Ellen Tarlow
Ellen Tarlow writes stories for very young children. Her published children’s books include Pinwheel Days, Mole Catches the Sky and, most recently, Looking for Smile (Beach Lane, Simon & Schuster). She has been a classroom teacher and for many years worked as an editor of early childhood classroom materials. In that job she got to write hundreds of stories for young children. Now that she is working less, she is excited to work on her own stories. After spending her whole adult life in New York City, Ellen just moved to the Hudson Valley with her husband David, a painter.
Reviews
Becoming Blue
“Shy Blue, a square, idolizes outgoing, brave, accomplished Red, a sphere. Blue is a square in more ways than one, while Red’s the color of a firetruck, fire itself, and, best of all, a stop sign. Fed up that Blue copies her, she demands that he “Go be Blue!” i.e., himself. Blue tries to find his essential blueness but can’t. As events unfold, however, Blue discovers marvelous, hitherto unknown talents that only someone blue can possess. In the end, Red not only acknowledges and compliments Blue’s specialness, but also adopts some qualities that make him unique. Better still, the pals discover that, when combining talents, something extraordinary happens . . . Though Blue’s heightened sense of self-worth develops late, readers will welcome it and appreciate Red’s respectful acknowledgment. The quirky digital illustrations are appealing; occasional colored typefaces and backgrounds enhance visual interest, as do the characters’ expressive faces, achieved through dots for eyes and simple lines for mouths.”—Kirkus Reviews
Looking for Smile
"A tenderhearted, life-affirming exploration of the depressive cycle through simple language and a rich visual vocabulary."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"For children who experience the occasional gloomy day, this story will coax a smile to banish melancholy."—Booklist
“Tarlow’s profound story doesn’t name Bear’s affliction directly, but children will relate to riding the ups and downs of everyday moods, which Stringer has expertly captured in the illustrations. In contrast to the colorful pages where Smile can be found, the pages with Bear’s Smile-less moments are rendered in shades of blue. This is a stunning and powerful book.”—The Reading Chair/NAEYC