When Ella, a little shy elephant girl, wears her grandmother's lucky hat to school she is bullied for being different. The other elephant kids don't invite her to play at recess and she's left to eat alone at lunch. Until one day, Belinda (resident mean girl) asks Ella to play ball but instead of a fun game of catch Belinda throws the ball onto the roof. After rescuing Belinda from falling and getting seriously hurt, Ella goes back to school and gets a warm welcome. Just one kind act from Ella (granted she essentially save Belinda's life) showed the class just what a great person she was and they stopped bullying her. Just because Belinda was mean to Ella, it did not mean Ella had to be mean back. It's a great lesson for kids to learn at any age. ( )

When Ella's family moves to a new town, the young elephant is happy in her new home - an apartment above her mother's bakery - but worried about starting school. Wearing her grandmother's "good luck hat" on her first day, Ella stands out from the crowd, and soon finds herself the target of Belinda the bully and her followers, who taunt her, calling her "Ella the Ella-gant." But when a playground dare goes horribly wrong, it is Ella's brave act - and the magic of the hat - which saves the day, winning her the friends she so deserves...

A gentle tale of staying true to yourself, Ella The Elegant Elephant features an endearing heroine and cute illustrations. I did wonder, while reading it, whether a child confronting bullying in the real world would find it at all helpful, as saving the life of the person bullying you isn't a viable strategy for most. I was also a little disappointed that the D'amicos didn't explore the fantastic setting - the Elephant Islands, far out in the Indian Ocean, where no human had ever set foot - more fully, as that immediately grabbed my attention. Still, as a simple story of being the new kid in school, and finding one's feet, this sweet story works very well. ( )

Ella is trying to adjust to her new home. One day a package arrives. It is from her grandpa. Inside the package is a beautiful hat. On the first day of school, Ella looks like all the other elephants except for her hat. Ella is bullied by one of the girls. In the end, Ella ends up having to help her bully after she and Belinda fall of the ledge. From then on everyone wants to wear hats just like Ella. This story is very original. It shows kids that being themselves is exactly who they should be. This story is perfect, especially for kids that are bullied. In the end it shows that it does get better with time. ( )

Ella the elephant wears her grandma's lucky hat to school, but things don't go quite as she expects. This book deals mainly with the issue of teasing in school, and therefore is a good book to read to children who are about to or have just started elementary school. Even though the protagonist, Ella, gets teased, she still realizes that it is important to help someone who is in trouble, even if they have been mean to you, and this is a good lesson for children to learn. ( )

Ella the elephant is new to town. She is nervous about starting school so her grandmother gives her a special "good luck" hat to wear on her first day. When Ella arrives at school, the school bully, named Belinda, teases Ella about her hat. Ella and her hat end up saving the day and is subsequently accepted by her new classmates. ( )