Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Starred Review "Little Elliot was an elephant," this book begins, and so he is, though he is not gray; he is polka-dotted e 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.

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

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.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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. (Aug.)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Toddler-PreS This story about a quiet elephant in a busy city transitions to a board book format flawlessly. The gentle pencil drawings and muted palette make this an appealing choice for one-on-one reading. Older toddlers will enjoy having this story in a format they can browse independently.