Every home needs an elephant

Gr 1--4--Ever want to meet an elephant who arranges flowers, or a cat who teaches Mandarin? Heinrichs weaves graphic and narrative forms to create an imaginative tale. Sarah is lonely until she reads a newspaper ad for unique pets for sale. When her distracted, work-obsessed parents agree to a pet, Sarah buys an elephant, and conflicts ensue. It's challenging to fit Mr. Smith through the door, and his sneezes bring chaos to the family's orderly life, so Sarah's parents demand that the animal go. When Sarah runs away, she, her new friend Princess Peter, her parents, and their neighbors must work together to find a solution. Exploring themes about what is "normal" and what is extraordinary, Heinrichs stresses that the people we least expect might have the best solution and that love can be expressed in unexpected ways. Though the story explores parent-child dynamics, it's mostly a tale to be enjoyed for its fun, fantasy, humor, and, especially, its gentle black-and-white art with splashes of color. Sarah is cued as white. VERDICT The perfect pick for early readers, visual learners, and all who possess an imagination.--Jennifer Strattman, Cambridge, NY

There's an elephant in the room--and on the stairs, on the street, and in the park. Sarah's bored and lonely, so why not get a pet? Surprisingly, her mom agrees. Mom likes things regular, organized, and on schedule, and she's completely wrapped up in her job as CEO at a bank. Sarah wonders if her mother really cares about her at all. When Sarah and her dad go grocery shopping, they also buy an African elephant named Mr. Smith and bring him home. Getting him upstairs and into the apartment is a major logistical problem. A new friend, Peter, who introduces herself as princess of the tiny European country of Odessia, offers help, as does Anther, the gardener. Sarah has plans galore for Mr. Smith, though some prove disastrous. There are loads of misunderstandings, with Mr. Smith's amazing talent for arranging flowers proving to be very important. It all comes to a satisfying conclusion, with loose ends neatly tied up and lots of apologies and improved relationships. A triad of narrative devices, sometimes confusing to follow, moves the tale along. Sarah speaks in the first person as the main voice, paneled cartoons with dialogue depict some of the action, and a third-person entity speaks for Mr. Smith, voicing his emotions. Sarah's mother acknowledges her own role in her daughter's unhappiness--possibly a new idea for young readers to recognize their parents' human foibles. Sarah and her family present White, and Peter has dark skin and two long, black braids. The tale is set in a whimsically alternative present day; Mr. Smith was taken from the fictional African country of Zimbazini, a questionable choice for wordplay. Outrageous fun with thoughtful insights into family dynamics. (Fiction/fantasy. 8-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.