Ellie in Concert - Hardcover

Wu, Mike

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1484712382 ISBN 13: 9781484712382

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2017

Synopsis

Since Ellie saved her home with her wonderful paintings, the zoo is back in business and the animals are more energetic than ever. All except for Lucy the giraffe, who hasn't been able to sleep with all the noise. Determined to help her friend, Ellie tries to tone down the ruckus and organizes the animals into an orchestra. But is it possible to conduct the cacophony of the zoo into beautiful music? Praise for Ellie "[Wu's] visual storytelling, rendered in sweet, throwback-style watercolors, shows creativity and poise. . . . [E]very vignette is expertly framed for a chuckle, an "Awww," or both." -Publishers Weekly "In his first picture book, Pixar animator Wu creates watercolor illustrations that are reminiscent of classics like Harry the Dirty Dog and Curious George." -Kirkus Reviews "Wu's dynamic watercolor illustrations enliven the story, their retro/classic feel possessing a distinctive animation quality." -School Library Journal

About this title

About the Author

Mike Wu is the author and illustrator of Ellie, which was selected as NPR's best of 2015. He is also the illustrator of The Oodlethunks series. When he's not making books, he animates at Pixar, where he has worked on The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, and Toy Story 3, among other movies. He attended the California Institute of the Arts, and he is the creator of children's clothing and gift line Tiny Teru. Mike lives in the Bay Area with his family. Visit him online at theartofmikewu.com.

Review

KIRKUS REVIEWFirst met in Ellie (2015), the eponymous, doe-eyed elephant becomes a champion of the arts as she adds music to her painting skills. 
Poor Lucy the giraffe cannot sleep with the cacophony of noise in the zoo. "All Ellie wanted to do was help her friend." Ellie shows readers true acts of compassion and problem-solving. The problem is clear: Lucy needs sleep. Ellie calmly stands by her friend's side as each sleep aid is explored without success. When Ellie hears Betty Bluebird sing a lullaby to her babies, she has a new idea. She enlists the aid of Gerard, the wise gorilla, and organizes the animals into musical sections, just like an orchestra. She helps each animal find his or her tune. With patience and practice, Ellie changes the nightly noise in the zoo into a beautiful song that helps Lucy finally go to sleep. Wu's expressive watercolor illustrations are imbued with kindness and comfort even through the inharmonious screaming and squinting of the noisy animals. The secondary characters have distinct personalities that clearly show what caring friends look like. Betty's "theme" is reproduced in the backmatter; Ellie's full score is printed on the inside of the jacket.
Readers will find a simple plot and compassionate characters balanced with glowing pictures for a satisfying story. (Picture book. 3-7)

LAUGHING PLACE REVIEW
In 2015, Disney Press published an adorable children's book called Ellie about a young elephant in a struggling zoo who uses her artistic talents to save her home. Since then, Ellie became a big success and was even selected as one of NPR's best books of 2015. Two years later, Ellie returns in another story, Ellie in Concert.
Ellie's zoo is doing just fine, but her giraffe friend Lucy is finding their home too noisy to sleep in. Poor Lucy is constantly disturbed by the roars, snorts and grumps that the other animals make, but when Ellie hears bluebird Betty singing her chicks to sleep, she gets an inspired idea. Now she has to figure out a way to turn all of the animal noises into a beautiful symphony so that Lucy can finally get some rest.
Mike Wu returns to this adorable world in this charming sequel. As a Cal Arts graduate and a Pixar animator, Ellie's world feels directly influenced by the watercolor designs that influenced the earliest Disney animated shorts and features, like Dumbo and Elmer the Elephant. He's equally skilled at writing and illustrating and Ellie in Concert is another solid release. Fans can keep up with Mike Wu's personal projects through his website, which even includes some Ellie merchandise.
I found Ellie in Concert to be another charming and inspiring children's book and both titles make perfect bedtime stories. If you play music, there's a surprise bonus as well. The dust jacked can be removed to reveal an actual song inspired by Ellie, and the back of the book features an additional melody from Betty. The score was composed by Andrew Jiminez and while I can't read music, I imagine this arrangement is just as beautiful as this book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1484712382
• ISBN 13: 9781484712382
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Wu Mike