Reviewing a book… İs hard work. What does a reader expect from a book review? Let’s imagine a writer. Maybe a critic. What proportion of a book review is rational and what proportion is romantic? I don’t know the answer. Dear reader, if you have an opinion on this matter, you can send it to me.
I have never been a critic in a professional sense, but I have written articles on kitaphaber.com in which I have reviewed many children’s books in detail. And now, when I look back, except for the educational issues or the parts where I refer to literature, mostly my emotions motivate me to write.
I can’t escape this fact and I guess I don’t want to. My emotions allow me to connect. Who doesn’t want to connect with beautiful books? (as long as they don’t mislead readers)
It is my emotions that make me sit in front of my computer at midnight on the eve of my 22nd birthday. The intense emotions that Peter Carnavas’ book The Elephant creates in me cause me to write.
The Elephant’s hero is a little girl named Olive, probably around 8 or 9 years old. She is truly a hero. This is because she saved the lives of her grandfather and father. Her father has been living in deep sadness for many years. While he’s sad, a huge elephant walks by his side and the weird thing is that Olive is the only one who can see the elephant.
(Spoiler) During the story, Olive plans to send the elephant that has been hanging around her father’s side forever, and she finally succeeds. (Praise be to Allah)
My favorite character in the book was Olive’s grandfather. He’s so weak that Olive compares her grandfather to a scarecrow. But He’s very practical and cheerful. He’s a master at having ordinary days more exciting for Olive. On the days when she comes to pick Olive up from school, if He brings his purple backpack, they go on little exploratory trips around their city together and Olive loves it.
During her travels with her grandfather, it is precious for the little girl to hear memories about her mother, who died when Olive was a baby and whom Olive never met. But it is his grandfather who deserves great credit for making these moments even more precious.
Little Olive and her grandfather’s travels actually cover so many ordinary places. For instance a small park in the city, an antique shop, a small hill covered with grass. But these simple places are what make them special. And they know how special the moments they share are.
The grandfather and grandson spending time together reminded me of my grandfather. I think this is what touched me and made me cherish the book. We used to take walks in the countryside with my grandfather. He would build little brick hearthstone for me and set up swings for me to fly inside the house.
Olive, after a long struggle, finally frees her father from his deep sadness. I didn’t tell how she saved her grandfather. Throughout the book, we assume that Olive’s father and grandfather are the only ones who carry her sadness with them. But by the end of the story, we learn that Freddie, a cute gray dog that we thought was a real dog, is also an imaginary friend who reflects Olive’s sadness. At the end of our story, Olive decides that she no longer needs an imaginary friend and sets Freddie free. This was one of the details that impressed me the most.
Peter Carnavas is a man who takes the child seriously and understands that children can also have serious problems. And in this book, he tells us a beautiful story in a very gentle way, touching our hearts. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Addition: Olive makes lots of little jests to try to make her father happy. Flowers, paints, paper airplanes, music… Like every little child. I was going to write “like every little girl” but I gave up because there is no gender difference here. Little children, boys or girls, love to make a jest and make their loved ones happy. Gifting a small flower, writing small letters… But what happens as they grow up and jests are forgotten? I don’t want to see children’s kind spirits fade away. ❤
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