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Ella's counting the days until the first day of school ... but not because she's eager to start! On the contrary, as the littlest elephant on Elephant Island, she's terribly nervous about the other kids she'll meet. Then she receives a beautiful red hat that belonged to her grandmother -- her new lucky charm. Big mean Belinda at school teases her for it, calling her "Ella the Elegant Elephant." But Ella's brave enough to hold on to her hat, and in the end, the hat (and her heart) save the day. With warm, rich pictures and a charming main character, ELLA is sure to be a new favorite.
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First published September 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 8, 2016
Somewhere in the great, wide Indian Ocean lie the Elephant Islands, hidden by a fog so thick that no human being has ever found them.
I find this highly doubtful. Also, this country looks like Turkey. Yeah, a lot like Turkey.
Turkey:
Elephant Islands:
Ella is nervous because she is the new kid.
So her mother suggested that she do something constructive, but Ella didn't know what.
"Well, there's still quite a bit of unpacking to do. Why don't you give me a hand while we wait for these cookies to cool?"
Her mom's a baker. ANYWAY, this is a typical mom thing to say. Oh, why don't you do this boring thing instead of worrying?
Of course, Ella isn't thrilled. But while helping her mother unpack, she finds a hat. The hat is addressed to her from her (dead) grandma. Her mom tells her that this big, church-lady hat (my description) was grandma's 'lucky hat.'
Ella loves it and decides to wear it to school. Everyone at school dresses in a uniform that looks exactly like a Russian soldier.
Second to the left.
It's very bizarre. Like combining Turkey with Soviet Russia and adding elephants. Also, it looks like an overly warm outfit to be wearing on an island in the Indian Ocean. They even have little caps.
The teacher asked if she wouldn't mind sitting in a desk in the back row, so she wouldn't block the other student's view of the chalkboard.
This sounds like a reasonable request.
But then a bully named Belinda Blue starts picking on Ella. She trips her and is scolded by the teacher.
"Belinda Blue!" scolded Miss Briggs. "I saw that! Shame on you!"
Belinda slumped down in her seat.
"I didn't mean to," she said."
*Carmen scoffs* Yeah, right.
The bullying doesn't end there. Ella sits alone on the playground, and no one approaches her to play. But Belinda and her two cronies do approach her to make fun of her hat.
"That is a dumb hat. It doesn't even match your uniform."
"Yeah," said Belinda's friend, Tiki, pushing up her glasses. "But maybe she thinks she looks elegant in it."
Belinda shouted, "I know! Let's call her Ella the Elegant."
"Yeah!" Tiki laughed. "Ella the Elegant Elephant!"
Um... that's not really an insult. But it feels like one to poor Ella.
When Ella gets home and tells her mom about her horrible day, the mom says,
"My dearest Ella, things will get better, I promise."
Lies, filthy lies. Also, don't make promises you can't keep!
Thus far this book has been a very accurate portrayal of bullying.
The bullying continues the next day as Belinda throws a ball at Ella's head and then invites her to play with her.
Ella didn't want to play ball with Belinda, but she was afraid if she didn't, she'd get teased even more.
But Belinda throws the ball onto the high safety wall and tells Ella to go get it. Ella protests, saying it's against the rules and dangerous.
Belinda rolled her eyes. "No it's not dangerous. Just climb right up and throw it down. What could be more simple?"
Ella responds beautifully.
"Well, if it's so simple," said Ella, "why don't YOU do it?"
Tiki and the others turned and looked at Belinda.
"Fine, I will." Belinda glared at Ella. "But you flunked the test."
This is amazing accuracy in re: bullying.
ANYWAY. Belinda climbs up to get the ball, starts clowning around on the wall and slips. Now she's crying and no one is doing anything, so Ella steps forward like a woman (read: boss!) and says she'll help. But Belinda's so heavy she pulls both of them over the edge.
In a very unlikely turn of events,
THE END.
We assume the bullying stops.
Tl;dr - So. Despite being about an elephant in Turkey masquerading as communist Russia, this book is actually a pretty realistic portrayal of bullying. Even better, it is not preachy or trite. I would say it is an excellent book to read to children. It's not lame like most bullying books are. The illustrations are cute.
Ages 4-6.
I find this highly doubtful. Also, this country looks like Turkey. Yeah, a lot like Turkey.
Turkey:
Elephant Islands:
Ella is nervous because she is the new kid.
So her mother suggested that she do something constructive, but Ella didn't know what.
"Well, there's still quite a bit of unpacking to do. Why don't you give me a hand while we wait for these cookies to cool?"
Her mom's a baker. ANYWAY, this is a typical mom thing to say. Oh, why don't you do this boring thing instead of worrying?
Of course, Ella isn't thrilled. But while helping her mother unpack, she finds a hat. The hat is addressed to her from her (dead) grandma. Her mom tells her that this big, church-lady hat (my description) was grandma's 'lucky hat.'
Ella loves it and decides to wear it to school. Everyone at school dresses in a uniform that looks exactly like a Russian soldier.
Second to the left.
It's very bizarre. Like combining Turkey with Soviet Russia and adding elephants. Also, it looks like an overly warm outfit to be wearing on an island in the Indian Ocean. They even have little caps.
The teacher asked if she wouldn't mind sitting in a desk in the back row, so she wouldn't block the other student's view of the chalkboard.
This sounds like a reasonable request.
But then a bully named Belinda Blue starts picking on Ella. She trips her and is scolded by the teacher.
"Belinda Blue!" scolded Miss Briggs. "I saw that! Shame on you!"
Belinda slumped down in her seat.
"I didn't mean to," she said."
*Carmen scoffs* Yeah, right.
The bullying doesn't end there. Ella sits alone on the playground, and no one approaches her to play. But Belinda and her two cronies do approach her to make fun of her hat.
"That is a dumb hat. It doesn't even match your uniform."
"Yeah," said Belinda's friend, Tiki, pushing up her glasses. "But maybe she thinks she looks elegant in it."
Belinda shouted, "I know! Let's call her Ella the Elegant."
"Yeah!" Tiki laughed. "Ella the Elegant Elephant!"
Um... that's not really an insult. But it feels like one to poor Ella.
When Ella gets home and tells her mom about her horrible day, the mom says,
"My dearest Ella, things will get better, I promise."
Lies, filthy lies. Also, don't make promises you can't keep!
Thus far this book has been a very accurate portrayal of bullying.
The bullying continues the next day as Belinda throws a ball at Ella's head and then invites her to play with her.
Ella didn't want to play ball with Belinda, but she was afraid if she didn't, she'd get teased even more.
But Belinda throws the ball onto the high safety wall and tells Ella to go get it. Ella protests, saying it's against the rules and dangerous.
Belinda rolled her eyes. "No it's not dangerous. Just climb right up and throw it down. What could be more simple?"
Ella responds beautifully.
"Well, if it's so simple," said Ella, "why don't YOU do it?"
Tiki and the others turned and looked at Belinda.
"Fine, I will." Belinda glared at Ella. "But you flunked the test."
This is amazing accuracy in re: bullying.
ANYWAY. Belinda climbs up to get the ball, starts clowning around on the wall and slips. Now she's crying and no one is doing anything, so Ella steps forward like a woman (read: boss!) and says she'll help. But Belinda's so heavy she pulls both of them over the edge.
In a very unlikely turn of events,
THE END.
We assume the bullying stops.
Tl;dr - So. Despite being about an elephant in Turkey masquerading as communist Russia, this book is actually a pretty realistic portrayal of bullying. Even better, it is not preachy or trite. I would say it is an excellent book to read to children. It's not lame like most bullying books are. The illustrations are cute.
Ages 4-6.
July 8, 2019
When Ella's family moves to a new town, the young elephant is happy in her new home - an apartment above her mother's bakery - but worried about starting school. Wearing her grandmother's "good luck hat" on her first day, Ella stands out from the crowd, and soon finds herself the target of Belinda the bully and her followers, who taunt her, calling her "Ella the Ella-gant." But when a playground dare goes horribly wrong, it is Ella's brave act - and the magic of the hat - which saves the day, winning her the friends she so deserves...
A gentle tale of staying true to yourself, Ella The Elegant Elephant features an endearing heroine and cute illustrations. I did wonder, while reading it, whether a child confronting bullying in the real world would find it at all helpful, as saving the life of the person bullying you isn't a viable strategy for most. I was also a little disappointed that the D'amicos didn't explore the fantastic setting - the Elephant Islands, far out in the Indian Ocean, where no human had ever set foot - more fully, as that immediately grabbed my attention. Still, as a simple story of being the new kid in school, and finding one's feet, this sweet story works very well.
A gentle tale of staying true to yourself, Ella The Elegant Elephant features an endearing heroine and cute illustrations. I did wonder, while reading it, whether a child confronting bullying in the real world would find it at all helpful, as saving the life of the person bullying you isn't a viable strategy for most. I was also a little disappointed that the D'amicos didn't explore the fantastic setting - the Elephant Islands, far out in the Indian Ocean, where no human had ever set foot - more fully, as that immediately grabbed my attention. Still, as a simple story of being the new kid in school, and finding one's feet, this sweet story works very well.
April 19, 2013
THIS BOOK IS MY CHILDHOOD. I found it on my shelf the other day, and immediately fell in love. It is about the struggles of ella, who goes to a new school and gets made fun of for her silly hat. It is a tale of grief, fitting in, being an outsider, and finally, acceptance. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a heart.
October 7, 2009
I fell in love with the cover art! SO CUTE!!!!! It reminds me a bit of Joan Walsh Anglund's art elephant-style ;-> The illustrations are quite fun throughout. The story is a good one for kids new to school, or a new school, in that it encourages one to maintain their personality and goodness in the face of bullies and against the threat of "not fitting in." Alas, the writing style was really not all that special for me, but it was still a pleasant book all told.
August 2, 2018
This is a longer picture book, but fans of elephants, fancy hats and a fun dose of magic would probably enjoy this book. Kids liked it.
It can also be used to discuss going to a new school, helping others, making friends and dangerous actions.
It can also be used to discuss going to a new school, helping others, making friends and dangerous actions.
September 11, 2025
يا يمة متت ضحك على الرسومات 😂♥️♥️♥️ حيل كيوت يربييييي
April 23, 2010
Normally I would not add a children's book (normally I wouldn't read a children's book) but this was very cute and I want to remember it. This strikes me as something that would have been one of my favorites as a child.
November 12, 2016
Love it! Thank you Mrs Rhodes!!
July 17, 2018
What a cute book! The illustrations are so darn adorable. I love Ella the elegant elephant so much! She's shy, brave, and so cute.
Short summary about the story: [INCLUDES SPOILERS]
This is about a little cute elephant named Ella who moved into a new area and was nervous about going to a new school because she wasn't sure if the other elephants would like her and if she would make any friends. She wore this beautiful hat that she got from her grandma, but was made fun of because of how different the hat was compared to the other hats all the other elephants wore. Then an incident happened, Ella tried to help, her hat saved the day, and in the end everyone wore all kinds of hats to school and everybody loved Ella.
Short summary about the story: [INCLUDES SPOILERS]
This is about a little cute elephant named Ella who moved into a new area and was nervous about going to a new school because she wasn't sure if the other elephants would like her and if she would make any friends. She wore this beautiful hat that she got from her grandma, but was made fun of because of how different the hat was compared to the other hats all the other elephants wore. Then an incident happened, Ella tried to help, her hat saved the day, and in the end everyone wore all kinds of hats to school and everybody loved Ella.
January 26, 2020
Ella is a sweet elephant from a village that no humans have ever been to. Ella is starting at a new school and seems to get off on a tough start. Ella deals with bullies that make fun of her hat. Her bully makes a mistake and Ella has to make a decision. The reader eventually find out that her hat that everyone was making fun of before saves the day and everyone ends up loving Ella for her heroic efforts.
March 15, 2018
Ella's family moves to a new place. While unpacking, Ella found a wonderful hat that was her grandmother's. She wears it on the first day of 1st grade and gets picked on by the largest girl in her class. Ella saves the day when the class bully gets in trouble and she rescues her.
Use to talk about feelings in new places and accepting those who like/wear things different than we expect.
Use to talk about feelings in new places and accepting those who like/wear things different than we expect.
September 27, 2019
This is a sweet story about starting a new school, and the nervousness of making friends. The theme is about trying again to have a good day, even when things don’t go well at first, with the help of a lucky and somewhat magical red hat. I enjoyed the story but it’s almost a bit too long for my 3 year old- it might be better for a Kindergarten aged kid.
March 2, 2020
Ella is bullied because her hat is not the same as the one everyone else is wearing. The grade 1/2 class I was working with made the connection between the event that initiated Pink Day. In each situation, people were bullied because of what they wore. What distresses me about this book is that Ella has to perform a magical feat with her hat to be accepted by her classmates.
March 27, 2018
This book did not resonate with me. I started out liking it well enough (I really like the mother every time she shows up!), but I didn't find the whole incident at the school to work for me. Or maybe I'm just tired of reading books about bullies who turn out to be just misunderstood...
June 9, 2018
What a sweet story about being bullied for being different and then the classroom comes together to appreciate diversity, which in this story, means wearing different hats. I only wish this consistently worked. One day at a time, right, America?
November 1, 2021
Super cute story with beautiful illustrations. At first, Ella the Elephant is bullied for being different from the other elephants. However, the thing that makes her different ends up being a great advantage later in the story.
August 13, 2024
A big hit with my elementary school classes visiting the library for story times, D'Amico tells a story of fitting in while being yourself. The pictures are bright and perfectly illustrate the action, giving an essential feel of the characters' environment.
October 4, 2017
Beautiful narrative that hooked my focus
March 19, 2018
4.5 stars. Ella lives in a new place and starts a new school were she meets a bully. I really enjoyed reading this book to my daughter and what Ella does.
July 23, 2019
I so enjoyed the illustrations. This is a good story about the struggle to fit in at a new school and how kindness can help make new friends. Its a story about being yourself!
August 16, 2019
Cute illustrations, great colors. I liked it more than the Suki books, but didn’t like that she had to become a hero before the others accepted her.
June 13, 2020
No es bueno.
Read
November 23, 2020This is a cute book and i loved the ending. The kids I've read this too have really enjoyed it and personally i have really enjoyed reading this.
January 2, 2021
Super cute kids book
September 5, 2021
*ترجمهش رو از انتشارات فنی (نردبان) خوندم که نیافتمش اینجا*
August 25, 2022
Sweet back to school story with illustrations that are absolutely winning in charm.
January 5, 2023
Same name as my daughter so she really liked it.
May 24, 2025
A cute Babar-influenced picture book about being the new kid in school and standing up for yourself.
January 2, 2023
Cute. That’s all.
April 17, 2025
It has been a while since I had so much fun reading a book aloud.
My sensitive six-year-old sat on the arm of the chair, and suffered through the bullying that Belinda subjected Ella to, poking fun at her great red hat. Then when Ella climbed bravely up the elephant stack to rescue Belinda, hanging precariously from the outer edge of the towering safety wall—and BOTH got pulled over the edge and began to fall...
and fall...!
My daughter started sniffing, and blinking back tears for real.
We turned the page, and Ella's hat had ballooned into—a parachute!—and my daughter giggled out loud, so much delight and relief in the sound, I still almost tear up myself remembering.
Thanks, Carmela, for this thoroughly rewarding story.
My sensitive six-year-old sat on the arm of the chair, and suffered through the bullying that Belinda subjected Ella to, poking fun at her great red hat. Then when Ella climbed bravely up the elephant stack to rescue Belinda, hanging precariously from the outer edge of the towering safety wall—and BOTH got pulled over the edge and began to fall...
and fall...!
My daughter started sniffing, and blinking back tears for real.
We turned the page, and Ella's hat had ballooned into—a parachute!—and my daughter giggled out loud, so much delight and relief in the sound, I still almost tear up myself remembering.
Thanks, Carmela, for this thoroughly rewarding story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews