Tag TUSK

Noa and the Little Elephant

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Noa and the Little Elephant
Michael Foreman
Harper Collins Children’s Books

Michael Foreman takes up the cause of wildlife protection in this lovely little book published in association with TUSK a charity that helps protect African wildlife, in support of which Ugandan ranger and wildlife authority, Julius Obwona, has written a forward.

Young Noa’s favourite animals are the elephants he watches every day after school as he returns home in the little boat built for him by his father. One day though, they aren’t in their favourite wallowing place in the river so a concerned Noa decides to follow their tracks into the jungle.

When he emerges on the far side he sees what he first thinks is a new game the little elephant is playing with his mother. On closer inspection though – horror of horrors – this is no game. The mother elephant is lying dead and her tusks have been removed.

After a while the baby elephant overcomes his fear and allows Noa to approach and comfort the creature. The boy makes a decision: he resolves to take the little tusker home and care for him in his village.

Back at home, his father tells Noa about the cruel poachers that shoot elephants for their valuable tusks and how the villages have grouped together to try and prevent such cruelty. Noa’s sister, Eva names the elephant Tembo and it’s not long before he’s part and parcel of village life. 

One night at the start of the rainy season a terrific storm arrives causing the river to overflow its banks so Noa rushes down to the water to secure his boat and in so doing is caught in the wild roaring current and is swept away. 

Fortunately however ‘something solid ‘is in the water that enables him to haul himself to safety.

Thereafter a beautiful rainbow appears over the village and a thankful Noa resolves that when he’s older, he’ll join his fellow villagers in protecting the elephants: “We are all one family living under the same sky and sharing the same world” he tells Tembo.

Superbly illustrated, and simply and movingly told, this tale of love and survival is most definitely a book for young animal lovers be they solo readers or listeners.

The Wild Fluffalump

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The Wild Fluffalump
Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway
Troika Books

Here’s a lovely rhyming story penned by Bruce Hobson, the well known author, who writes under the name Mwenye Hadithi;
Set on the African plains, it’s a fun read aloud but with a serious intent: Hudson commissioned the book in aid of TUSK (a charity dedicated to protecting wild animals in Africa) with the aim that young children ‘should learn to feel protective towards rhinos and elepahnts’ as well as the more cuddly kinds of wild animals.
When a baby creature goes to sleep beneath a tall Cotton Wool tree, where Leopard’s child has been leaping and bouncing all night, little does it know it’s in for a big surprise the next morning.
When it wakes, it’s as a giant fluffy white ball and doesn’t recognise itself at all.
First on the scene are the Meerkats and they decide it’s a wild Fluffalump.
Other plains creatures come along one by one: Eagle, Buffalo, Lion, Hyena, Vulture, Bush Baby, Rhino, Giraffe and even Leopard’s child …

and with their poking, prodding, pushing and shaking, endeavour to identify the creature.
Down comes the rain, washing off some of its fluff as it heads to the waterhole for a drink. Crocodile cannot resist taking a bite of its bottom causing the thing to emit a loud trumpeting sound.

Recognising the cry, along comes mother Elephant.
She picks up Fluffalump, takes him to the lake, washes off all the fluff and restores the creature to his former self.

He then realises that he is in fact ‘Elephant’s Child.’
Adrienne Kennaway’s paintings of the iconic animals of the savannah are full of humour and suffused with glowing African sunlight. The prodding and poking inflicted upon the Fluffalump gradually expose bits of his disguise so that observant readers may guess the identity of the mystery creature before his mother does.
Great fun and a cause well worth supporting.