Ella The Elegant Elephant
PreSchool-Grade 2–A young elephant is new to town and anxious about starting school. On her first day, she wears her grandmother's fancy "good luck hat," causing a bully named Belinda and her friends to dub her "Ella the Ella-gant." When Belinda slips on the safety wall that surrounds the schoolyard and protects the students from a very big drop, Ella attempts a rescue only to slip and fall herself. Fortunately, the lucky hat acts as a parachute, transporting Ella and Belinda to safety. The next day, the entire class, bullies included, sports fancy hats, and a message on the chalkboard reads, "We love Ella." With its charming and whimsical cartoons and simple design, this offering seems like a picture book from an earlier era. Ella is a likable character, and children will be able to relate to her emotions. Unfortunately, the story is nothing new and the text may be a bit long for some youngsters. Despite these shortcomings, parents who are nostalgic for Jean de Brunhoff'sThe Story of Babar(Random, 1937) will appreciate the D'Amicos's kinder, gentler elephant tale.–Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.