تیلی و تانک

by Jay Fleck, مهرنوش پارسانژاد (Translator)

تیلی فیل کوچولویی است که در یک گردش صبحگاهی با یک تانک مواجه می‌شود و گمان می‌کند او هم نوعی فیل است. تانک هم تیلی را می‌بیند و آژیر خطرش را به صدا درمی‌آورد. تیلی به تانک سلام می‌‌کند اما پاسخ او بوووووم است، شلیک. داستان ادامه می‌یابد و درنهایت تیلی و تانک با هم دوست می‌شوند. درواقع جی فلک در کتاب تیلی و تانک مفهوم دوستی را به کودکان می‌آموزد.

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

46 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Jay Fleck drew a lot as a child but grew up to pursue other things, such as a degree in computer engineering. He found a renewed interest in art while living in Chicago, inspired by the art and culture found throughout the city. Jay is the author-illustrator of Tilly & Tank and the illustrator of a number of other children's books. He now resides in a suburb south of Chicago with his wife, two children, and loyal dog, Otis. He spends his spare time running, reading, and daydreaming.

Reviews

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children's storybook is oozing with cuteness from the illustrations up to the characters. The charming story is also quite appealing that young kids will definitely adore. And it teaches them that despite the differences of people, it will not be a hindrance to be friends with one another. Another subliminal lesson of this book is that the solution to war or conflict is peace and love, which how Tilly demonstrated when Tank was being hostile.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the retro feel of the illustrations and the general message of overcoming misunderstandings and promoting peaceful friendships, but something is just off in this picture book.

[Jess M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This was an adorable read about how first impressions can sometimes be mistakes and how friendship can blossom between two very different things, in this case a tank and an elephant, if you just let a little kindness in and never give up trying to make new friends and finding common ground. Overall, its a good message for kids to hear

I received this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet tale about Tilly the elephant. One day she is out taking her morning stroll when she happens to spot something unusual in the distance. She carefully studies the silhouette and concludes by its shape that it must be another elephant. It certainly looks like it has a trunk and a tail just like her but it is army green instead of blue like her.

Happily Tilly approaches the stranger and the alien's alarm sounds, 'WEE-OOO!WEE-OO! WEE-OO!" Unafraid of the loud noise Tilly walks closer and closer to the noisy green elephant and inspects him from head to tail. He certainly is different from her. She clears her throat and says, "Hello."

"BOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOM!!! was his reply. Badly frightened Tilly runs for cover with her eyes closed. In her safe space she peeks out and analyses just what happened. Perhaps that is how the new elephant says hello in his own language she reasons. After another try of approaching him she receives the same results..."BOOOOOOOOO OOOOOM!!! Oh boy, Tilly heads for the hills!!!!

Determined Tilly doesn't give up. One last try brings victory to both Tilly and that strange elephant who really is a tank on patrol. A beautiful friendship blossoms between the two and they find lasting companionship even though they are very, very different. The message is very clear... through kindness and tolerance, friendship and peace can become a beautiful reality.

The simple illustrations are full of expression and action greatly enriching the story. I love the book and would totally recommend it It is very creative thinking.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Tilly and Tank' by Jay Fleck is a picture book about a most unusual friendship between an elephant and a military tank. The book teaches lessons about pursuing friendship and peace.

One morning, Tilly is out taking her walk when she sees a shape in the distance that kind of looks like another elephant. She wants to meet it. Meanwhile, Tank sees a tank shaped object in the distance and feels threatened. Tank reacts with noise and explosions. Is this any way to start a friendship?

I'll be honest and say that I thought the anti-war message would beat the reader over the head, but that's not what happens here. Besides being a book about choosing peace over violence, it's also a book about reaching out to make unusual friends. War may be a subject that is hopefully unfamiliar to the young readers of this book, but the pursuit of friendship is always a good lesson. Jay Fleck's story and illustrations are really nice.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really nice book that encourages you to make friends not war - it is a great children's book and sadly it is a book that quite a few grown ups in senior government roles could do with reading!

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little children’s book that teaches kids not to judge others by how they look. Tilly the elephant and Tank the tank meet in the jungle, and after some initial fear, find they have more in common than not.

Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Samin Anvari · Rating 5 out of 5]

مفهومِ زیبا
بیانِ ساده
و نقاشی های دلنشین و قشنگ😍

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I officially hate this book. Yes I actually hate this book. It's about an elephant who tries to make friends with a tank. The tank responds by firing. I don’t care that at the end they become friends. The tank shot at the elephant. I realize this is supposed to be an allegory about finding common ground, or knowing who your friends are, but to this reader all I see is war mongering. Shooting before knowledge. We have enough of that in our world today that I do NOT need it in a children’s book. And the graphics where you are looking through the eyepiece target identifier of the tank. Horrible. Just flat out sad. It glorifies violence, or at lease says violence is okay. Not in this house.

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was lots of buzz about this book, so I was excited to get my hands on it. It's cute. The illustrations are wonderful. I want the end papers as wallpaper in my house. The "message" of the book was a little obvious and overbearing. Kids can handle subtlety. This lacked it.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book about friendship. Could be used to encourage discussion about similarities and differences. It has that message that just because somebody is different to you, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be friends and you should be kind to new people.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the illustrations but the story is dumb.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute story about friendship-what may appear to be an enemy may just be a misunderstanding.

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I get where the author was trying to go with this one, but I don't love the execution. There were a few elements I disliked about this one. Illustrations were cute though.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are adorable and the overall message of not assuming all unknown creatures are the enemy is a good message. The story is about an elephant that encounters a tank and wants to make friends but the tank is afraid and keeps assuming the elephant is an enemy. My objection to the book is that the tank twice tries to kill the elephant by shooting at it, even when the elephant is trying to bring the tank a bouquet of flowers. Luckily, even at extremely close range, the tank misses both times. The seriousness of this act isn't really addressed in the story. There are better stories about friendship that don't include firing deadly weapons.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What a strange looking elephant!," thinks Tilly upon seeing a tank. "What an odd looking tank!," thinks Tank upon seeing Tilly. Both creatures approach one another in completely different ways, making assumptions about each other that lead to dangerous results. Can they be friends or are they supposed to be enemies? This is a thoughtful story about the harmful effects of judging others based on appearance. As a read aloud, this book could generate interesting discussions among students.

[Stacie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t get it. Why would an elephant 🐘 develop a relationship with a military tank?

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tilly sees another elephant, who is a potential friend, when she meets a tank. But Tank sees another tank, who is an enemy, when he looks at Tilly. After much misunderstanding, Tank finally recognizes Tilly as someone with peaceful intentions, and they are finally able to bridge the cultural gap between them. The illustrations are very cute, done in muted earth tones. I love how the depictions of Tilly and Tank mirror each other.

There is a surprising depth to this story. On the surface this is just a funny story: an elephant confuses a tank with another elephant while a tank confuses an elephant with another tank. Finally, after trying to unsuccessfully interact with each other as they would with a member of their same species/model vehicle, they realize their initial mistake and interact in a new way.

But on a deeper level this is a story of enculturation and preconceived notions. As the old saying goes, when all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail. Because Tilly is an elephant, she thinks Tank is an elephant, and because Tank is a tank, he thinks Tilly is a tank. Because of the differences in their backgrounds, they perceive the same things differently.

What's really amazing about Tank is that he is able to adapt and change. Eventually, he has a realization that leads a new understanding. This is very unusual. Most people aren't psychologically capable of even considering the possibility that everything they have grown up believing isn't true or that their are different alternatives or modes of existence, let alone changing their modus operandi. This goes for prejudices, religious doctrines, and beliefs and worldviews in general.

This story is also a metaphor for overcoming past trauma. Because of his combat experience, Tank is unable to correctly interpret or trust Tilly's intentions at the beginning of their relationship, but thanks to Tilly's gentle and steadfast perseverance, he realizes that she's not an enemy with a weapon. She is someone entirely different who won't harm him. This is a valuable lesson for children who have had negative experiences in the past. You don't have to keep your guard up at all times. Not everyone will try to hurt you. If someone puts in the time and effort and proves they are trustworthy, it's okay to trust them.

As an adult, I saw Tilly's persistence as foolishness rather than wisdom. If someone acts aggressively towards you, especially without what any rational person would consider sufficient provocation, then you need to bail immediately. Don't give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to your personal safety. Unless you're a trained behavioral health clinician treating a patient, the only thing persisting in a relationship with someone displaying characteristics of domestic violence is going to do is hurt you.

Of course, this is me reading into the story. Tilly returned to Tank, attempting to salvage their relationship, after several red flags, and it made me uneasy because of my adult knowledge of the world. My children, on the other hand, didn't view Tank firing his gun at Tilly in the same manner. To them, Tank was just behaving like a typical tank, and no harm was done besides scaring Tilly. So, this book may be an opportunity to speak with a child about what s/he should do if someone misinterprets their behavior and responds in a violent manner.

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a picture book with a nice message for young readers about being persistent to reach out and become a friend to someone who needs it. Tilly is walking along when she spies a strange looking elephant. It turns out that this strange elephant is actually a tank that misinterprets Tilly’s attempts to be friendly as enemy threats. Even though the gun blasts frighten her, she persists in trying to let Tank know that she just wants to be friends. I’m a little bit bothered, though, about the nature of this friendship between a peaceful elephant and a dangerous machine that fires deadly munitions without warning whenever it misunderstands her intentions. Is this book actually encouraging toxic relationships, where someone that is kindhearted and generous pursues someone that is unstable, reckless, and dangerous? I might be reading too much into this book, but in a world where so many misunderstandings turn deadly, I’m not sure I would want this book on my shelf.

[The Loopy Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilly and Tank is a lovely little story about learning to be friends. The illustrations are adorable. I especially like that Tank has a bird on his head and is not vilified for being a tank. I come from a military family. In fact, my son drives tanks as a Combat Engineer, so I was afraid at first that this book might be negative towards the military. But it wasn't that way at all. The message is a simple "Make friends, not war" which is a message I can appreciate. When Tank understands that Tilly is not his enemy, but a potential friend, he welcomes Tilly's friendship. This is actually what the military is about, keeping the peace.

Please note: In accordance with FTC guidelines, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and funny picture book that looks at the blossoming friendship between an elephant and a tank and encourages kids to make friends, not war.

Tilly the elephant is taking her morning stroll when she notices something strange on the horizon. Is it another elephant? The newcomer has a trunk and tail, but he's a very curious shade of green. Tank, on the other hand, notices an odd-looking creature approaching. It has a barrel and a turret, like Tank, but is a curious shade of blue. Is it a new enemy tank? Tank's alarm sounds and he goes BOOM, scaring Tilly off. But when Tilly returns with a flower, Tank begins to understand that she might not be an enemy at all.

Tilly and Tank is a heartwarming tale of friendship, peace and understanding by debut author/illustrator Jay Fleck.

[Shayna R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel rather conflicted about this book. I thought it was really cute with great illustrations, and I liked the message about not judging by first appearances. Yet, I feel a bit bothered by the fact that the author used a tank in a children's book. I know there isn't anything wrong with it in one sense, but there was something that felt more like a loss of innocence to feature an army vehicle so heavily as a cute plot device. If it was anything other than a tank, I would have loved this book for children. As it currently is, I like it as an adult, but am not sure whether I would feel comfortable recommending it for young ones.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really understand the negative criticism of this book. It's not my favorite book of all time, but it's sweet and the illustrations are lovely -- with a retro '60s/'70s feel. The message is subtle enough that it doesn't feel prescriptive but remains clear and the violence of Tank's reaction to new/different people is exactly the point . . . it provides the point of departure for the character's growth arc. Good for a 'celebrating difference' story time, a 'making friends' story time, or even just an 'elephants' story time.

[M P · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, Tilly thinks Tank is an elephant. Tank thinks Tilly is a tank. After a series of BOOM-ing encounters, the two embark on a blooming friendship.

We LOVE Jay Fleck's artwork (and elephants!) so this was a no-brainer — plus, the themes of peace and friendship here are universal and timely. It's a sweet, gentle, funny story with a lovely lesson: Sometimes our enemies are merely friendships waiting to blossom.

[Katya Vinogradova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this book from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley.

This is a sweet story about two unlikely friends - an elephant and a tank that's shaped like an elephant. I never thought about this physical similarity, but I can't look at a tank without picturing an elephant.
The illustrations are quite simple but charming and colorful. The writing lacks a little something to elevate this book from a good read to a great one.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was cute, but it was also a little troublesome with both how quickly the tank was to be violent and how the elephant repeated went back for more. The concept is there—it just didn’t seem to follow through as well as it could have.

For: fans of elephants or tanks; encouraging the love not war theme (though be prepared to do a lot of the talking)

Possible red flags: minor violence and character peril

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilly and Tank was a new take on friendship. I liked how author Fleck demonstrated how we can be different but the same in many ways and how we should not allow the differences keep us from getting to know one another. The illustrations did a very good job in helping to tell the story.

[Jj · Rating 1 out of 5]

Creepy, probably moreso because the illustrations are indeed quite cute. I see what it's trying to do, but I don't like how it tries to get its message across. Firing tanks at elephants is just too close to real life to be cute or hyperbole to me. Weird violence and stereotypes here, and it all rubs me the wrong way.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a sweet story about overcoming misunderstandings, persistence, and building friendship. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and adorable. My children enjoyed having this book read to them.

I read a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Christopher Obert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute children’s book about an elephant that mistakes a tank as another elephant. And a tank that mistakes an elephant as an enemy tank. Will the two become friends or will their differences keep them apart?