Little Elliot, Big City

Starred review from June 16, 2014
First in a series, Curato’s debut introduces a tiny polka-dotted elephant who lives in a Hopperesque 1940s Manhattan. Elliot is so small that he cowers on the subway platform so as not to be stepped on, and while he’s literally the elephant in the room (or on the sidewalk), his fellow seen-it-all New Yorkers give him nary a notice wherever he goes. Despite the annoyances and hazards of the city, Elliot soldiers on like so many others in the Big Apple, savoring “small treasures.” His life opens up unexpectedly and dramatically when he meets a white mouse, “someone even littler than himself.” Together, they make a great team, especially when it comes to facilitating the purchase of Elliot’s favorite treasure, cupcakes. Curato’s writing is a tad literal and makes Elliot seem a bit more pathetic than his images convey. But he’s a terrific emerging talent, with gorgeously rendered images that bring to mind the moodiness of Chris Van Allsburg and the sweetness of William Joyce. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

July 15, 2014
The big city is clearly New York, but it's a grayed and sepia city sometime in the late 1940s, judging from the cars and clothing.Elliot is a small, polka-dot elephant who loves his city even though it is hard for him to catch a cab or even open a door. (And he does the dishes by sitting in the sink with them.) He's too little to be seen when he tries to buy his favorite treat, a cupcake, and that makes him sad. But he sees a tiny, very hungry mouse trying desperately to scale a trash bin for scraps. He manages to help get Mouse something to eat, and lo! He feels "like the tallest elephant in the world!" With Mouse's help, the next day he gets that cupcake. The last image peers through Elliot's window to find him and Mouse sharing it. The Flatiron Building, brownstone steps and the Empire State Building are clearly recognizable, giving the story Big Apple authenticity. The art has its own meticulous beauty, but the story is more saccharine than sweet-rather like too much frosting on a cupcake. The endpapers are a lush repetitive pattern of variegated cupcakes, with cameos by Elliot and Mouse.This feels far more like a parable for adults than a picture book for children, who may also miss the elegance of the New York City images in their dark, soft palette. (Picture book. 4-7)

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July 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-A tiny, spotted elephant tackles the challenges of city life. Lonely and ignored, Elliot finally forges a friendship by helping a park mouse reach a trashed pizza slice. In turn, the mouse helps Elliot reach the counter to pay for a coveted bakery cupcake. The simple story is told in 17 short sentences that allow Curato's magnificent 1940s-style illustrations to carry the tale. Large scale cityscapes and crowds emphasize Elliot's tiny size. The dark palette contrasts with his pastel polka dots. Details like warped wires of the trash basket celebrate Curato's artistic talent. Despite the visual appeal, younger audiences may question how and why the young elephant lives alone in an apartment where he struggles with issues like access to the freezer.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2014
Preschool-K *Starred Review* Little Elliot was an elephant, this book begins, and so he is, though he is not gray; he is polka-dottedone of the things that make him different. The other is his height, which is to say, he is short. Very short. His stature makes life difficult for Elliot, who lives in Manhattan and struggles to keep up with crowds or hail a cab. The hardest task is trying to buy a much-desired cupcake; he is too small to reach the counter. It's at his lowest that Elliot meets someone smaller than himself and with a bigger problem. Mouse is too tiny to reach any food at all. What one cannot do alone, however, two together might accomplish. Elliot is able to provide food for Mouse, and when Mouse stands on Elliot's head, he can pay for cupcakes. Now Elliot doesn't just have a cupcake, he has a friend. Curato, a debut author and illustrator, tucks several gentle messages into one simple story that's perfect for the age group. It is, however, his almost cinematic artwork that's the real showstopper. Digitally enhanced pencil drawings present Elliot in a New York of an earlier era, when men wore hats to work, and brownstones looked down on spotless streets. Scenes, such as the bustling interior of a subway station, add drama, while throughout, Elliot himself adds plenty of whimsy. Happily, expect to see more of him.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
It's hard being small for diminutive, polka-dotted elephant Elliot (all the more amusingly incongruous in a 1930s-esque New York). When Elliot can't be seen over the bakery counter, he and an even-smaller mouse team up to purchase a cupcake. Children will relate to Elliot's experiences, e.g., reaching for the too-high doorknob. Pencil and Photoshop illustrations have a muted effect befitting the old-fashioned setting.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2014
Little Elliot, with his upswept trunk and his angel-wing ears, is a cuddly-looking elephant with pastel polka dots all over his body, all the more amusingly incongruous in that he lives in a 1930s-esque version of New York City filled with big, busy people wearing hats. For the diminutive elephant, it is a challenge being so small: "He had trouble opening doors. And he could never catch a cab." Worse, Elliot loves cupcakes, but the shopkeeper at the bakery never notices him at the counter. After doing a favor for an even-smaller mouse, Elliot (with the mouse's help) is able to get his treat. The text is simple, and children will relate to Elliot's experiences, such as reaching for the too-high doorknob; they may also find his solution to dishwashing (sitting in the sink with the dishes) an appealing one. Curato uses pencil and Photoshop for a soft, muted effect that reflects the old-fashioned setting, with lots of brown, gray, gray-green, and the occasional pop of red. Intriguing details to notice include the treasures Elliot collects and the sign advertising pie la mode for ten cents. The "Little Elliot" logo on the cover hints at additional stories to come. susan dove lempke

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)