Laura Gehl on The Elevator on 74th Street

In this post, we feature author Laura Gehl, whose previous titles include One Big Pair of Underwear, which was named a Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title, among many other honors. You can hear her speak about her new picture book, The Elevator on 74th Street, illustrated by Yas Imamura. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activities and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

The Elevator on 74th Street

Written by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Yas Imamura
Published by Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Release date: September 30, 2025

Every day, Ellie the elevator works tirelessly to make the residents of her building happy. She loves everyone who lives in her building—even the dogs with muddy paws and the over-enthusiastic button-pushers. But Ellie has a soft spot for Thea, who bounces through Ellie’s doors with a cheerful grin every day. After Thea’s best friend moves away, Ellie rarely sees Thea smile anymore. Ellie wants to cheer Thea up, but what can an elevator do to help? Leave it to Ellie to make Thea’s world better. Vibrant illustrations from Yas Imamura bring this warm celebration of friendship and community to life.

An interior image from The Elevator on 74th St. showing a girl inside the elevator, with its buttons lit up in the shape of the letter "T."

An interior spread from The Elevator on 74th Street showing a family bringing new possessions into the lobby of a building. Above the elevator, the lights appear in the shape of a smiling face.

Explore The Elevator on 74th Street

Listen to Laura Gehl talking with TeachingBooks about creating The Elevator on 74th Street. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

Invitation to Imagine

TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activities contributed by Laura Gehl.

Imagination Activity with Laura Gehl

In The Elevator on 74th Street, the main character, Ellie, is an elevator! Ellie uses her unique elevator skills during the book, such as going up extra slowly to give Thea and Claire a chance to chat, or lighting up her buttons in the shape of a “T” to make Thea smile. Think about other inanimate objects that might make good characters in a story. What object would you want as the main character in your story? A pencil? A watering can? A baseball glove? What unique skills would your character have based on what object they are? Draw a picture of your character, write a short story about one of your character’s adventures, or tell a story about your character to a friend or a member of your family!

Finish This Sentence . . . with Laura Gehl

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy the response from Laura Gehl.

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

A surprising thing that helps me work is walking in the woods! I get lots of ideas from looking at the trees and plants, breathing in the smells of the forest, and listening to the birds and other sounds around me. I also get relaxed and rejuvenated by spending time in nature, so I return home ready to work.

“I hope that my book encourages young readers to think about…”

I hope that my book encourages young readers to think about how help can come from unexpected places! Sometimes we all need help—whether it is help with homework, help learning a new dance move, or help searching for a lost sweatshirt. In this book, Thea isn’t expecting Ellie to help her make a new friend. You might have someone in your life who is ready to jump in and help when you least expect it. Maybe it is a teacher, a classmate, a coach, or a neighbor. And maybe you can be someone who jumps in and helps a classmate or neighbor when they aren’t expecting it—just like Ellie!

Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Laura Gehl for signing a book for all of us.

The title page of The Elevator on 74th Street, signed by the author, Laura Gehl, with the message, "Remember, when life gets you down, there is always someone to help bring you back up!"

More Connections to Laura Gehl and The Elevator on 74th Street

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Laura Gehl, Yas Imamura, and Simon & Schuster and may not be used without expressed written consent.