newport

8 years ago

This book can easily be the best children's picture book of the year. There are other good books out there this year, but this book goes beyond them all by providing a unique joining of fabulous illustrations and well thought and written text. It also delivers a message all children and adults can line up behind. The author and illustrator's joint work came together extremely well in this book in a way not commonly seen. Almost like they were the same person. It displays a winning combination of what makes children's books great. There's not a better message to teach students and children in these times. The theme, mood, and narrative of this complex topic is simplified and described well through exquisite soft tone illustrations and thoughtful text. The tone is brought out in spades by the illustrations and repetitive text, and they hint to a possible sad ending for elephants everywhere. However, they actually flip that around and make us happy by explaining the little known secrets of how elephants save thousands of animal's lives every day. For those of us who have been to the Serengeti, it is refreshing to see the beauty, accuracy, and landscapes of that vast region. We are treated to captivating, emotional, beautifully crafted illustrations of landscapes, people, and animals. How can any child or adult who goes through this book not feel emotionally attached to the amazing intelligent animals. Somehow the thought of them becoming extinct drifts away from the reader as you watch the unselfish and brilliant acts that are shown. We begin to feel happy and that it can never be allowed to happen.