The Big Elephant in the Room
Kindergarten-Grade 4—Two delightfully childlike donkeys star in this laugh-out-loud opus from the master of kid-companionable humor. When one friend says, "Can we talk about the big elephant in the room?" his buddy assumes that he's using a figure of speech to refer to an embarrassing incident ("'The Big Elephant? As in 'the BIG problem?'"). What follows is a stream of uproariously funny confessions and overwrought explanations, as the guilty friend tries to deduce just which indignity he should apologize for. Was it because he ate all the dessert? ("But what if you had a nut allergy, what then?...Yes! I forced down that creamy, nutty, crunch ice cream…to save your life!") Because he picked his pal last for soccer? ("…and baseball? and volleyball? and tiddlywinks?") Because he told Haley about the time "…you laughed so hard you peed your pants?" The list continues until the anticipated punch line: there really is a big elephant in the room (and he's eating crunchy-nut ice cream). Done in muted tones, the droll artwork tells much of the story through lively layouts and funny details. With the roll of an eye or the flick of an ear, the animals convey a range of emotions. In keeping with their characters, the questioner is identifiable by his large glasses and mustard-colored polka-dotted bowtie, while his smooth-talking chum sports a trendier look. A variety of text fonts and sizes adds to the fun. Kids will get a kick out of this book (while also learning about idioms).—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library JournalEND