From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2?Inspired by a National Geographic film production, Radcliffe's heart-tugging story of a newborn elephant calf's first day of life focuses on the caring protection of his mother and the rest of his herd "family." The golden-toned, realistic illustrations evoke both the spacious wildness of the African veldt and the tenderness and concern of the elephants, particularly when the infant becomes mired in mud on the margin of a waterhole, and three lionesses on the hunt are ready to take advantage of his weakness and his predicament. This attractive volume is a visual feast and a glimpse of actual elephant parenting, and brings comforting reassurance that even in the heart of the wilderness, there can be a happy ending.?Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Ages 4^-8. A small African drama is played out here as if seen through the dusty lens of a nature photographer's camera. It is the powerful illustrations that fuel this story of a newborn elephant and her protective family as they are sized up by a pride of hungry lionesses. Bashi was born to Neo overnight, but now she must move with the herd to the watering hole. It is there that the baby elephant gets stuck near the muddy bank, making herself easy prey. Mother Neo must foil the snarling lionesses while trying to free the newborn from the muddy trap. Some may have played this as a frantic action story, but instead, each scene looks as though it were shot in slow motion. There is time to notice every detail, whether it's the wiry hairs on the warthog's snout or the shape of the baobab tree. Bathed in the golden color of the equatorial sun, this is a beautifully executed book that will be quietly appreciated.
Denia Hester
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
