My Big Embarrassing Elephant
by Angie Lucas, Pierre Collet-Derby (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Maya is so embarrassed by the huge elephant in the room. Her parents ignore it, and her sister “dances around it”. Literally dances. In a tutu!
Maya is worried that the neighbors will find out and think the elephant is smelly and gross and horrible. When her new friend shows Maya that most families have an embarrassing elephant, Maya learns that there is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s better to just talk about the elephant in the room and work through it together.

I love that this book addresses feelings of embarrassment and shame in a fun and helpful way. The story is hilarious and that humor makes it feel safe to talk about weird or difficult things.

I love the colorful art style and the way that the art brings a lot of comedy into the story! I think it’s interesting that the artwork chose to make the elephant’s ears see-through. It’s just an outline of ears, maybe to indicate that the elephant isn’t quite real, giving the reader a hint about the deeper meaning of the story.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.