In The Elephant by Peter Carnavas, we follow Olive on her mission to get rid of her father's grey elephant. It is an imaginary elephant that only Olive sees, but it is a clear represention of her father's grief and depression from the loss of his wife. Olive may not understand her father's lack of interest in everything, including her, but she is determined to get rid of the elephant that follows him around like a dark cloud. Over time, Olive begins to see how her father's feelings and the elephant are tied together, and with the help of her grandfather, she finally figures out a way to save her dad.

Carnavas does an excellent job of giving the reader the perspective of a child and how children are affected by the attitudes and emotions of adults. A beautiful and heartfelt story about depression, the grief of losing those we love, and the effects on those left behind. Recommended for ages 7 and up!

*A DRC was given for an honest review.

A really moving chapter book about dealing with loss and finding balance with your loved ones and yourself. The little bit of artwork is adorable and adds to the story. This is a library must have!

This was definitely an interesting read. Not what I would have expected at all. But it was enjoyable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

A beautiful story about a little girl named Olive who's mother has passed away and how it has affected her family. This story reminds the adults that children are perceptive and can see your pain while teaching children that they are not alone in their grief. I especially loved the relationship of Granddad and Olive, it reminds me so much of the relationship my daughter has with her granddad.
I read this story to my 11 year old daughter. She said that at first it made her feel very sad but by the end she was warm all over and loved the story so much that she wanted to read it on her own. We discussed what kind of animals she may associate with our family after our beloved aunt and uncle passed away. Discussions like the one we had do not come easy with preteen girls so I treasure the moment that this book created for us.
I highly recommend this heartwarming story! I am so grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

This children's book helps children understand depression by personifying it as gray animals, different for each person. A little girl notices a big elephant following her dad around ever since her mom died, and together with her friend from school and her grandpa, they find a way to get rid of it. Her grandpa tells her they may all still be sad sometimes, but the elephant leaves them alone.

This book might be a good one to read to children who are experiencing depression themselves or in their homes, but if not, little children might miss the personifications and impacts. My boys were bored of the story and it was a slog to get them to read it with me. I finally just finished it on my own.

Wonderful book on grieving for all ages. Olive's father has been grieving for his late wife, Olive's mom, for a long time and Olive want's her dad back, but the big, grey elephant won't leave. it's up to Olive, her grandpa, and her friend Arthur, to get the elephant to leave and bring her dad back to her. Depression can be so isolating for a person, and sad to those who love them. it's a sweet story about letting go and staying in the land of the living for those who need you. Well- written, loved the characters.

Character Development:★★★★☆
My favorite character was the grandfather. In the story you notice that he really stepped up after the death of Olive’s mother. Alongside the human characters there were of course the animal characters that really made a huge play in the entire plot. My favorite animal was the Tortoise. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but I love the ending so much.

Flow of the Story:★★★★☆
The flow of the story was good. I just felt that the transitions Olive takes may confuse little readers if they missed a beat of the last paragraph or sentence.

Plot: ★★★★☆
Loved how it went through the stages in the POV of little Olive. It displayed how she and her loved ones dealt with the death of her mother alongside the big emotions felt.

Overall: This book would be a great read for 3rd grade and up. 4th and 5th graders would have a better understanding and comprehension of the meaning behind the animals and over all plot. For me it was a great read because it have such deep meaning behind big emotions that children and adults feel after the death of a loved one. Peter wrote this with such a creative and unique streak of brilliance aimed at children working through big emotions.

Grief takes shape for Olive in the form of a large, gray elephant that shadows her father day and night. The sadness of losing his wife when their daughter was only one weighs so heavily upon him that he is only peripherally aware of Olive these days. Fortunately, Grandad has come to live with them and has tidied up the backyard and edged it with a garden. He packs her lunches, and walks her home from school except on the days when he shows up at the gate with his scarecrow hat and purple backpack, signaling he has someplace special to show her. He lights up her life with all the colors of love but she would still like to figure out how to chase Dad’s elephant away. With her big heart, a daunting school project, the help of her friend, Arthur, and Grandad’s wisdom, there might be a way for such an innocent, young girl to tackle such a big problem. Peter Carnavas grabs the reader on the first page of this touching story with his eloquent characterizations and descriptions. Refreshing in its simplicity, the austere language serves to highlight life’s best moments as the characters move forward through the plot and song, side by side.

There’s an intruder in Olive’s house. It’s big, and grey, and heavy, and follows Olive’s dad around wherever he goes. It’s an elephant, and it has become Olive’s dad’s constant shadow since her mum died. As time goes by, the elephant grows bigger and heavier causing Olive’s dad to struggle more and more every day. With some inspiration from her classmate Arthur and a little help from her wonderful grandpa, Olive carries out a plan to help rid her father of this burdensome buddy once and for all.
I am absolutely so impressed with how this book handles the topics of depression and loss for young readers. The elephant (and tortoise and… sorry, no spoilers) is a great metaphor for depression and how it makes people feel. The metaphor is explained explicitly so readers don’t miss the comparison, but it didn’t feel over-wrought or cliché. Also, Olive’s, her father’s, and her grandad’s grief felt real and believable but was not overwhelming.
The writing contained a nice balance of relatable, easy-to-understand language and more poetic, figurative language. Were someone wanting to teach with this text, it is rich with imagery, similes, and metaphors! For American children, some of the terms could be problematic – school term, jacaranda tree, mall (but an open-air shopping plaza, not like our indoor ones), cricket (the game) – but most of the important ideas would be familiar to elementary readers.
The format of the book was well-done. Margins are wide; font is on the larger side; chapters are a manageable length (an average of 4-6 pages each); and at least one picture accompanies each chapter. It is a longer book – 164 pages – but it didn’t ever seem to drag on or have unnecessary filler.
The one thing that I am ambivalent about with this book is the artwork. The pictures are black and white and pretty bare bones; many of them do not contain much detail at all. Their placement also didn’t really seem to support the story – oftentimes the picture to accompany the text came on the next page, separated from the text it’s illustrating. To be fair, it’s hard to know if, in the printed book, those would be facing pages or not. If they will be, that will be better. But still, the simplicity of the drawings just didn’t add much to the story for me.
Because of the importance of these topics – depression, sadness, grief, loss - and the beauty and simplicity of the language, I would absolutely buy this book for my library. I would recommend it for 2nd-4th grades (maybe 1st, if read with an adult). This book would appeal to children who like stories about real life, who have experienced loss themselves or in their family, or who like books about how people feel. It is a “quiet” book, so readers who like lots of adventure, action, or humor would probably not enjoy “The Elephant.”

This is a beautiful book filled with love, loss, hope and wonderful surprises. Olive is an exceptional girl with insight into those around her. There is great character development, great themes and a wonderful opportunity to use this book for those who need encouragement in the face of sadness. I highly recommend this book!

I enjoyed Peter Carnavas’ The Elephant very much; however, I wondered, Who is the audience for this book?

I don’t think it’s a book like Virginia Sorenson’s Newbery Award-winning Miracles on Maple Hill, which adults could enjoy on its own merit. Despite its attractive cover, I don’t think it’s a book that children would read all the way through, as I think they would initially be confused by the metaphorical elephant. But then I realized that The Elephant is the perfect book for spouses and ex-spouses of fathers and mothers mired in debilitating depression. Dads, moms, grandmas, grandpas, uncles and aunts could use The Elephant to explain why Daddy or Mommy just can’t enjoy anything — not even their precious children — because they are so worn down by sadness and pain.

Set in Australia, Olive’s father hasn’t been the same since Olive’s mother died. But Olive’s maternal grandfather and wise best friend Arthur help her enjoy her own life and gradually help her father to move on. This is really a charming book that is best read by a child and adult together.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, in exchange for an honest review.

Olive’s father has not been the same since her mother died. He doesn’t do much anymore and is always accompanied by a large grey elephant that sits very close to him and takes up most of the space around him. Luckily Olive has her Grandad to look after her. When he comes to school wearing his purple back pack she knows something special is about to happen. Arthur, her best friend, is interested in all sorts of animals and possesses a quirky sense of humor. Olive feels she can share anything with him, anything at all.

The school is celebrating its a hundred year anniversary, and everyone is asked to bring along something old and interesting to share. Olive knows exactly what she wants to take... her mother’s old bike. Problem is Dad is sad and never seems to get around to fixing it.

Olive decides to get rid of her father’s elephant.

This is a rather serious story, although brightened by some light-hearted moments. The children bring all sorts of old things to the school to share including a typewriter, a record player, an old watch, an old suitcase, and Arthur brings a squeeze box.

This a unique little book is filled with emotions and insight into the feelings of loss, grief, and despair. It is about the need to love and be loved.

Sweet, simple, and quiet. A great book for young readers who think, or for parents who think about their young readers.

I'm not crying; you're crying. This was such a cute little book about a child who sees the sadness and depression in others manifested as animals. She slowly works out that she can create happiness and help relieve some of the depression in those that she loves. At the end, there's this little moment that is touching, and *spoiler alert* her sadness is resolved. This is a great way to introduce younger children to the concept of death and loss, and as an adult, it was such a breath of fresh air to read something so touching and innocent.

The Elephant by Peter Carnavas, 164 pages. CHAPTER BOOK
Pajama Press, 2020. $18.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Olive has watched the big, grey elephant follow her dad around all the time, and she wishes the elephant would just go away. When Olive’s friend Arthur helps give Olive an idea, she’ll need a lot of help to carry out her plans.
The imagery and simple, child view of this story are amazing. I love how Carnavas illustrates sadness and happiness in a clear and uncomplicated way. While solutions to sadness and challenges might now always be overcome by one event, I think Olive’s attitude and approach to cheering others up should be spread to people everywhere. Olive is an inspiring girl, and I found the charming illustrations to be the perfect complement to her story.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Elephant by Peter Carnavas is a brilliant look at depression as it is perceived through the eyes of a child. Olive sees her father's ever-present sadness as an elephant that follows him everywhere he goes, essentially crowding young Olive out of her father's life. Olive realizes that she must remove the elephant from their lives altogether if she is to relieve her father of his debilitating sadness. The young girl sees both her grandfather's and her own sadness as also being manifested by animals, though neither is as intrusive nor dominant as the enormous elephant.

This is a thought-provoking, engaging story that demonstrates a deep level of understanding and insight into a child's view of depression. The concept of sadness being assigned a physical manifestation is both entertaining and understandable for even the youngest of children, and will provide a useful bridge to opening a dialogue about sadness and depression. This is a wonderful book that I would recommend most highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, and Pajama Press for this ARC.