrich sisters perform a can-can dance in high heels, and the crocodile brings him a treat. Nothing succeeds in cheering him up. A mouse, who merely wants to rest next to the elephant, appears. "You're not here to change my mind?" the intrigued elephant asks, finally sitting up. After the mouse tells the elephant its woes, a story involving regret and shame, both of them release a "flood of tears." For the first time the elephant, "drained of his tears," stands. The two head off into the night. The book's uncluttered compositions with tightly framed perspectives and Vidali's sure lines and simple shapes reduce the dramatic action to its essentials. The palette, dominated by velvety, richly colored blues, heightens the book's emotional impact, and the beguiling use of light and shadow establishes a wistful, pensive mood. The story, including its evocative title, can serve as an effective conversation starter on topics such as compassion, melancholy, and what it means to be a friend. A deeply felt, truly empathetic story about the value of sharing burdens with others. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
