Wu, an animator who has worked on many Pixar hits, makes his literary debut with a story ever-so-gently ripped from the headlines: the artwork-producing elephant. The eponymous heroine is desperate to help her compatriots save their zoo from closing, but she's too small to make a dent in the needed cleanup and repair work. On a whim, Ellie picks up a paintbrush with her trunk and within a few pages, she is a not just a sought-after portraitist, but also a performance artist: "Soon, people from around the world came to see Ellie, the remarkable painting elephant." Wu is a literal writer, but his visual storytelling, rendered in sweet, throwback-style watercolors, shows creativity and poise. Ellie, who looks like she's a branch of Dumbo's family tree, leads a cast of equally endearing animal characters, and every vignette is expertly framed for a chuckle, an "Awww," or both: when Ellie paints a portrait of Lucy the giraffe, her subject's head extends beyond the top edge of the page. Ages 3 5 PW"

Mike Wu is an animator at Pixar, where he has worked on "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille," Up, and "Toy Story 3," among other movies." "He has a BFA in Character Animation from 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. This is his first book. Visit him online at theartofmikewu.com.