This is book number 1 in the Little Elliot series.
Elliot is a little elephant living in New York City who just wants a cupcake, but he’s too small to see over the counter! When he meets someone even smaller than he is with a problem just as big, they work together to find something even better than a cupcake (spoiler alert: it’s friendship).
— Melanie Whether it's meeting that special friend, or finally getting that long-awaited cupcake, it's the little things that count in this sweet story of a little polka-dotted elephant, Mike Curato's Little Elliot, Big City.
Amid the hustle and bustle of the big city, the big crowds and bigger buildings, Little Elliot leads a quiet life. In spite of the challenges he faces, Elliot finds many wonderful things to enjoy—like cupcakes! And when his problems seem insurmountable, Elliot discovers something even sweeter—a friend.
“Little Elliot, with his upswept trunk and his angel-wing ears, is a cuddly-looking elephant with pastel polka dots all over his body, all the more amusingly incongruous living in a 1930s-esque version of New York City . . . Children will relate to Elliot's experiences.” —The Horn Book
“*Curato, a debut author and illustrator, tucks several gentle messages into one simple story that's perfect for the age group. It is, however, his almost cinematic artwork that's the real showstopper.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“A tiny, spotted elephant tackles the challenges of city life . . . The simple story is told in 17 short sentences that allow Curato's magnificent 1940s-style illustrations to carry the tale.” —School Library Journal
“STARRED REVIEW He's a terrific emerging talent, with gorgeously rendered images that bring to mind the moodiness of Chris Van Allsburg and the sweetness of William Joyce.” —Publisher's Weekly