Little Bull: The Story of Little Bull [Hardcover]

Ellen James (Author)

Book Description

Series: Discovery Kids

He's one of the most endearing main characters in a story in many years--and he's rea! Come along and share his adventures. Through enchanting full-color photos, watch as this mischievous, playful, and innocent 250-pound baby elephant learns about the world around him. See him newly born, his big elephant ears wrapped tightly around him; struggling to his feet for the first time, prodded by his mother's wiggly trunk; stumbling and swaying on wobbly legs; and making friends with many of the members of Africa's animal kingdom. In a playground as wide as all outdoors, in a land of lush rolling hills and umbrella trees, Little Bull and his herd live and travel. Little Bull doesn't lack for affection.You'll meet the family who watches over him always--a loving mother, attentive aunts, and an older sister who becomes his self-appointed guardian--as well as the other baby elephants who play with him, wrestling in the mud, grabbing stones, and learning tricks. Early on, he becomes friends with a white egret who follows the herd--and he also learns to avoid the lions who regard him with glittering, hungry eyes. You're also there as the rains stop, and the grass and water slowly dry up. Follow the herd as they go on a journey across miles of land, searching desperately for food. The baby elephants struggle hard to keep up, and though the adults gently nudge them on, soon they weaken. But then one day, in the distance, thunder sounds. Dark clouds roll in, and the cool, fresh rains pour down and turn the earth green once more...And you'll rejoice as life returns to the savanna once again. With its simple and lyrical style, lush color photography, and design that echoes traditional African

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ammann sets his stunning photographs of a baby elephant against a backdrop of the Kenya plains. James's poetic text describes newborn Little Bull "wrapped like a cabbage in his big elephant ears," and follows his travels with his mother and their herd led by the matriarch, Grandmother Torn Ear. Readers follow Little Bull as he experiments with "his favorite toy,... his own wriggly trunk," chases egrets and encounters both benign curiosities and true perils ("zebras with wavy stripes" and a group of lionesses with "six bright eyes staring"). Although the passage of time is unclear (Little Bull seems to have been born during the rainy season, which is followed by a drought; he sprouts tusks by book's end), and some readers will wonder why Little Bull's father is so aloof ("He stood in the shadows all night long. By morning he was gone"), most will revel in the gorgeous pictures of the African wildlife. Based on a Discovery Channel film, James's text takes on a narrative rhythm, poignance and humor (toddlers will delight at the young elephant's attempts to stand on his head, for instance), and brings cohesion to Ammann's landscapes, portraits and action photographs. Except for one aberration?a hand-drawn picture illustrating the night sky's "bowl of bright stars"?this book stands as more than a mere adjunct to a film. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A photo story based on a film made by Discovery Channel Pictures. Just as the sun rises across the wide African sky, a baby elephant is born. Wrapped in his own huge, floppy ears, the 250-pound newborn struggles to his feet and joins his mother, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters, and brothers. They will show him where to find water holes and sweet grass. His playground extends as far as he can see, but his favorite toy is right in front of him: his own wriggly trunk. Danger lurks everywhere. A cry from his grandmother quickly calls the others to protect him from a group of stalking lions. When the sun grows strong and the rains don't come, the elephants must walk for miles in search of food and water. Expansive two-page spreads capture the vastness of the African plains, the blistering sun, and the dramatic storms these animals experience. The simple but descriptive large-print text fleshes out the rich full-color photographs that document the life of one small elephant.
Lisa Wu Stowe, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (December 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080692098X
• ISBN-13: 978-0806920986
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,234,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ellen James is a writer and editor whose early interest in poetry and photography has led to film and publishing projects with the Discovery Channel, ABC Television, the National Geographic Society, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is the author of "Little Bull: Growing Up in Africa's Elephant Kingdom" and editor of "The Leopard Son," both children's books based on Imax films produced by Discovery Channel Pictures.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nicely written for very young children, April 16, 2000

By 

W. Hepburn "elefuntz" (Sarasota, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Bull: The Story of Little Bull (Hardcover)

Photo pictorial for children shows progress of a baby elephant from birth through adulthood. Nicely written for very young children and with excellent photos; about what you would expect from television's Discovery channel. The book is a companion volume to "Africa's Elephant Kingdom".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, April 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Bull: The Story of Little Bull (Hardcover)

This book is beautiful - and perfect for reading aloud to kids

5.0 out of 5 stars easy-to-follow story, excellent photography, June 7, 2001

By 

jaye hendrix (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Bull: The Story of Little Bull (Hardcover)

My 2.5 year old loves this story and now knows a lot about Africa. She gets worried as the dry season continues and is excited when the "delicious rains" finally arrive to save the elephants. As a bonus, she now thinks thunderstorms are are wonderful, and thunder no longer scares her!