This is a short but sweet chapter book that I bet tons of kids will enjoy. As an adult I want to say the characters need more depth, the plot needs fleshing out, I don't feel a connection with any of the the people and their plights - but I don't because I know that it's for children. It's just fine for children. The cover is eye-catching and adorable, and I believe it'll be a hit for many kids perusing their local library.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 🧡

Cute, simple story. I think the book would have benefited from being longer, though. The characters were flat – they were quirky, but there was nothing more profound. The plot jumped from one thing to the next without exploring the ideas and emotions that were happening. I know there’s a lot of suspension of disbelief that’s needed – buying an elephant at the grocery store, the casual use of carrying pigeons, teenagers that try to kidnap an elephant – but you can still have that fun, ‘quirky’ story and dive a bit deeper. It felt like the story was stuck in between being a picture book and a chapter book.

I loved the illustrations, but the text font within them was a weird “computer” font that did not jive with the pictures or the story. I hope that’s different in the final copies.

Just based on the title, we're not going to expect this to be an especially realistic plot. We're talking about a kid living in an apartment who gets a pet elephant, adopted from a pet fair while grocery shopping. None of that makes any sense in the real world but seems to be perfectly normal in the world of the book. And the odd little plot elements work together fairly well to create an entertaining, if a bit obvious, story.

I need a Mr. Smith ASAP!

Sarah, a nine year old who loves making lists, is having an awful end of the summer. She feels as if she has nothing to do and nobody to play with. Fortunate for our lovely protagonist she stumbles across an ad in the newspaper selling pets for half price. She’s convinced that while she can’t buy friends to play with, she CAN buy a pet.

Next step, she determines which parent to ask for permission to buy said pet. While her Mother is a very organized, by the book kind of gal. Sarah doesn’t have great communication skills with her so she decides to go ask her more laid back Dad.

Of course he says yes and they proceed to make their way to the store. However, this isn’t your average old pet sale. Here they sell exotic animals of all kinds. Sarah can’t let this opportunity slip by as she discovers an adolescent elephant named Mr Smith.

Proceeding further into the story, you see this amazing connection between these two. Mr. Smith can’t speak but Sarah can’t help to think that he understands everything she says to him.

This is a beautiful tale of Sarah and her elephant. The story continues to show how these wonderful characters overcome obstacles and learn very important lessons. Such as, you can’t always follow a list to the tee. Sometimes you have to just go with the flow.

I gave this book a 5/5 stars. This was such a cozy children’s book that really drives home really important topics.

Thank you to Orca and NetGalley for providing me with such an awesome novel in exchange for an honest review.

Every Home Needs an Elephant has wonderful pictures but a basic storyline. At many times, the story did not seem realistic, just very simplistic. For example, when Sarah was yelling at her mother that she was leaving the country and her mother just agreed to it. I wanted more of a connection with the characters. Rather than feeling like I knew the characters, I felt like I was outside just peering in never really getting to be a part of the story.

This is a great book for kids entering the world of chapter books! Fun, imaginative, and both content and pictures to keep the reader engaged. Loved Sarah as the main character who embraced her quirkiness and added liveliness to the story! Would definitely recommend for late elementary and those entering middle school.

Artwork by Jane Heinrichs is just beautiful. The story is imaginative (and a bit quirky). Its not everyday that your daughter buys an elephant at the department store for 1/2 off and it sleeps on your apartment landing and that your newest best friend is a princess with a cat that teaches the humans Mandarin.

Knowing that it was creative, I still was drawn in and wanted to see how it ended.

This is a longer chapter book, roughly 140-150 pages. But there are many drawings. (Almost a cross between a graphic novel and book; but more of a book.)

Did I say the artwork is amazing? "Created with Japanese brush pens on Italian watercolor paper and finished with a little bit of photoshop magic." Stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Ocra Book Publishers) and the author Jane Heinrichs for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is May 11, 2021.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Sarah's mom seems a bit OCD to me with her alarms and her schedule and the whole family dynamic is just weird. The best part of the story is Mr. Smith the elephant and Percy, the Mandarin speaking cat. The illustrations are darling. I think kiddos will like this but some of the story just made me sad. Four stars for the pictures alone

What a lovely story about a girl who's family is so busy with life, they forget about her in different ways. When she sees that the local pet store has animals half off, her family doesn't even listen but somehow allows her to bring home an elephant. She is able to make friends in her apartment building and craziness begins. I think that this would be a great read aloud book for a classroom and would generate many different questions and life lessons. The illustrations are wonderful. The book is in black and white but every so often you see a salmon color somewhere on the page.

Nine year old Sarah had the summer doldrums with three weeks until school began. A colorful newspaper ad caught her attention.

"Alone? Bored? A pet is the answer! All our fabulous pets are half price! Don't walk, run to Harrolds department store to get yours today!"

Mom, a CEO at a bank, was very focused and created household routines that must be followed. Dad, was often pre-occupied, a clockmaster attending to the 179 clocks in Sarah's apartment. Which parent to ask? Dad, of course! His response to buying a pet...yes, fine...we need groceries...make a list.

In Harrolds, dad was comparing the cost of different soups while Sarah was conducting a parallel conversation with a store employee. Which is cheaper? Would you like an elephant from Africa or Asia? Dad wanted to get his money's worth. He was probably still thinking about the soup.

Sarah was thrilled to take Mr. Smith, the elephant, home. "I couldn't buy a friend, but I could buy a pet...to walk to the park...play catch...tell my secrets to...". But first, how can Sarah get Mr. Smith into her apartment? New neighbor, Princess Peter of Odessia, helped Sarah lather up Mr. Smith and push him through the door.

"Mr. Smith was happy to have a friend...Sarah seemed to understand him, even though he hadn't said anything at all". Mom, feeling that the elephant interfered with her smooth running household, declared that Mr. Smith had to go. Sarah, Peter and Mr. Smith set forth on a great adventure when they run away.

"Every Home Needs An Elephant" by Jane Heinrichs is a delightful chapter book for young readers ages six to eight years old. Sarah and Mr. Smith are fast friends who truly seem to understand each other. Change and family harmony are on the horizon created by an elephant's goodness. Author and illustrator Heinrichs has enhanced the beauty of this read with nuanced illustrations of grays and black and splashes of muted red/pink. Highly recommended!

Thank you Orca Book Publishers and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for an early copy in return for an honest review.

A fun and silly book for young middle grade readers and those just getting started with chapter books. The format is a great blend of early chapter book + graphic novel style which I think will help engage readers. After Sarah gets a pet elephant there are troubles ahead with trying to fit such a big pet into their apartment. This quirky, flower-loving elephant will be engaging for young readers.

Note - As a grown-up I was a bit concerned about how Sarah's parents seemed to neglect her (her mom goes to work despite the fact that they woke up in the morning and couldn't find 8-year-old Sarah), but I think kids will just see the adventures with an elephant.

Every Home Needs an Elephant, the soon-to-be-released children's storybook by Jane Heinrichs, is as the title character suggests...larger than life. Can you imagine having an elephant as a house pet? In an apartment? When your mother is as rigid a rule-follower as they come? The story that follows when Mr. Smith becomes a beloved family pet is a beautiful tribute to families everywhere. This would make a wonderful nighttime read-aloud, teaching the joys of living in community, respecting others and finding compromise in daily life. Thank you NetGalley, Ms. Heinrichs and Orca Book Publishers for this delightful advanced ebook..

I absolutely love the illustrations in this book! The mix of early chapter book / graphic novel style is so much fun. As an adult there is a lot to unpack here including Sarah’s feelings of neglect and loneliness. As a child, this book would be silly and sweet. It’s about meeting new friends, solving problems, finding solutions in unconventional places, and family healing. I love that the language is ‘grown-up’, for instance you’ll probably need to explain ‘superfluous’, but it’s totally accessible for a younger reader because of the short chapters and layout. I’m pretty sure a pet elephant isn’t in the cards for our house, but I could definitely get on board with a thinking swing.

Absolutely wonderful. Who wouldn’t adore an elephant who loves flowers (especially roses), a Mandarin speaking cat, a father who communicates socially only by carrier pigeon, and a princess for a best friend?

This book, featuring the adventures of Sarah, an unforgettable nine year old, and her new pet, Mr. Smith, a not-yet-fully-grown elephant, is delightful from start to finish. Engaging, fast paced, funny, quirky and charming, this story is told in chapter-stye prose, and also includes wonderful comic-book style inserts, allowing it to nicely accommodate the expanding skills of the middle school reader.

As Sarah quickly falls in love with and is challenged to find a way to house and protect her (very large) new pet, she learns about love - the forms it can take, what we will do to preserve it, and how to cherish and appreciate the bonds that hold us together.

The star of the show, Mr. Smith (no spoilers here), the flower-loving elephant, has no lessons to learn as he recognizes early on what’s important in his new life.

“Sarah. Friendship. Flowers. The way weeds grow between the paving stones, against all odds”.

As she faces a whole new set of uncertainties, Sarah begins to question, listen, and observe more closely, finally coming to understand and appreciate the uniqueness and the wonder of the eccentricities of her mother, her father, and of course, her list-making, always-looking-for-a-solution self.

Four and half “your child will love this” stars.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Orca Books, and the author for an advance review copy of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.