The Elephant

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Pub Date 17 Mar 2020 | Archive Date 10 Feb 2020

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Description

A jewel of a middle-grade novel about a resilient little girl who longs for her dad to break free from the elephant of his depression.

When Olive’s dad drags himself to work in the morning, the elephant goes with him. When he comes home again, so does the elephant. It’s always there, heavy and silent, casting a shadow of sadness over him. Olive knows it has been like this since her mother passed away when she was a year old, and she can’t stand to see her father burdened anymore. With help from her grandfather and her best friend Arthur, she hatches a plan to rid her family of the elephant once and for all.

Before long, she’ll learn that while happiness isn’t that simple, small things can move mountains—or elephants.

Award-winning author-illustrator Peter Carnavas portrays a child’s response to her father’s depression with naïve wisdom. In defiance of the looming grey presence, The Elephant is an intergenerational story of resilience, family, and hope.

A jewel of a middle-grade novel about a resilient little girl who longs for her dad to break free from the elephant of his depression.

When Olive’s dad drags himself to work in the morning, the...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781772781021
PRICE $17.95 (USD)
PAGES 176

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 36 members


Featured Reviews

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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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