This little book packs a big punch, tackling big themes such as loss, grief and depression, but in a beautifully kind, gentle and compassionate manner.
The story follows Olive as she tries to help her dad get rid of the 'elephant' that follows him around each day, making him heavy and sad.
Engaging help from her best friend, Arthur, and her caring grandad, Olive carries out her mission with empathy and kindness ( I loved the scene where paper aeroplanes with kind messages were thrown off a building roof!).
The book doesn't shy away from addressing the cause or reality of sadness, but does so in a gentle and honest manner that never takes the book down a road of darkness, but rather brings light and hope to the situation, showing that things can get better, and that sadness and depression can be chased away.
A touching and beautiful book.
Peter Carnavas is on Twitter as @PCarnavas, and his website is petercarnavas.com
Watch a trailer for the book here:
The Elephant is published by Pushkin Press ( @PushkinPress and pushkinpress.com)
Thank you to Poppy Stimpson for my advance review copy of this book.
Review by Rich Simpson (@richreadalot) December 2020