Susan Whelan (text), Gwynneth Jones (illus.) Don’t Think About Purple Elephants Exisle Publishing, 1 July 2015, $24.99 (hbk), 24pp., ISBN 9781921966699
During the day everything is fine for Sophie as she learned things at school, in the afternoon when she plays or draws, or at weekends when she reads or bakes or helps in the garden. But at night she worries abut all sorts of things and is often tired in the morning. All her family tries to help and in the end it is Mum who has the best idea. It is a feel good solution and it works for Sophie.
The text is well placed on each page and is in a good clear font. The daytime illustrations are suitably bright and cheerful and are contrasted by the sombre nighttime scenes. The text and illustrations complement each other and create humour within this potentially dark theme. This story could be particularly helpful to share with anxious children or to read to any child to enjoy the antics of the cat and the elephants.
reviewed by Julie Long