This novel starts startlingly: 'When Olive walked into the kitchen, she found an elephant sitting by her father at the small wooden table.' Not being sure in the beginning whether this was to be a fantasy story or something more realistic, I soon became aware that the 'elephant' is the depression that Olive's dad has been victim of since her mother's death years ago. Olive is very imaginative, and this elephant has become reality to her over the years as she can't remember her dad any other way. When she tells best friend Arthur about the elephant, she admits that she knows it is her imagination, but her dad's inability to cope has made her sad too, and much later in the story we learn that Olive has an imaginary animal as well, a little grey dog she calls Freddie. She is sad because her dad is, but also because she has no memory of her mother. Luckily for both Olive and her father, Grandad has moved in to help them, and he is a real winner! He does everything around the house and encourages Olive at school, including having special times with her when he collects her. He seems to be parent to both Dad and Olive. Sensible friend Arthur tells Olive that she must remove the elephant from her Dad, and while she is more than willing to do so, she can't think how. Her fall from a tree, resulting in concussion, means that Grandad, the all powerful, now has an animal shadowing him as well - a grey, sad tortoise - because he feels he has neglected care of Olive. His animal is fairly easy to remove, and eventually, Olive and Arthur find the way to Dad as well in this poignant and touching book, perfect for newly independent readers. The author has added his own black and white sketch drawings which help make this an easy-read.