Little Elliot, Big City

Little Elliot was a small polka-dotted elephant who lived in New York City - Brooklyn, by the look of the brownstones and the bridge. Although in many ways he enjoyed living in a big city. sometimes his small stature made things difficult. He often felt overwhelmed by the crowds in the subway, and had difficulty with infrastructure made for larger residents. His growing feeling of despondency at this state of affairs reached its peak when he couldn't even buy a cupcake - his favorite treat - because he was too short to be seen over the bakery counter. Feeling blue, Elliot was wandering along obliviously... until he met a mouse who was smaller even than he, and who needed his help.

An adorable book, Little Elliot, Big City - hopefully the show more first of many picture-books featuring this winsome elephant-mouse duo - pairs an appealing story and beautiful artwork. Elliot is a hero sure to strike a chord with young children who themselves must often confront a world that is physically out of scale with their smaller bodies. The message that often our own troubles can either be forgotten, or at least put into perspective when we help others with their problems, is communicated without any overtly didactic fanfare, and the happy ending, in which Elliot has found a friend (something even better than cupcakes!), leaves the reader feeling satisfied. The illustrations, which reminded me very strongly of Chris Van Allsburg's work, are just lovely, capturing the charm of a historical New York (the cars and clothing feels very 1940s to me), as well as the emotional ups and downs of the hero's experiences. Recommended to anyone looking for appealing picture-books for younger children, or for stories for young people set in New York City. show less

How cute is Elliot? So cute, that when I set the book on the table to read, by the time I turned back from pouring a drink, my 20 yo son had grabbed the book and was reading it. And when he was done he said, yes, you guessed it, "Aww, so cute."

You know what I appreciate? He's not wearing any clothes. Far too often critters are wearing just a shirt... as if that's a nod to decency? Or are wearing too many clothes, as if they're human. No, Elliot is comfortable in his spots, tyvm.

And I just love the wordless spread, in which the little girl gazes at Elliot in sympathy, but can't help him, as she's even more powerless than he is.

And if there's a plushie toy of Elliot, I want it.

I absolutely adored the children’s book Little Elliot Big City by Mike Curato. The story was simple and sent a beautiful message; one good friend can make all the difference if you are feeling invisible or misunderstood. Elliot felt so small compared to all the gigantic humans that lived in the city with him. He struggled with everything until he found a small, friendly mouse. Their friendship was refreshing to read about and made me want to go spend more time with the important people in my own life.

This book is great for many reasons. My favorite feature is the illustrations; they are so unique and meaningful. Elliot’s story would not be the same with them! For example, there is an illustration spread across two pages where show more Elliot is standing in a dark, crowded train station. He is surrounded by tall humans who don’t notice him at all. Elliot is covering his face and you can see the loneliness he is feeling. On these pages the text reads, “He had to be careful not to be stepped on.” Although the text gets the point across, we need the illustration to capture the depth of that moment. The illustrations throughout the book are what made me fall in love with it.

I also appreciated the fact that it was easy to identify with Elliot. We all feel invisible at times, and we all have our challenges in life. I recognized myself when Elliot was dealing with his own struggles. The ending hints at hope and left me with a good feeling. I’m glad I selected this book from the library and I would love to have it in my classroom one day. show less

A delightful and magnificently illustrated children's book about a little elephant who finds encouragement from an unexpected new friend.

Little Elliot is a tiny elephant trying to get by in the Big City. But because of his small size, he is easily lost in the crowd and ignored. It is difficult for him to accomplish daily chores and errands. And most importantly, he can never get the attention nor help he needs to buy a much wanted cupcake.
Until one day, he meets someone who is even smaller than he is - a little white mouse - who seems to be struggling with the same things that Little Elliot is.
Together they become friends, a team, and they help each other accomplish the things that they have always wanted to do. And in the end, they show more are finally rewarded with a cupcake.

When it comes to picture books, the actual illustrations have to tell me the story - but they not only need to tell me the story, they also need to make me feel what the characters are feeling and thinking before I read the words that are accompanying that page's storytelling. Mike Curato not only gives us the sweetest little elephant and mouse I have ever seen, but also delivers exactly how a little person would portray and feel being in a large city - making us feel even smaller, lonely and sad. But also, through Little Elliot and his mouse friend, gives us encouragement and hope that one day we can accomplish the big things that we want to do.

Little Elliot may be a tiny elephant, but he has the biggest heart I have ever seen, and felt. I highly recommend adding this to your child's shelf and reading it over and over again... one to be handed down to generations to come!

*I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. show less

I liked this book for two reasons. The first reason is because of the way the text is set up. There is only one or two sentences on each page but it has very big, detailed pictures that help tell what is going on in the story. For example, there is one page that only reads "He had to be careful not to be stepped on," but there is big picture that helps keep the readers engaged. The second reason I liked this book was because of the message. The message of the story was that good things come in small packages. Him and his friend mouse are both very small but together the can do anything.

This book is charming. A little, tiny elephant lives in the large city. He is all white with multicolored dots. It's easy to get lost when you are in a big city. All he wants is a cup cake. Finally, he finds someone to help him. He comes upon a small white mouse just at the point when he is really feeling lost. Mouse took Eliott to the bakery and paid for a cupcake.

While this is nothing in depth, the cute factor is #10.

Received as a gift from ?

A lovely story of an unusual little (really little; also, polka-dotted) elephant named Elliot who lives in New York but is often overlooked. When he finds someone with an even bigger problem, he helps, and gets a new friend in the bargain. The illustrations are old-timey, dark and slightly soft-edged, evoking an older New York.