My Elephant is Blue

March 15, 2023
A sensitive picture book that explores the weight of depression. The young protagonist wakes up with an elephant on their chest. Introducing herself as Blue, the prodigious pachyderm settles in on the protagonist's back and chest, making it difficult for them to walk, breathe, or talk. Their well-meaning family members' suggestions seem out of reach. After all, how can you cheer up if there's an elephant sitting on you? Their parents read library books about elephants and consult specialists, but Blue stays put, and it's plain to see that the elephant is profoundly unhappy. Dad suggests some fresh air, so Blue gets off the narrator and they walk around the block. After a family outing to the park, the protagonist rests with Blue in the grass; they feel lighter and notice Blue is experiencing positive changes, too. Blue, an embodiment of raw emotion, is illustrated with rich hues, her coloration as fluid as our feelings. Conversely, the world and characters around her are much more structured, their style evoking colored pencil and watercolors. Describing depression is difficult for everyone, so offering concrete vocabulary at a young age is critical, and this text does it well. While not every case of feeling blue can be so easily remedied, the hope conveyed with this picture book cannot be denied. The protagonist and their family are tan-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Readers struggling to express themselves will feel seen and comforted. (Picture book. 4-7)

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April 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 This picture book dramatizes the kind of depression that can come out of the blue and ways to make it go away. A young narrator wakes up one morning to find a comical-looking blue elephant sitting on their chest. This elephant does not budge. She clings to the child, making it hard for them to do anything. The elephant doesn't respond to the family's pleading to get off, saying she's comfortable. The mother gets books from the library, including Sad Elephants for Dummies. The father calls an expert on elephants. Finally, the parents convince the child to take a short walk, then a longer one, then to go a family-picnic outing. The illustrations are brilliant in showing the progression of the child's moods by having the landscape change from gray winter to multicolored spring. The elephant moves off the child, then to their side, finally playing football with them. The resolution, in which the child learns to live with all the colors of different moods, fits beautifully.

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