This review originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review

Little Elliot is different from all of the other elephants. For one thing, he is white with pastel polka dots. For another, he’s only a few feet tall. He lives in a big city, but sometimes it’s hard living in such a big place when he is so small. Getting around can be difficult without getting stepped on, and he has to make adjustments at home to be able to reach things. Elliot loves cupcakes more than anything, but when he goes to buy one, he’s too small to be noticed. This makes Elliot sad, but he discovers that he can help someone even though he is small. Friendship makes him feel just as big as he needs to be.

Little Elliot is dedicated to, “anyone who feels unnoticed,” and its message about friendship and helping others is simple enough for even young readers to understand. The story and text are simple, leaving the illustrations to do a lot of talking for the story. Children and adults alike will be won over by how cute Little Elliot is in the muted pastel illustrations. For anyone who feels small and unnoticed, reading about Elliot can help them know that small doesn’t mean unimportant. ( )

Great book for anyone feeling unnoticed or feeling small and insignificant, I enjoyed the fact that Elliot the Elephant becomes friends with someone who is smaller (a mouse) and they both with each other's help feel less small and are now more noticed by the Big City. ( )

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A lovely story of an unusual little (really little; also, polka-dotted) elephant named Elliot who lives in New York but is often overlooked. When he finds someone with an even bigger problem, he helps, and gets a new friend in the bargain. The illustrations are old-timey, dark and slightly soft-edged, evoking an older New York. ( )

I absolutely adored the children’s book Little Elliot Big City by Mike Curato. The story was simple and sent a beautiful message; one good friend can make all the difference if you are feeling invisible or misunderstood. Elliot felt so small compared to all the gigantic humans that lived in the city with him. He struggled with everything until he found a small, friendly mouse. Their friendship was refreshing to read about and made me want to go spend more time with the important people in my own life.

This book is great for many reasons. My favorite feature is the illustrations; they are so unique and meaningful. Elliot’s story would not be the same with them! For example, there is an illustration spread across two pages where Elliot is standing in a dark, crowded train station. He is surrounded by tall humans who don’t notice him at all. Elliot is covering his face and you can see the loneliness he is feeling. On these pages the text reads, “He had to be careful not to be stepped on.” Although the text gets the point across, we need the illustration to capture the depth of that moment. The illustrations throughout the book are what made me fall in love with it.

I also appreciated the fact that it was easy to identify with Elliot. We all feel invisible at times, and we all have our challenges in life. I recognized myself when Elliot was dealing with his own struggles. The ending hints at hope and left me with a good feeling. I’m glad I selected this book from the library and I would love to have it in my classroom one day. ( )

Summary: Elliot is a small elephant who lives in a big city, he often goes unnoticed and he loves to enjoy the little things in life. He tries to buy a cupcake one day, but the lady at the counter doesn't notice him. He meets a small mouse friend who helps him out and the two share the cupcake together.