This is an excellent example of a book that will help start a conversation or create an easy-to-understand analogy for kids to relate to. The illustrations are both sweet and soothing. I think watercolor was an excellent choice for a topic like this as it matches the fluidity of our emotions. I appreciate that there were moments that grownups might relate to such as reaching out to specialists or reading up on the topic and throughout the story we are shown many different ways that you can care for and support someone struggling with depression. The best part is the way the elephant doesn't ever just go away, it grows and changes and is still sometimes blue. I think it's a hopeful but realistic portrayal of a very complicated topic that will be accessible to young readers.

Big feelings can weigh you down like an elephant sitting on your chest. This book explores exactly what that may feel like. With realistic expectations and a lot of patience, this is one of the healthiest books I have seen on how to feel less "blue" written for any age. Highly recommended!

My Elephant is Blue is a heartwarming book that explores the hard topic of depression and sadness. I love how the book presented this topic, the illustrations really emphasized the story. Highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Netgalley and Flyaway Books, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Helpful book that describes sadness/depression for young children. It also gives suggestions on coping skills as well as describing other feelings with different colors.

My Elephant Is Blue by Melinda Szymanik and also illustrated by Vasanti Unka comes out next month on April 11, 2023 and is available now for preorder. A child, in first person, tells the story of her blue elephant that begins with it sitting on her chest. Humor, in the illustrations and the story, conveys ways of coping with real blues in a way that will appeal to children and open a door to discussion.

This elephant is the best analogy for unwanted feelings. Being depressed or sad is no fun. As a result, we have to live with these feelings. Yet the elephant is not a bad girl. She likes walks, and snacks. I love her.

This book is a must have for all libraries. It is perfect for kids to read as they can relate to how they are feeling. This book is definitely important for all children to see that it's ok to have a blue kind of day.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of My Elephant's Blue by Melinda Szymanik.
My Elephant's Blue is a sweet picture book depicting what it feels like to be depressed. This book is a great resource for parents of young children to help them understand depression in a simple way.

A very sweet and heart warming book!
I loved this book's ability to explore the difficult theme of mental health, especially in children. I love how the characters chose different ways to help move the elephant and that the book showed that giving her time was important and that the elephant may turn blue again. The whole book was a fantastic portrayal of mental health and how to support a loved one.
As a teacher, this book would be a fantastic way to introduce a lesson on mental health and to explore ways to support someone who has their own 'elephant'.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this book. What a beautiful way to explore a heavy but important topic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet little book. Sometimes we are blue... and that's okay. Sometimes we don't fit in... find where we do and enjoy it!

This picture book uses the metaphor of a large blue elephant to represent sadness and depression. The child doesn't know what to do about this elephant, and none of the advice that well-meaning people offer makes a difference. Over time, the child is able to experience happiness and lighter feelings again, and the book shows how someone can accept sadness and ride out their feelings as they come. I have read a number of other, very similar books, but even though the concept isn't unique, this one has a less-abrupt ending than some, and the illustrations are very nice.

Very entertaining book about a blue elephant. The bigger picture is it teaches kids how to address what they are feeling sometimes ie.sadness. Blue because she was depressed. Seems like maybe the little girl was depressed too in the beginning is how the elephant came to find her. Blue clung to the little girl’s every move, she showed empathy and was very caring. Soon they were able to take walks outside then the entire family went on a picnic in the park, the elephant was able to graze like she once did. Yes I would recommend for young readers. What a fun read it will be to explore emotions while reading with your parents.Thanks to the following for allowing me to review early:
#NetGalley
#FlyawayBooks
#PenguineRandomHouse
#MelindaSzymanick
#MyElephsntisBlue
Pub Date: 11April 2023

Oh what a precious and important book about big feelings. I thought the use of color in this story was brilliant. The beginning pages are grey and soft tones, but as the young child learns to manage and live with their depression more color is added through the story. I think that this is a very important book because of the portrayal of depression and that it is something some people always live with and is always there, but sometimes it's not as present as others. A lot of kids book give advice for managing it, but this is the first one I've seen that addressed that it might always be there, which is the reality for many folks. An important and poignant story for children that will help then recognize and understand saddness and depression.

Szymanik has written a good book introducing the concept of depression to children by equating it to an elephant. The cute drawings add a lightness to the discussion as our character and their family work through ways to help with the feelings of being crushed by sadness. I wish there had maybe been a list of resources for parents at the end to get more information to help their children. Thank you to Flyaway Books and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

this is a wonderful book introducing young children to their feelings. Sometimes a heavy feeling, like sadness, can weigh you down. it explained well an emotion and what you could do to help with the sadness. This was a great story for my 7 year old. elephant is a metaphor for how the child is feeling, The colors of the elephant are based apon his mood. Sometimes you just need a little guidance to help you through.

My Elephant is Blue is a wonderful book introducing young children to their feelings. Sometimes a heavy feeling, like sadness, can weigh you down for a bit. Finding ways to still do things that make you happy doesn't make the feeling completely go away but it reduces the weight of the sadness little by little until it's only there every once in a while.
I read this to the 2 and 4 year olds that I nanny and they enjoyed it in different ways. The two year old loved the illustrations, which are fabulous, and she was intrigued by why the elephant was sitting on the boy so much. The Four year old also loved the illustrations but felt bad for the boy because it was so hard to do things with this elephant weighing him down. We were able to start a conversation about the things that worry her or make her sad and it turned into a very good conversation.
I will definitely be purchasing this wonderful book for my nannying library and for the children I nanny so that they can enjoy it as much as I did.
I am very grateful to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this children's book in exchange for an honest review.

This was AMAZING. I will 100% be buying this for my daughter (and honestly for myself). Such a great message, lesson, and overall story. I am obsessed. And will gladly post reviews!

Sometimes you wake up feeling like there's something weighing you down. Perhaps it's an elephant. This heaviness doesn't go away just because you want it to or just because you push it. Sometimes you have to sit with your sad elephant and learn to find little things to make the sadness lighter.

This is a cozy book that creates a loose metaphor for how to deal with big feelings, whether of sadness or something else. The watercolor illustrations are sweet and gentle, and the thoughtful finish leaves room for conversation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

My Elephant is Blue focuses on helping children understand depression and moods. Depression is expressed as a huge blue elephant, so heavy and sad that the child has difficulty engaging in the world surrounding them. Mom and Dad help with research and guidance, and eventually strategies are found to shift the elephant’s color/mood. In using the elephant, the focus becomes a much more relatable and talkable for children. This is a thoughtful book with engaging illustrations, and I think many families will find it helpful.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for granting access to a digital ARC for my review.

A beautifully illustrated, picture book.

A sweet story helping children to cope with big feelings. There are examples of ways kids can deal with these not-so-good emotions. While children have worries, this helps them to recognize and manage their feelings.

The art is simplistic and does not take away from the story, but will grab children's attention.