Elephant Quest [Hardcover]

Ted Lewin (Author), Betsy Lewin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Ted and Betsy Lewin arrive in the Okavango Delta of Botswana in February -- the rainy season. Because there is always water in the delta, it is rich in animal life: hippos, Cape buffalo, lions, leopards, wildebeest, lechwe, giraffes, and some seventy thousand elephants! It is the elephants that Ted and Betsy have especially come to see. As they make their way through the flooded grasslands,they encounter impalas, baboons, wild dogs, and a huge crocodile--but where are the elephants hiding?

In Elephant Quest, Ted's realistic paintings and Betsy's field sketches illuminate the real-life adventure story of this exhilarating and often dangerous trip to the Moremi Reserve.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 2001--selected by Natn'l Science Tchrs Assoc. & Child. Bk Cncl.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-Botswana's Moremi Reserve, with its grasslands muddy and lush from flooding rains, is the setting for the Lewins' latest wildlife quest. As in Gorilla Walk (Lothrop, 1999), they provide a day-by-day account of their search in economical text, deft sketches, and fine watercolor views of animals encountered along the way. The search for elephants takes four days of close meetings with a hippo, lions, kudus, wild dogs, impalas, warthogs, Cape buffalo, giraffes, a male leopard, lechwe, wildebeest, and other denizens of the delta. The daily ventures are made in "-a special Hilux truck that can plow through water like a hippo," the only sign of human intrusion in the vast, watery delta. Though the authors and their guide are shown briefly, the emphasis is strictly on the splendid animals encountered each day. The richness of landscape is only broadly suggested in the bright, hazy scenes. Bits of drama unfold as the authors describe the tensions between predators and their prey. The final bold encounter with the elephants is a more satisfying denouement than the brief glimpse of the gorillas in the earlier foray. An introductory map, two informative concluding pages of elephant facts, and an index round out this beautifully rendered introduction to the region's wildlife and ecology that is also a tantalizing adventure story.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A winner that transports the reader to an unfamiliar locale full of wonder." (Starred review) -- --Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2000

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; illustrated edition edition (August 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688141110
• ISBN-13: 978-0688141110
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,567,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Armchair traveller's favorite, December 16, 2004

By 

W. Greenley (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elephant Quest (Hardcover)

Can't take the kids to Africa? You won't believe that illustrations in this book are painted-they look like photographs and bring the subject to life. The text is a bit rich for little ones, but mine came back to it again and again. I think this ranks with "Market Day" as two of Lewin's best.