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

This review originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review

Little Elliot is different from all of the other elephants. For one thing, he is white with pastel polka dots. For another, he’s only a few feet tall. He lives in a big city, but sometimes it’s hard living in such a big place when he is so small. Getting around can be difficult without getting stepped on, and he has to make adjustments at home to be able to reach things. Elliot loves cupcakes more than anything, but when he goes to buy one, he’s too small to be noticed. This makes Elliot sad, but he discovers that he can help someone even though he is small. Friendship makes him feel just as big as he needs to be.

Little Elliot is dedicated to, “anyone who show more feels unnoticed,” and its message about friendship and helping others is simple enough for even young readers to understand. The story and text are simple, leaving the illustrations to do a lot of talking for the story. Children and adults alike will be won over by how cute Little Elliot is in the muted pastel illustrations. For anyone who feels small and unnoticed, reading about Elliot can help them know that small doesn’t mean unimportant. show less

Little Elliot Big City centers around a tiny polkadot elephant named Elliot who lives in a big city. He enjoys the little things like flowers, collecting fun knickknacks and most of all cupcakes. However he is saddened by the fact that no one can see him and therefor he misses out on all kinds of fun activities and has to constantly dodge being stepped on. It isn't until Elliot makes a new friend that is even smaller than him that he learns that he doesn't need to go through life by himself and that friends can help friends do what they once thought to be impossible.
This story does include a large city setting and involves things like taxis that are very city centered, so it might be helpful to go over vocabulary words about cities show more before reading this book to a class of children if they are not from the city.
The author teaches the readers that even if you are small you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, if you have a friend to help you out. show less

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.