Little Elliot, Big City
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Isolated elephant finds pal in sweet tale with dazzling art.
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What's the Story?
Elliot's a little elephant in a big city who sometimes feels that it's "hard being so small in such a huge place." He lives in a period New York City that has a noir, Depression-era feel, with gray figures crowding onto a subway or trudging grimly off to work. Sweet polka-dotted Elliot stands in stark contrast and is pictured gamely meeting his daily challenges. When he spies an enticing window display in a bakery, he tries to buy a cupcake, but he's so little that he can't be seen over the counter. On his way home, feeling sad, he meets a little mouse -- "someone even littler than himself" -- and helps the mouse reach a slice of pizza. The next day, the mouse accompanies Elliot to the bakery, climbing atop Elliot so the two can be seen. Elliot gets his cupcake -- and friendship, of course!
Is It Any Good?
The art in LITTLE ELLIOT, BIG CITY is particularly striking. Author-illustrator Mike Curato takes us back to a 1940s New York City and lovingly renders the period detail: The cars have running boards, the refrigerators are boxy, and a sign advertises pie for 10¢, as if Elliot has stepped back in time and into an Edward Hopper painting.
Elliot's a charming young elephant spotted with pastel pink and baby blue polka dots, and he has an endearing vulnerability that young readers will relate to. Though he's "different in many ways" and finds it "hard being so small in such a huge place," he cheerfully perseveres and enjoys "the little things ... small treasures ... and most of all, cupcakes!" The message of friendship is gently handled. And who can resist a book in which the endpapers display rows of cupcakes with swirly icing?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how it feels to be little in a big world. Do you ever feel unnoticed or too little to do what you want to do?
How is Elliot different from elephants in other stories? What's different about how he looks and where he lives?
How can friends help each other? Can you think of ways that two are better than one?
Book Details
- Author: Mike Curato
- Illustrator: Mike Curato
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date: August 26, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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