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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Do you have an elephant on your plate? Is it big? Overwhelming? In Pearl Gifty Alimo’s I Can Eat This Elephant All by Myself!, young Nate has a big elephant on his plate. He insists he can eat it by himself, but Nate is struggling with all kinds of emotions, mostly mood swings and it’s because they have to move around a lot. Nate’s mother is in the military; she often has to work far away, and they have to move to different places, so Nate doesn’t feel settled. But that’s okay or so Nate tries to make us believe. He’s dealing with it, so he says. But is he? Military children have a difficult time adjusting to rapid changes and absent parents. But, talking it out with others can help.
Pearl Gifty Alimo’s picture book, I Can Eat This Elephant All by Myself!, is an emotional story touching on the social issues facing military children. But, it’s more than just for military families. We all have to deal with those “stinky feelings”, like an elephant on our plate, just like Nate, and sometimes we need to talk it out with someone. The language is simple so young readers can easily follow along and improve their reading skills. Nate’s emotional issues are presented in bullet points as he lists and shares them with the reader. The illustrations by Skylar Hogan, often with a large elephant looming in the background, really pull this story together. Nate shares his routine of coping, like playing, doing things with his dad, drawing pictures, and reading. With his dad, Nate manages to count the days till his mom returns. At the end of the book, there are More Fun Ways To Eat Your Elephant through interactive play and activities to help military children cope. This is a great resource for youngsters, especially military children.
