School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Little Elliot, a polka-dotted elephant, can't relax and enjoy the holidays. His buddy Mouse hopes for a toy train for Christmas, but earnest Little Elliot just wants the Christmas spirit. The department store Santa tells him that he must find that himself, so the pint-size pachyderm and his pal participate in a host of holiday activities. Nothing works until Little Elliot discovers a missive intended for Santa that's gone astray. Elliot and Mouse decide to make the letter writer's Christmas wishes a reality, delivering what she asked for: good friends. Little Elliot is a gentle soul who's often overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of New York City, and this quiet adventure will resonate with thoughtful, sensitive readers. As in previous installments, Curato revels in the vintage Manhattan setting, with lavish paintings of the tree at Rockefeller Center, a sled ride in Central Park, and a production of The Nutcracker. His stiff, waxy depictions of people aren't nearly as successful, but Mouse and Little Elliot are so adorable that readers may not even notice. VERDICT A lovely addition to holiday collections, especially where Little Elliot is popular.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Little Elliot, the white and pastel-polka-dotted elephant, is regretfully lacking Christmas spirit. With friend Mouse, Elliot looks for inspiration from the department store Santa, at a production of The Nutcracker, in the tree in Rockefeller Center, and sledding in Central Park. When Elliot discovers a lost letter from a child to Santa, he and Mouse take a yellow cab out of the city and to a quiet country house, where they deliver themselves in response to the girl's modest request: "Dear Santa, for Christmas I would like some good friends." With elegant scenes that seem lifted from a bygone New York City, Curato again enhances a quiet story about friendship and belonging. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
