Depression/phases of severe sadness can affect everyone - including children.
And that's how it is with Blue, it's just there and there's no real explanation.

One day, the protagonist wakes up and there is a big, heavy, blue elephant sitting on their chest. And the elephant is still there when they brush their teeth. It hangs from the shoulders and makes it quite impossible to move.

The elephant introduces itself as “Blue” and sits on the lap. The parents make an effort, but no matter what they suggest, somehow everything is difficult with Blue.
The siblings also try their best to push Blue away. Nothing helps.

The parents take Blue seriously. They acknowledge the sadness/heaviness/depression/depressed mood and offer things that could help, but don't patronize their child.

Even if Blue doesn't feel like eating, she can at least be persuaded to go for a short walk. Slowly, the narrator feels their way towards what feels safe and good for both of them. Blue never goes away completely, but Blue is also pink, yellow and other colors.

A sensitive book that captures the nuances well and doesn't make any absolute statements or suggest solutions.

My elephant is blue. A book about big, heavy feelings
Text: Melinda Szymanik
Illustration: Vasanti Unka
Verlag: Penguin Random House New Zealand, 2021
👛 digitales Leseexemplar via NetGalley.com

Elephant shows up one morning, unexpectedly and makes it very hard for this little girl to focus or get anything done. In fact, this blue Elephant weighs her down and affects her own feelings and moods to do anything she typically would do before. With the help of her family and much patience, she learns just what Elephant needs to not feel so “blue”. This story relates colors to feelings. Sometimes, things can weigh heavy on us and cause us to not be ourselves. The important thing to remember is that it’s okay to feel how we do, and know that in time, feelings change when we take care of ourselves and are patient with ourselves and each other. I liked that Elephant changed colors later in the story, reflecting that feelings annd moods aren’t permanent. This story could be useful in a school social lesson on emotions. I received an arc copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely picture book about emotions, especially the heavy blue emotions that we all get from time to time. It's not obvious or direct, but it will open a conversation with the little ones. My favourite part is the healing process and how sometimes it simply takes time to deal with our emotions and how there isn't always a quick fix available, not even chocolate.

Sometimes we feel blue and then we change to another color. It was a good way to explain emotions and how to deal with them.

Such an artwork!
This is a very important book discussing mental health, big feelings and how to cope and deal.
I loved reading this, the illustrations are beautiful and the elephant changing colours is a great visual assistance when discussing this very important subject with kids. A brilliant book, a must-have in every house!

When a blue elephant visits a little boy, the little boy struggles. The elephant does not seem to go anywhere.
Days pass, and the boy’s mood and his choices for that particular day change. So does the elephant.
Adorable drawings and characterisation.
This book is about accepting all emotions and feelings and learning to navigate the good and the bad. At least, this was our take.
Luckily, this was not on the nose, however, we wish it had been longer and contained other feelings than the ones in the book. On the other hand, the way it is makes it suitable for younger children as well as older readers.

‘My Elephant is Blue’ by Melinda Szymanik is a truly phenomenal book that tackles the complex and often overwhelming feelings of sadness and depression in a way that is accessible and relatable for children. As someone who has personally grappled with "big heavy feelings" and has had to explain these emotions to children, I can wholeheartedly say that this book is an excellent resource.

Plot: ★★★★★
The plot is nothing short of wonderful. It deftly describes the feelings of sadness and heaviness in a healthy and informative manner. The story covers essential aspects such as the loss of appetite, the sense of being weighed down, and the struggle to engage in activities despite the desire to do so. The narrative is both touching and educational, offering a clear depiction of what it feels like to experience such heavy emotions.

Character: ★★★★★
The characters in this book are exceptionally well-developed. The child protagonist, who is dealing with these heavy feelings, is portrayed with depth and sensitivity. The elephant, a personification of these overwhelming emotions, is a poignant and effective metaphor. The family members who support the child are also wonderfully depicted, showing empathy, understanding, and love. This multi-faceted characterization helps children understand that they are not alone and that support is available.

Illustrations: ★★★★★
The illustrations are beautiful and perfectly complement the story. They bring the emotions and characters to life, adding a visual depth that enhances the overall impact of the narrative. The artwork is both soothing and evocative, helping to convey the book’s themes in a visually engaging way.

Engagement: ★★★★★
This book is highly engaging. The relatable characters, compelling plot, and beautiful illustrations will captivate children and hold their attention from start to finish. It’s a story that children are sure to love and want to revisit.

Readability: ★★★★★
The readability is phenomenal. Discussing topics like sadness and depression with children can be incredibly challenging, but this book addresses these issues with clarity and compassion. The language is straightforward yet profound, making it an excellent read-aloud book for parents, teachers, and caregivers.

Enjoyment: ★★★★★
This is a very enjoyable read. Despite the heavy subject matter, the book handles it with such grace and sensitivity that it leaves a lasting impression. It’s a story that offers comfort, understanding, and hope, making it a valuable addition to any child’s library.

‘My Elephant is Blue’ by Melinda Szymanik is an outstanding book that beautifully addresses the difficult emotions associated with sadness and depression. With its wonderful plot, well-developed characters, stunning illustrations, high engagement, phenomenal readability, and overall enjoyment, it is a must-read for children and adults alike. This book is a fantastic tool for teaching children about these complex feelings in a way that is both compassionate and comprehensible. Highly recommended.

This is a lovely picture book about emotions, especially the heavy blue emotions that we all get from time to time. It's not obvious or direct, but it will open a conversation with the little ones. My favourite part is the healing process and how sometimes it simply takes time to deal with our emotions and how there isn't always a quick fix available, not even chocolate.

This book allows children to learn about depression in an easier way. It makes their feelings valid. I really liked this book. The only part I had an issue with was the dad offering him food to make him better. Hopefully that will not lead to depression eating.

Melinda Szymanik writes about BIG feelings in her book 'My Elephant is Blue'. Have you ever felt so down that you felt as though an elephant was sitting on you? In this story, a little girl wakes up one morning with an elephant sitting on her chest. She has difficulty moving, breathing, or even speaking. "I'm Blue." says the elephant. The elephant is crushing me, so I ask it to move. It's perfectly happy where it is. It sits on top of me. When my parents try to cheer me up and tell me to smile, I tell them that it is hard to smile with an elephant strapped to your chest. Despite their efforts, my siblings are not able to help me. Additionally, my parents make an effort to help me. Dad suggested going for a walk. The only thing Blue did was ignore me when I asked her. In the end, Blue and I went on the walk dad suggested. My family decided to go on a picnic the following day. It was a lot of fun! On the way home, I felt lighter than I had in a long time. It was as I held Blue's trunk that something changed. Blue! You are turning PINK! "That is because I don't feel so blue anymore."

You'll have to read the book to find out the rest of the story.

I highly recommend this book. When young children are struggling with BIG feelings, it is hard for them to express themselves. This book is excellent at describing how the emotions may feel and how to overcome them. Children learn that it is okay to feel sad and that there are things they can do to help turn their feelings around. If you have a child or group of children who are hesitant to discuss their feelings, this book is a great way to begin the conversation. I enjoyed the colorful illustrations. They are simple and not overwhelming at all. For a more calming effect, lighter tones and pastels are used. This is a great book that I recommend.

How expressive the premise is!!!🤩
It symbolizes sadness as a blue elephant sitting on your chest and heaving you. 
 
 _"It's an elephant," Mom and Dad said.
"Surely it can't stay forever. It's bound to move on sometime."
I hoped sometime was soon._
 
May everyone's elephant turn pink and set free!🥹🩷🩷🩷🩷

This sweet and important story is about feelings and what to do when you feel overwhelmed with sadness. I like the use of blue and an elephant as those are two concrete ideas that kids would be able to connect with difficult emotions. Blue is also used in lots of self-regulation programs to identify sadness and similar emotions so I think that it would connect well to many therapeutic and classroom settings. I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review My Elephant is Blue.

This is a book about "big, heavy feelings," and it does a good job of describing some of the feelings a child may be experiencing when they are living with sadness. It also gives some suggestions for ways to get through a moment, like taking a walk or having some chocolate.

I know this is a really difficult subject and it's good to see a book addressing it with young children. I think this would be good with k-1st grade kids. I found it a little bleak (but realistic and honest) to think of a young child learning to live with depression (my interpretation). But also glad to see so much support from their family.

My thanks to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is cute and helps children understand how emotions can make them feel. The pictures are gorgeous and perfectly match how depression/sadness shows itself in different ways. I like that the girl experiences different symptoms and her parents try to find ways to help her including taking out books from the library. In the end, there is no magical solution. The girl needs to find a way to live with her feelings and understand that they may be different every day. Highly recommended for libraries and parents.

"Verisimilitude"

This is a book on glooming girl. She felt pain on her chest for varied reasons and thought of it so heavy as an elephant sitting over her, one morning when she woke up.
Blue is the color of sadness and low mood, so I would say Melinda described this factor so well in her picture book, metaphorically.

She tried a walking with her sadness and went to picnic her mother set to spend family time on and to lighter her mood further. With time spending with her blue, she realised when she started taking things on lighter note, the color of elephant turned to pink, a color for joy and happiness. Once, some more time she spent with that pinkish elephant, it started to turn to yellow, a color of warmth, hope and optimism.

This is a complete book on the sense of colors and the mood or nature (of humans) they resembles. A good learning for children. Also, with activities, Melinda depicted for how one can turn their sadness into joy and hope and learn to handle such situations or mood swings derived from those situations.

Some of the days everyone feels a little blue, sadness creeping up unexpectedly and without any apparent cause. We as adults can deal with our blues but how about kids who do not understand what exactly is sadness?

There comes this book for the rescue. My kid is still young to understand it but I'm definitely going to keep this book for the future purpose when she has a blue elephant sitting on her chest making her uncomfortable.

My girl anyways enjoyed the story as elephant , in her language "Hathiphant" ( she mixes hathi -Hindi word for elephant with elephant) is her favorite animal. She has been captivated with elephant for his unique feature and also because one of our Gods -Ganesha has elephant's head and rest of the human body.

She thoroughly enjoyed the book and she even showed me how the Hathiphant changed the colour towards end. She liked blue Hathiphant more though as blue is her favorite color.

I definitely will recommend this to all parents and teachers out there who want their kids to learn more about blues.

Thank you very much Netgalley and flyaway books for this amazing ARC in exchange of an honest review.

OH MY GOD. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It’s so important for both kids AND adults to read. Sometimes worries or anxieties or our emotions can feel like an elephant on our chests. It’s important for EVERYONE to understand that it’s normal and even if we have all the help we can get, it isn’t so easy to move our elephant. And that it takes time and it’s never really gone, but it can change.

Ugh, I just adored this.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this one. What a wonderful way for students to learn about positive ways to experience their feelings. The illustrations were beautiful and added to the text. This is a great book for children of all ages.

While the first words out the elephant’s mouth here – “I’m Blue” – are only going to set a class off singing a certain song, this is not to be dismissed. Our heroine wakes up with a bad feeling on her stomach – the literal blue elephant of the title and the visuals – and struggles to even get up because of it. Food won’t help, fresh air is not really possible – although baby steps in that direction are what turns the day, once the girl acknowledges the elephant a bit more than before. The thing is, there are a lot of books doing this sort of thing now, showing children with clear issues presented as splodges, blobs, clouds, and now pachyderms, and this didn’t really make itself that distinctive. With the very literal and obvious ‘feeling blue = being blue’ side of things, it seems like more effort might have been needed to make this a must-buy. Oh, and that mother really ought to open here eyes if she wants to read a pile of books. Three and a half stars.

This is the cutest book! A blue elephant comes along, and the boy must work through tough feelings. This would be a great read aloud at school or with any child that is having trouble talking about their feelings.