Mr. Elephanter

Praise

There isn’t a page here that doesn’t melt with charm, from Mr. Elephanter, with his balloon head and small detonation of a mustache, to the tumbling, bumbling elephanties. With a slightly old-fangled atmosphere, expressive line work and balmy watercolors, Pien has created a sense of well being, where all is (mostly) right in the best of worlds.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The text has the delicate effervescence of nonsense, which is, as usual when at its best, rooted in solid and realistic structure.… The illustrations employ gentle-toned watercolors and softly detailed pencil lines, with an enchanting toylike miniaturization in the bijou scenes.… It’s original, it’s funny, and it’s filled with entrancing tiny elephants-what more could an audience want?
—Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books (starred review)

This vision of quiet love and steady, dependable attention is just the thing for children to fall asleep to.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)