When I first picked up this book, I could have sworn by its beautiful, classic illustrations that it was a contemporary of Don Freeman’s Corduroy (1968) or any of Sid Hoff’s works. So when I saw that it was published in 2004, I was immediately intrigued. So many artists seek to blaze their own trail and find a new way to illustrate their works, so it’s not that often that illustrators try to hearken back to the classic styles that have stood the test of time. For what it’s worth, the artwork drew me in.
The story of Ella is all about the difficulties that come with being “the new kid on the block.” It also deals with friendship and bullying, and it could definitely serve as a launching pad for parents and teachers concerned about how their children are facing these issues. Like with Big Smelly Bear, this story could prove an easy segue into into the biblical proverb: “A man who has friends must show himself friendly.” (Proverbs 18:24)
When bullies dislike the new kid at school, Ella the Elegant Elephant, they make their sneering known. But when the leader of the bullies needs help, the reason for their bullying ways (Ella’s elegant hat) becomes a sort of salvation and the bond that will bring them all together into happy friendship. Eventually everyone loves Ella and wants to be just like her.
The story is a neat little package, but I’ve got two small critiques of it. As often happens in modern children’s books, Ella the Elephant’s father is totally absent, and I wonder why. I’ve taken issue with this pervasive problem before, but seriously, why do authors need to make kids from one-parent families comfortable when this device simultaneously (and yeah, subconsciously) teaches kids from two-parent homes that, “Eh, take a parent or leave him, because the father-mother relationship really doesn’t matter”? [Warning to my readers: This will always annoy me.]
My second critique is the speed with which Ella’s able to overcome her bullying problems. I get that this is a kid’s book, but the ending is almost too good, too clean…too unreal. The fact that all her problems end so sweetly within just a few days of her arrival might open a kid up to discouragement, because that’s an unlikely ending for the reader. Granted, kids love to re-read books, so this one might find a special place in the life of a child who constantly feels unwelcome and unwanted. I just think the authors could have avoided this issue simply by speaking in terms of weeks instead of mere days.
Annoyances aside, I really like this book and especially its illustrations. I think a careful parent or teacher could use it as a simple transition into conversations that are dear to a troubled child’s heart.
©2019 E.T.