Genre
Children's Fiction.
Setting and Context
An unnamed town full of magic.
Narrator and Point of View
Third person omniscient narration.
Tone and Mood
The mood of the book is inquisitive, anxious, and ultimately jovial.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Peter Duchene is the protagonist of the book, and the situation which took Peter's sister away from him is the antagonist
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel involves Peter's struggles and quest to find his sister, who he suspects is lost but not dead.
Climax
The climax occurs when Peter and his sister are finally reunited after so long apart.
Foreshadowing
Peter eventually reuniting with his sister is foreshadowed by his interactions with the elephant, who helps him find her.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
The book alludes to popular culture (particularly other children's books), the life of the author, mythology, and Hinduism.
Imagery
In painting a picture of the elephant, the author uses imagery surrounding the Hindu religion to illustrate how magical the elephant is.
Paradox
Despite everyone, including consummate professionals, thinking that Peter's sister is either lost or dead, she is neither lost nor dead. In fact, she is very much alive.
Parallelism
The story of Peter and his sister after their parents die is paralleled with one another (particularly their journey through the foster care system).
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
The elephant is given human-like characteristics and personified in the novel.
