Jack’s journey to a new kind of family is inspiring and never sappy
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Jack comes to realize that he hadn’t been alone, that family and people he didn’t even know were there for him in a ‘makeshift herd.’ The happy yet realistic ending leaves Jack (and readers) ‘light-headed with hope.'
—Horn Book

Jennifer Richard Jacobson’s nuanced and heart-wrenching middle-grade novel, Small as an Elephant, gives a quiet force to one resilient boy and his mentally ill mother.
—Bookpage

A classic journey story, this is a very believable and exciting adventure with modern accoutrements.
—Library Media Connection

A near-perfect mix of poignancy, humor, and masterful writing make for an unforgettable journey.
—Midwest Book Review

Gr 5–8—Jack wakes up in a campground of Acadia National Park on the first morning of a long anticipated summer vacation to find that his mother and the rental car are gone. He reacts with fear, hurt, and anger, but also acceptance. This isn't the first time Jack has been left alone, and his mom is not like other moms. Jack blames himself for her leaving, and sets out to find her. As he works his way down the coast of Maine, Jack struggles to elude the Department of Social Services, afraid that they might separate him and his mother permanently. Throughout the story (Candlewick, 2011), Jennifer Richard Jacobson portions out hope like the few cereal bars Jack has to make last, then snatches it away time after time, leaving listeners feeling as empty and aching as Jack's hungry stomach. Jack's passion for elephants, and the hope that he might see Lydia, the only elephant in Maine, sustains him throughout his journey. Narrator William Dufris takes Jacobson's lush, textural vocabulary to another level, creating distinct and believable characters that add to the emotion and intensity of the story. A compelling and sensitive portrayal of life with a parent who suffers from mental illness.—Lisa Hubler, Memorial Junior High School, South Euclid, OH

Eleven-year-old Jack is older than his years; he has to be. His mother, suffering from an unnamed mental disorder, has left him behind again. This time he is in a campground on Mount Desert Island in Maine, far from his Boston home. When he wakes up, there is no sign of his mother—no rental car, camping gear or food.Jack only has his cell phone (which his mother is not answering), $14, a tent and his love of elephants—a near-obsession that gives structure to his otherwise chaotic life. Because Jack is used to his mother's manic behavior, he quickly goes into survival mode, figuring out ways to get food and coming up with plans to get home to Boston while evading curious adults. Jack's mother has told him what will happen if he gets turned into the authorities: He will be put into foster care or, worse, sent to live with his maternal grandmother. While there are moments when Jack's journey relies on coincidence, and his ability to elude intervention stretches credibility slightly, Jacobson masterfully puts readers into Jack's mind—he loves and understands his mother, but sometimes his judgments are not always good, and readers understand. His love and knowledge of elephants both sustains him and pleasingly shapes the story arc. Jack's journey to a new kind of family is inspiring and never sappy.(Fiction. 10-14)