Cute, albeit simplistic, way to describe what depression might feel like. I have but one qualm with the book and it's a big one: While the metaphor of the blue elephant is apt, the colorful elephants that follow have nothing to do with living with depression once you have the tools to manage it.

A little boy wakes up to discover an elephant sitting on him. He takes the elephant with him and his family on a picnic and they play in the yard. Suddenly, the elephant begins to turn pink. It turns out that blue is not just a color, it is an emotion, as well.

I cute book showing an elephant’s emotions. It could have explained the change in emotions that caused him to no longer be blue but that is only a minor suggestion.

A good story for young kids to help them understand emotions.


I received an ARC from Fly Away Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

A nice book about dealing with depression and sadness, or helping to understand somebody who deals with this. I think this would be a helpful book for students to begin to understand, or to see their feelings validated in a book. I loved the illustrations. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

A gentle, metaphorical tale about a young girl who feels crushed by a blue elephant sitting on her chest. She discusses the issue with her family and they try all sorts of ways to get the elephant to move or feel easier to carry. Some things work and some don't, but eventually she learns to live with the blue elephant and explore all its other colors too.

This would be a good conversation starter to get kids talking about their feelings and how to manage them. The metaphor will go over kids' heads, but an adult reading partner can help them make the connection. The book is very careful not to stigmatize low moods or challenging feelings--they are treated as a normal part of life that people deal with. This would be a helpful resource to have on hand in school and classroom libraries.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Words cannot describe how important a book like this is. This gives children words to things that they may not even know how to describe. It brings the idea of depression and breaks it.down so that children can learn, listen, and relate to the idea. This helps process their emotions and helps them understand that they aren't weird or bad for feeling things.

I was disappointed with this title. The illustrations were not unforgettable, and the text was not engaging. I was sorry not to find more to engage with.

My Elephant Is Blue

written by Melinda Szymanik
illustrated by Vasanti Unka

Children sometimes have trouble verbalizing their feelings and managing them. My Elephant Is Blue was written to help children deal with sadness. “Big, heavy feelings” are represented by the crushing weight of the elephant Blue. The child’s family members try to help in various ways, and gradually the child does feel the weight of sadness lifting. This is Mental Health Awareness month, and My Elephant Is Blue is one of many picture books published by Flyaway Books to help young children and their families deal with emotions.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Children’s Fiction, Health

Notes: 1. Ages 3-7
2. Supporting resources linked to this book are found at www.flyawaybooks.com/resources. There is a Discussion and Activity Guide that helps the reader understand the symbolism in the book. This guide includes Discussion Starters, Activities, a list with links of organizations that offer support, and a coloring sheet. There is also a book trailer if you would like a preview of the book.

Publication: April 11, 2023—Flyaway Books

Memorable Lines:
They said, “Perhaps if you cheered up a bit…or smiled at it.” But it’s hard to cheer up or smile with an elephant sitting on your chest.

“It’s an elephant,” Mom and Dad said. “Surely it can’t stay forever. It’s bound to move on sometime.” I hoped sometime was soon.

Wow!!
What an incredible view of how depression hits children.

Instead of forcing kids to heal quickly, the story explains how it's best to let it heal on its own, and in time, one will feel better and start to not see the blue elephant, but a pink one & a yellow one.

This portrays a healthy view of teaching and approaching mental health in children.

As someone who struggles with mental health, it’s so important to not only educate adults, but kids as well on this heavily debated topic.

A powerful book that could help so many young kids! My Elephant is Blue takes something abstract (depression) and makes it easier for students to understand. A young child wakes up feeling blue and as though they have an elephant on their chest. We then see the actual elephant sitting on the child as their family members try to help them remove it with advice such as smiling or eating or seeing a specialist. Then they go on a walk together and they both feel better. A great way to show how depression feels and is one that many children could connect to.

Thank you to the author, Flyaway Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful children's book that addresses the issue of feelings, particularly feelings of sadness and overwhelmed-ness - not in terms of "let's fix this thing that's wrong with you", but in terms of "this can happen to you - and it's okay to feel like this". Many adults may be familiar with the black dog of depression, the blue elephant plays a similar role, and gives children help to find ways to talk about feelings and anxieties in a constructive way. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book. I think the illustrations and storyline allow for True understanding of the subject matter.

This book is a metaphor for depression in kids. It’s the big blue elephant sitting on the chest. This book isn’t about teaching the child to “get better” but more of, it happens, and it can be lived with, and treated. This book is more about saying “it’s okay” then “let’s fix you”. I like that, and I think for the kids that need it, they will like this book.

This is an excellent example of a book that will help start a conversation or create an easy-to-understand analogy for kids to relate to. The illustrations are both sweet and soothing. I think watercolor was an excellent choice for a topic like this as it matches the fluidity of our emotions. I appreciate that there were moments that grownups might relate to such as reaching out to specialists or reading up on the topic and throughout the story we are shown many different ways that you can care for and support someone struggling with depression. The best part is the way the elephant doesn't ever just go away, it grows and changes and is still sometimes blue. I think it's a hopeful but realistic portrayal of a very complicated topic that will be accessible to young readers.

Big feelings can weigh you down like an elephant sitting on your chest. This book explores exactly what that may feel like. With realistic expectations and a lot of patience, this is one of the healthiest books I have seen on how to feel less "blue" written for any age. Highly recommended!

My Elephant is Blue is a heartwarming book that explores the hard topic of depression and sadness. I love how the book presented this topic, the illustrations really emphasized the story. Highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Netgalley and Flyaway Books, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Helpful book that describes sadness/depression for young children. It also gives suggestions on coping skills as well as describing other feelings with different colors.

My Elephant Is Blue by Melinda Szymanik and also illustrated by Vasanti Unka comes out next month on April 11, 2023 and is available now for preorder. A child, in first person, tells the story of her blue elephant that begins with it sitting on her chest. Humor, in the illustrations and the story, conveys ways of coping with real blues in a way that will appeal to children and open a door to discussion.

This elephant is the best analogy for unwanted feelings. Being depressed or sad is no fun. As a result, we have to live with these feelings. Yet the elephant is not a bad girl. She likes walks, and snacks. I love her.

This book is a must have for all libraries. It is perfect for kids to read as they can relate to how they are feeling. This book is definitely important for all children to see that it's ok to have a blue kind of day.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of My Elephant's Blue by Melinda Szymanik.
My Elephant's Blue is a sweet picture book depicting what it feels like to be depressed. This book is a great resource for parents of young children to help them understand depression in a simple way.