ELLA WHO?

An elephant comes to play, but none of the adults realizes that anything is unusual.

A little white girl has just moved into a new house. When a small elephant shows up, the girl tries to tell her mom, dad, and grandmother, but the distracted grown-ups believe she must be the girl next door and just keep repeating the titular phrase, “Ella WHO?” Although this is a one-joke story, the digital illustrations, softer in color and more delicate than many done in this medium, are amusing. When dad reaches for a wrench as he fixes the shower, the elephant quite naturally hands it to him with her trunk. The elephant reads a book that looks suspiciously like David McKee’s Elmer. Finally, a black man wearing a uniform with the word “sanctuary” shows up, looking for an elephant. The adults he queries tell him they haven’t seen one, but when the little girl reads the “missing” flier he leaves behind, she uses the facts to verify the elephant’s identity. She calls Fiona by name, confirms that the elephant loves apples but dislikes green beans, and phones the man to pick up the elephant. Her family remains oblivious to the day’s events. They are each busy in the living room as the little girl spots yet another animal in their front yard—a baboon, another escapee from the wild animal sanctuary down the street.

A slim storyline is enhanced by the detailed illustrations and the absurd behavior of adults who need a lesson in listening.