Did you ever have a passionate interest as a child? My friend's son knows everything there is to know about the Civil War. I have a niece who is horse crazy and a couple of my students know all about cars--one of them specializing in muscle cars and the other in street racing. For Jack, it's elephants. And maybe it's the very steadiness of these large beasts that appeals to him, for heaven knows his life is anything but stable and predictable. Jack himself doesn't know the term, but readers will quickly guess that his mother is bipolar. Jack also doesn't seem to realize that he shouldn't be dragged here, there, and everywhere; being a kid, he's just along for the ride.
But his usual shrug-oriented attitude doesn't do him a bit of good when his mother abandons him at a campground on an island in Maine. From here on out, it's a hide-and-survive story as Jack first searches for his mother and then heads for his home in Boston while trying to avoid the police.
Of course, Jack can't stay in one place for very long because people start asking questions. Like the guy at the ice cream parlor, where he wishes he could ask for samples all day, but only gets two before he bolts. Or the family at the next campsite, who look after him for a little while before they start asking to see his mother for themselves. To make matters worse, Jack hurts his finger, and he can't afford to see a doctor about it.
The trouble is, Jack's mother has quarreled with her mother and painted her as a bad person, so Jack is fearful of trying to contact his grandmother. And he knows that social workers would take him away from everything he knows, so he doesn't want that, either. No one can know that his mother is gone.
One of the most interesting things about this book is how it shows in such detail what a person Jack's age might do in this situation, step by step. Jack's thought processes are painful, yet revealing. His problem solving is also impressive. For example, after he hurts his finger, he goes to the grocery store and sticks his hand in the frozen vegetables. And he turns in bottles and cans to the recycling center to earn money for food.
Also poignant are the chapter headers, which are quotes and facts about elephants. The elephants' family dedication and reliability are offered in clear contrast to Jack's own situation.
Jacobson's methodical, almost muted tone heightens the power of this book, which in its gentle way is just as much a survival story as something like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. The tension ratchets up when Jack starts seeing his face on the news. And he meets all kinds of people, some of them more willing to help him than others. Then, as the pressure mounts, Jack remembers that he was hoping to see an actual elephant on this trip, and he knows where one is. Soon he is heading toward the elephant instead of his old home.
While Small as an Elephant is arguably an adventure story, it is a quieter book than some. Thoughtful readers will appreciate, not only Jack's physical survival and his success in not being caught, but his inner quest to make sense out of having been abandoned by his mother.
I'll end with the Chapter One elephant quote from Peter Corneille: "If anyone wants to know what elephants are like, they are like people, only more so." And people are like elephants, fortunately for Jack. Little by little, readers will discover that Jack is loved and helped by a herd he hadn't even imagined.
If you like this book, I would also recommend two classics: Flight of the Doves by Walter Macken and Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.
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Top reviews from other countries
CanadianGirl
Great story. Got my Grade 7 boys hooked
Reviewed in Canada on October 23, 2015
Amazon Customer
As Small as an Elepant. Amazing book😜😙
Reviewed in Australia on November 28, 2015
