Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Philomel (2005), Hardcover, 40 pages
Description
Emma Kate and her best friend, a toy elephant, share many activities, such as homework and soccer practice, and even have their tonsils out at the same time!
Media reviews
Library Journal
PreS-K-Emma Kate and her elephant best friend sit next to one another in school, share lunches, play at recess, finish their homework, and go to soccer practice. They even have their tonsils out at the same time, sharing a hospital bed and gallons of pink ice cream. The girl's bright red dress
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stands out against the white background and soft charcoal-gray pencil drawings of the large friendly elephant. Subtle hints in the illustrations of the dress, a license plate that reads "BIGMOME," and a hospital chart lead readers to the surprise ending: Momma and Daddy elephant comment on their child's active imagination as they are told all about her day with Emma Kate. The only possible drawback to this otherwise amiable story of imaginary friendship is the fact that the classmates are human, making readers think twice about the conclusion.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. Show Less
Kirkus Reviews
Polacco provides an interesting twist on the imaginary friend theme in this cheerful story inspired by her own childhood. The plot describes the close friendship between a little girl in a red-flowered dress and a huge, friendly elephant who does everything little girls do. The first-person
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narrator describes Emma Kate as her best friend, and the reader naturally assumes all along that Emma Kate is the elephant character and that she must be a figment of the girl's imagination. But the final spread shows a pair of elephant parents tucking their elephant child into a bed covered with a quilt in the same red print. The reader realizes in this surprising denouement that the elephant child has been narrating all along, and Emma Kate, the imaginary friend, is really the little girl. Polacco uses a limited palette of gray and red to fine effect for her illustrations, and her elephant is almost as appealing as Dr. Seuss's Horton, to whom the story is dedicated. (Picture book. 3-6) Show Less
Publishers Weekly
Polacco (An Orange for Frankie) takes a familiar premise and turns it into food for thought. The brief and knowing text, narrated by an unnamed pigtailed girl, catalogs the many ways the title character makes the perfect best friend ("We sit together in the caf -gym-a-torium at lunch. When we get
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home from school, we ride our bikes together"). That Emma Kate is also a large gray elephant (her hilariously humongous derri re spills off one spread) seems to make their bond more meaningful. Emma Kate is a modest masterpiece, with tiny expressive eyes shining through masses of exuberantly cross-hatched flesh. A generous sense of humor, keen observation and a seemingly effortless, expert draftsmanship unite in the way the animal comports itself. Polacco splits the difference between fantasy and reality by demonstrating how the pretend pachyderm's girth wreaks genuine havoc. In one scene, as the girl and Emma Kate read on the sofa (sharp-eyed readers will note that the literary selection is one of Dr. Seuss's Horton books) the section underneath the elephant has flattened like a pancake. Grown-ups may detect a more elegiac undercurrent at work here. While most of the pictures are handsomely rendered in gray pencil, the narrator's old-fashioned dress, anklet socks and Mary Janes appear in radiant red and aqua; it's as if Polacco sees her narrator as a magical emissary from a more innocent yet fearlessly imaginative time. Ages 3-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member adge73
The thing is that I don't understand why only the pattern of the girl's dress and a very few select other items get to be in color. One could see it if it was a real world/pretend world thing, but it doesn't serve any particular function that I can see. It's a little derivative of Ian Falconer (the
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colors she uses are red and green), if you ask me, and you just can't do that without having a good reason. Although the text isn't a story, it's nice enough, and the illustrations do add to the story. Polacco has so many stronger books than this. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrcmyoung
A young girl describes her relationship with her best friend, Emma Kate, who happens to be an imaginary elephant. A little syruppy, but still sweet.
LibraryThing member afmteacher
The twist at the end of this endearing story about friendship makes this a must read! Be sure this title is part of your Polacco collection. Kids will delight in the fresh perspective she brings to a familiar theme.
LibraryThing member sriches
That adorable Emma Kate has an imaginary friend.They walk to school together every morning, and sit together in class.They sleep over at each other's houses, and do their homework side by side.They even have their tonsils out and eat gallons of pink ice cream together. But a hilarious twist ending
Another of Polacco's immensely popular younger books, Emma Kate is a wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship. From Goodreads
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will have readers realizing there's more to this imaginary friend than meets the eye!Another of Polacco's immensely popular younger books, Emma Kate is a wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship. From Goodreads
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LibraryThing member sdlucas
This book would be good for a child who has an imaginary friend. Throughout the book it seem like the little girl is the one who has the elephant as an imaginary friend but in the end the little girl is actually the elephants imaginary friend. This book would be good for K-5 read alouds or 1st and
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2nd graders. Show Less
LibraryThing member alprince
This book is about a little girl and her best friend, Emma Kate. Emma Kate is an elephant but she does everything with the little girl. They go to school together, eat lunch together, do their homework together, take baths together, and much more. Everywhere the little girl goes so does Emma Kate.
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Both of them are the best of friends and love each other. The book is all about all the fun they have together and when the little girl goes to sleep she dreams of Emma Kate. This is a good book for children in kindergarten who are trying to make new friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member agracie89
This story is about two best friends, a little girl named Emma Kate and an elephant. The elephant goes everywhere with her, even school. I think children will enjoy this book, because it is entertaining and easy to read. It is a good book for students to practice finger-point reading and fluency.
LibraryThing member lcbelew
This is a book about a little girl and an elephant. Throughout the book, it seems like the little girl has an imaginary friend that is an elephant. She tells about all of the things that they do together. Then at the end of the story, it shows a family of elephants talking about the elephants
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friend named Emma Kate. So, the elephant is really the one who has a little girl named Emma Kate as an imaginary friend. This would be a really easy book to younger students to read. This would also be a really good book to read to students because it has such a great twist at the end. It would be a really fun book to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member rsimmons
It was about a imaginary friend that does everything with the real friend. There is a different ending then you would think.
LibraryThing member kjburkhalter
Emma Kate is the narrators best friend. They do everything together: school, play, eat. But, Emma Kate isn't an elephant, she is a girl.
LibraryThing member CassieM
A simple story about a special friendship with a plot twist at the end. I loved the drawings and the use of color in the illustrations.
LibraryThing member Charlee526
Cute and fun story. Has a fun little twist in the end.
LibraryThing member PaigeCostella
A story of a relationship between a little girl and her best friend. This book tells us all the things, Emma Kate and her do together such as go to school, take baths, and play outside. Emma Kate is really her imaginary best friend who happens to be an elephant. This is great to read to children
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that may have an imaginary friend they play and talk with. Show Less
LibraryThing member asomers
While I realize this book was publ;ished a few years ago, I just ran across it and I think it is my new favorite Patricia Polacco story. I just didn't expect the ending. Very cute!
LibraryThing member wroesch
A fantastic book about a great imaginary friend. Emma kate is an imaginary elephant friend that does eveything. Great illustrations and imagination.
LibraryThing member MalissaLojszczyk
A young girl has a best friend named Emma Kate. Emma Kate, however, is an imaginary elephant. Even though she is imaginary, Emma Kate and the lttle girl are best friends and do everything together.
LibraryThing member emleonard
I love "Emma Kate" because it shows how young children use their imagination and have a pretend friend. Emma Kate is an elephant and the little girls best friend. Her and Emma do everything together and the illustrations make me feel like I am inside the little girls head. Especially when the
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little girl says that they do everything together like going to soccer practice and the car is leaning and when she says they take baths together and she's in the elephants arms. I like how Patricia Polacco illustrated this book with the pencil sketching but the little girls dress was in color. Very unique and different. Show Less
LibraryThing member Calamia
Emma Kate is an elephant that is a best friend to a little girl and they spend every day together, This is a book about a little girl's friendship with her imaginary friend. This is a great book for children because some kids may have imaginary friends and most would enjoy a story about a child and
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their imaginary friend. Show Less
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
A charming exploration of the theme of imaginary friends, one with a surprise ending, Patricia Polacco's Emma Kate is the story of a girl and an elephant, and their unbreakable bond. Whether going to school or riding a bike, Emma Kate and her pachyderm pal do everything together, even getting
I enjoyed this picture-book quite a bit, and was particularly taken with the little tribute, midway through, to Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - apparently ones of Polacco's favorite books as a girl. The illustrations are a little less colorful than those found in some of the artist's other books - Emma Kate herself sports a brightly colored red dress, but the elephant, and the surroundings, are mostly depicted in unadorned gray pencil - but also very expressive. I thought the elephant's dubious facial expression, in the scene where she and Emma Kate were riding the bike, was just adorable! All in all, this was a pleasure to read, and is one I would recommend to young children who have, or have had, an imaginary friend, to elephant lovers, and to fans of Patricia Polacco's work.
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tonsilitis at the same time. But when bedtime comes, and Momma and Daddy come in to say goodnight, which of the two friends is the imaginary one...?I enjoyed this picture-book quite a bit, and was particularly taken with the little tribute, midway through, to Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - apparently ones of Polacco's favorite books as a girl. The illustrations are a little less colorful than those found in some of the artist's other books - Emma Kate herself sports a brightly colored red dress, but the elephant, and the surroundings, are mostly depicted in unadorned gray pencil - but also very expressive. I thought the elephant's dubious facial expression, in the scene where she and Emma Kate were riding the bike, was just adorable! All in all, this was a pleasure to read, and is one I would recommend to young children who have, or have had, an imaginary friend, to elephant lovers, and to fans of Patricia Polacco's work.
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LibraryThing member Imandayeh
"Emma Kate" is a story about a little girl who brings her imaginary friend,Emma Kate, everywhere with her. They do everything together from going to school to removing their tonsils. It embodies the idea and every quality that we think of an imaginary friend to be. It is very cute for very young
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children. It is very simple picture book with nice illustrations. I would recommend for pre-k -1. Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
The charcoal drawings of grey which contrasting red are a delight for the eye.
Emma Kate has an imaginary friend who does everything with her. Together they go to school, ride bikes, eat ice cream and have their tonsils removed.
There is a twist at the end when the reader realizes that the friend is
Emma Kate has an imaginary friend who does everything with her. Together they go to school, ride bikes, eat ice cream and have their tonsils removed.
There is a twist at the end when the reader realizes that the friend is
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not imagined by the little girl, but rather by the elephant. Show Less
LibraryThing member crunchymunchkin
'Emma Kate' is a wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship that had me utterly charmed.The illustrations are warm, full of humor and charm and the text is simple, in that it uses only a few words, and would be appropriate even for very young readers. Personally, what stood out
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to me, was the illustrator's use of color (and lack thereof). Show Less
LibraryThing member jherrm1
In my opinion this is a great book. I really enjoyed how the story was not predictable. I think that it is a great story to read to younger children who either have an imaginary friend or did have one in the past. I loved the use of animals in the story rather than humans and how the animal was the
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character to have the imaginary friend rather than the girl. The illustrations in the story were so beautiful, the use of lines made the elephant look almost as if it was imaginary figure in the story. When the human girl appeared in the story the color change was extreme she was drawn in a softer light which was beautiful. I would recommend teacher or parents to read this book to younger children. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lilith13
Emma has an imaginary friend, an elephant. This story takes on a twist in that it turns out that the elephant is not the imaginary friend after all. Great for synthesizing.
age 5-7
age 5-7
Subjects
Awards
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades K-2 — 2007)
Language
Physical description
40 p.; 11.22 inches
ISBN
0399244522 / 9780399244520