  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2017 In his fourth outing, Little Elliot and his friend Mouse venture into the countryside to escape the clamor of the city. The friends have a blast picking and eating apples, jumping in leaves, and playing hide-and-seek. After Elliot hides himself a little too well in a cornfield, he’s separated from Mouse. The white space surrounding Elliot shows how alone and anxious he is. But don’t fret! Mouse comes up with a nifty way of finding Elliot, leading to a satisfying resolution that includes a farm feast and a campout under the stars. Part of the delight of the series is seeing the pale pair (Elliot’s blue and pink polka dots are very faint) juxtaposed with the realistic setting. Curato colors his pencil illustrations digitally, and the resulting artwork offers a wondrous presentation of the russets, greens, and golds of trees on rolling hills, very like Grant Wood’s idyllic farm landscape paintings. This charming celebration of friendship (and fall) deepens with each rereading. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 09/01/2017 PreS-Gr 1—Little Elliot, the tiny, polka-dotted elephant of Little Elliot, Big City and Little Elliot, Big Family, and his friend Mouse need a break from the hustle and bustle of New York City. So it's off to the country to take in the autumnal foliage. Little Elliot panics when Mouse fails to find him during a game of hide-and-go-seek, but the pachyderm smells something sweet and heads to a farmhouse. There, he finds a pie, which Mouse and some new pals baked to lure him out, and the tale ends with a fall feast and a cozy night beneath the stars. Making excellent use of light and shadow, the painterly illustrations are sumptuous, dominated by oranges, reds, and golds. Curato brings to life the fall countryside just as effectively as he does the urban setting. However, compared with other "Little Elliot" installments, which offer rich explorations of friendship and bravery, the plot is a little unfocused. The drama around Elliot being unable to locate Mouse comes relatively late in the game and is resolved fast, and the titular "fall friends" seem to arrive out of nowhere (Mouse meets them off-page). Still, Elliot is a winsome protagonist, and the charming visuals will entice children. The gentle prose makes this book suitable for a quiet storytime or a soothing bedtime read. VERDICT Recommended as an additional purchase or for collections where Little Elliot fans abound.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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