Lo Cole's endearing and astute Doris is a welcome addition to the growing stack of children's books about socioemotional awareness. Doris the elephant's tomato-red coloring makes her "easy to spot," but she's "a little shy" and feels uncomfortable receiving attention. She's even aware of the readers' gaze: "Stop looking at me," she says before walking off the page.
Cole (We Want a Dog) opens the book with Doris in uncluttered white space, so it's remarkable when, on the next spread, she's hiding amongst a flock of colorful birds. The brightly colored birds, depicted in clean lines, visually appealing patterns, and simple shapes, crowd into one spot. Their overlapping feathers result in blended colors (yellow feathers atop blue ones turn to green) and a search-and-find for readers. Doris is happy to be lost amongst other creatures, so Cole asks: "Can you find her?" She hides in a field of wildflowers and in a pool of "shimmering fish," giving more opportunities for children to directly engage with the book. After the animals clear each time, she once again fusses at readers: "STOP looking at me."
With each visit, Doris starts to wonder if she's losing her identity and Cole engages in creative wordplay: Could she actually be an "ele-finch," "ele-plant," or an "ele-fish"? The elephant becomes acutely concerned when she walks into a double-page spread in which the world is the same color red as she is. She feels "utterly lost" and, upon exiting, doesn't mind standing out for once. Even introverted elephants occasionally need to be seen, after all. Here's hoping many readers see Doris. --Julie Danielson, reviewer and copyeditor