Hiding Phil

by Eric Barclay

HIDING PHIL, the hilarious story about three siblings and their mission to hide a beloved elephant named Phil, will have readers rolling on the floor with laughter!

In this story, three siblings come upon an elephant named Phil and decide to bring him home. "Our parents will love Phil!" they cry out excitedly. Until it dawns on "Uh, oh . . ." No they won't!

So what do they do? Try to hide him, of course! They try to stuff him into their doghouse--but he's too big. They throw a sheet over him with a sign that reads, "Club Keep Out!" But their parents still inquire, "Um, is that an elephant?" Can the kids convince their parents to keep Phil, or will they have to bring him back where he belongs?

Writer and illustrator Eric Barclay brings this story to life with eye-catching illustrations that will make you laugh out loud, and dialogue that is both poignant and clever. The love between these kids and Phil is palpable, and will leave the reader itching for more!

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Humor, Friendship, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2013

About the author

Eric Barclay is the author/illustrator of I CAN SEE JUST FINE (Abrams Appleseed) and SHEEP DOG AND SHEEP SHEEP (Harper Collins). He's also the illustrator of My PET WANTS A PET by Elise Broach, which was selected as Parents Magazine's Best Picture Book of 2018. Eric lives in Texas and wears cowboy boots.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you hide an elephant from your parents? Well, here are some ideas...good luck!

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a quest to read books with my name in the title. Number two completed.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly just spent the entire book trying to fit "Phil" into the word "elephant" in my head.

Elphilephant? Philephant? Elephil?

[Hudson Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book five stars because it involved hiding

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spotted this book on our new book cart and I just couldn't pass up the cuteness of Phil the elephant! Surely the children's mom and dad will be happy to have Phil as a pet, right? Don't be surprised if you find yourself laughing out loud as you read this book to your preschooler. The story is told in voice bubbles which allow the text to stand out from the wonderful illustrations. Those who enjoy Mo Willems and his Pigeon books will surely find this book to be one of their favorites.

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable little story about 3 siblings trying to hide an elephant. Rated 5 stars because my 2.5 year old liked reading this story; even though he's into vehicles we read it as much as the construction books.

He laughed every time at the end of the book when the elephant attempts to hide in the tree. The story doesn't get too tiresome after multiple readings. I enjoyed the lively, attractive art style.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three siblings come across an elephant waiting for a bus. He is such a great playmate they decide to take him home. “Mom and Dad will love Phil” they exclaim, until they realize “no they won’t”. Their attempts to hide Phil are hilarious and fortunately mom and dad are really understanding. Hiding Phil is a great read aloud for preschoolers and the whole family. Reviewer 19

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny book about some kids who find and elephant named Phil and bring him home. They have great fun with him, until they realize that their parents will find out about Phil. My story time audience laughed out loud at the kids' creative attempts to hide Phil. The illustrations are great fun and the story is very creative and, according to the kids in my audience, very appealing.

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting book, because it only used dialogue. There were not a lot of big words either. This book could possibly be suggested to a first grader who is struggling to read or with dialogue in particular. This book could be used to help the reader’s fluency and confidence as a reader.

[Maryanna Baumer]

This book was very cute. I loved the illustrations because they took up to whole page and were all very inviting. The story line was funny, silly, and very witty. I would love to read this book to my classroom!

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some kids befriend an elephant waiting at a bus stop. They have fun playing the day away and want to keep him as a pet, but realize there is no way they can keep his presence a secret from their parents. Billed as "hilarious." Not really a funny story, but rather sweet and endearing.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much about the story, but the kids were laughing at how the children in the book tried to hide Phil!

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hey there, everyone! Today, we read Hiding Phil by Eric Barclay, a sweet and silly story about an elephant named Phil.

Three children discover a new friend one day – a derby-hatted elephant named Phil. They invite him to play, and the four friends (plus one dachshund) have a fun day together. However, in the midst of their adventures, the children realize that their mother and father will be home soon, and may make Phil go away! They have to hide him – but how do you hide an elephant?

This was a fun, simple story for young readers. The text is minimal, relying often on the charming illustrations to tell the story, yet fun to read and full of personality. The length was perfect for baby bookworms, and JJ had a grand time with this one. Tons of fun! Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just OK. I liked the illustrations, and there were some clever details, but there really wasn't a point? Punchline? Message? Lesson? Something to wrap it all up. I mean, the parents just let the elephant just stay. No reason, no job duties with a new pet, no clever arguments from the kids about how the house really neeeeeeeds to have an elephant - nothing. So, for a picture book, it felt anticlimactic.

Overall, cute set-up with some fun illustrations, but fell short. Not really one I'd pick for a storytime or to reread myself. Not bad, but not a favorite or a stand-out.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids really enjoyed this one. It has adorable illustrations, it’s a quick read, it’s funny and it’s a touching friendship story.

Kids can relate to wanting to hide things, and it’s fun to see their clever ideas for hiding the elephant.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this story was boring. The illustrations are OK, Phil's hat is a nice touch, but I didn't find it funning or charming at all. Plus in the end the parents let the kids keep the elephant, which would never happen.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phil, an elephant, makes friends with a trio of children. They decide to take him home, but realize that mom & dad may not approve. The problem is… where to hide Phil?

Teaching points: making friends, comparing sizes, emotions/feelings

[Stacy Natal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story about some children finding an elephant that they want to keep as a pet fell a little flat with the students I read it to. Cute illustrations. Probably a good fit for the preschool crowd.

[Liz Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this one, but the end was just too...easy.

[Donna Mork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids find an elephant and want to keep him. They try hiding him but parents find out. Put him on the bus (or so they think) but then they change their minds and let him stay.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kimberly Laitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was an easy read, and my preschool class really enjoyed it. It is on our weekly "must read" list.

[Constance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny and adorable!!

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phil the elephant is super cute and so are the children.
This is a somewhat silly read but I found it to be fun. It has minimal words and great for young readers.

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

My kids thought this was cute. I was less impressed. From the name and cover, I thought it could have been a fun book. Here's what it really was:

The kids in the book find an elephant and have fun with the elephant. Then, they realize their parents will never let them keep it, so they try to hide it from their parents. They are unsuccessful. The parents say they can't keep the elephant. The kids cry. The parents cave. They keep the elephant.

While I realize this is just meant to be a fun, cute book about hiding an elephant, it grates me that it teaches
1. dishonesty - let's hide it from our parents instead of talking to them.
2. pitching a fit - the kids cry when they get their way.
3. and worst of all - it works for them!! Ah! So kids reading this have a light bulb go off in their head that says, "If I cry about what I want, I might get my way."

Now obviously, kids are going to try to cry to get what they want anyway, but to have it reinforced in a children's book mildly infuriated me.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PreS-K–A turquoise elephant rides into town on a Pachyderm Bus and is sitting on a bench when three siblings and their pup spot him and take him home with them. Phil turns out to be a patient, fun playmate. Worried about their parents' reaction to their new pal, the children try to hide him in a pile of leaves, but he is allergic (“AAAACHOO!”). They drape him in a sheet with the word “clubhouse” on it, but his feet and trunk stick out, and Mom and Dad aren't fooled. Phil has to go. The entire family takes him back to the bus stop, where the parents suddenly have a change of heart about saying good-bye to Phil. No explanation is given for why they change their minds. Large, cheerful illustrations with spare text in dialogue balloons make this a fun read. It is Phil's playful personality that makes the book so charming.–Janene Corbin,BL
Library Use: Nice book for teaching failing forward.
Publ: 2013

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When they happen upon an elephant at the bus stop, three youngsters fall in love with him and decide to take him home with them. But after they arrive home, they realize that their parents are not likely to approve, and they will need to hide him. Their efforts to do so are hilarious as they try to fit him in a doghouse, under a pile of leaves, and even beneath a tarp or blanket. Nothing works, and once their parents see Phil, they insist on taking him back where the children found him. When they change their minds upon seeing how upset the children are, it might be too late since Phil's bus has already left. Young readers will appreciate the affection the siblings have for Phil and their determination to keep him with them. The illustrations are simple and filled with color.

[Joella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a group of kids that find an elephant. And they want to keep him. So they hide him and hope that the grownups in their lives won’t find him or mind. Of course the kids have a great deal of fun…but the adults aren’t so sure about keeping an elephant for a pet. So they send the elephant away on a bus. The kids are sad. But don’t worry. The grownups changed their mind and the kids can keep the elephant. Only, the bus has left. Good thing Phil knew how to climb trees (and therefore didn’t really go on the bus).

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cute but didn't make much sense to me. Why would the kid say "mom and dad will love Phil" and the next second they're all scrambling to hide him? Maybe if they said, "wonder what mom and dad will think about Phil?" it would then be plausible that they tried to hide him?

And maybe character expressions weren't expressive enough but I really didn't feel like there was compelling evidence to convince me that mom and dad could change their minds so easily about Phil.

[Michele Knott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phil the elephant comes to town on the "Pachyderm Bus Line" bus and three kids decide to keep him. First they discover how useful he is - as a slide, playing on a seesaw, and my favorite, using his trunk to wash the dog. But then they realize they have to keep Phil a secret from mom and dad. They try a variety of solutions, but mom and dad see through it right away. Of course, they have the usual wisdom that Phil must be returned, or will mom and dad fall in love with him first?