Elephants Books

It's bright and colorful and the story moves with an ease for the parents reading it. It's not too long and it does hold the attention of our toddlers. They love the bright colors in this book. They also love Max and Meg, the little elephants who live with their parents.

Max and Meg wanted to go on vacation but their grandparents didn't have any money. But grandma knows of someone who can rent the little shed as a studio. Max and Meg get busy and started painting the little shed ~~ only to have a mishap. How Max comes up with a clever solution is inspired!

This is a quick read and a fun one. Your kids will love it if not for the story, but for the pictures!

10-15-03

I think I got lucky at my last library book sale ~~ this one is another treasure I found for my boys to read when they are older. Till then, my husband and I will read these books to them!

We like Graham Percy's books ~~ he is a fine story-teller and a detailed illustrator. We really enjoy reading about Meg and Max. The boys love the pictures and they enjoy the story too!

Meg gets up early one morning and visits the circus that is in town. While there, she learns of new tricks. When she comes home, she entertains Max's friends at his birthday party ~~ and saves the day. It's a darling little book and one that the boys enjoy too!<(...)

"Family Ties" tells the story of Douglas-Hamilton and his efforts at elephant preservation and the study of family units (led and guided by an older female - mother or grandmother to most of the members. (Males, upon reaching sexual maturity, are no longer welcome in the group.)

"Desperate Measure" is about park managers shooting elephants in overcrowded parks to save their ecosystems.

"In the Whirl" features a series of photos of sailfish rounding up sardines into a ball, driving them to easier feeding near the sunlit surface, and then taking turns shooting through the ball with their heads whipping from side to side batting sardines with their bills. Pursuers then nab stunned fish before they can escape.

"Our Good Earth" tells of erosion, compaction, and other damage to our crop-growing soils. Some improvement efforts (eg. cutting down trees and planting grain on steep slopes in their stead) do more harm than good, other no good at all (eg. planting trees without access to water). Other efforts are more effective such as long lines of stones that slow down runoff to allow it to soak in. Other success stories are sometimes ruined by government land redistribution without compensation.

"Cholitas Fight Back" is about female wrestlers in Bolivia, dressed in traditional garb. Sometimes they also battle local males in what are probably somewhat staged events. Wrestlers have scary names, earn $[...]/match to supplement their income, and also incur many injuries.

Boucher, faithful to the atmosphere of Conan Doyle's books, invented radio plays from cases that Watson only vaguely refers to in his stories. He uses Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce for the dynamic duo. The only problem is the commercial breaks, even if they also enhance the old radio atmosphere!

I am not sure what to make of the book... the little boy wants a bigger you-know-what... TRUNK, but this books reminds me of the references to natural male enhancement that litter TV and email junk mail ads. Is there a bigger message? The mom has a beauty mark and wears too much make-up... when Otto complains he is too "teeny weenie" and says he wants one as big as daddy, the mom holds her hooves over her eyes and says "No, No, No!!!" Am I misinterpreting???

Terry pratchett creates a world of fantasy and memorable characters that are truly enjoyable to his many fans. From the Wizards at the Unseen University, Cut-Me-Own-Throat-Dibbler selling his sausages in a bun, Corpral Carrot the the six foot tall dwarf and the figure of death. This is just a puddle on the edge of the river of memorable characters created in this world and the unique events of their lives.

I recommend you pick up one of his books to try and I would recommend these books myself.

1) The Truth (included in this set) - The city's first news paper trys to get the truth out and its not easy with a non assasination plot in the air.

2) Men at Arms - The city is set to explode in violence after a museum piece is stolen from the Assasins Guild and violent demises start to occur. Can the Night watch of Commander Vimes step up and stop the major changes someone has planned for the city.

3) Jingo - It is okay and contains many of the Discworld characters.

4) Guards! Guards! - The introduction of Corporal Carrot and the Night Watch.

This is a good collection and a good value but the only note would be that Pratchett fans (like myself) already have all the books in this collection.

I recommend - Try one, then try them all.

This is an excellent collection on the subject of the Proboscideans, with contributions from some of the most important scholars in the field. The book includes well-written and though-provoking sections on the biogeography, paleoecology, and extinctions relating to this order, and is well worth a perusal for the collected references and appendices alone. I found the segments on the extinction of North American mammoths and mastodons, the Great American interchange and the Gomphotheres, and the paleoecology of central and Western North American Proboscideans to be especially helpful.

The book's editors have done an excellent job of collecting a diverse array of papers (most of which are of the typical depth of a lengthy review paper). I have two criticisms, however. Several of the papers refer to "new" and "compelling" data that, in 1996 when the book was published, were on the cusp of being released. Delaying this book's publication by a year would have allowed the inclusion of what is apparently essential information, and one cannot help but feel as though the book comes across as more dated because of this.

My second complaint is that at $250.00 for a new copy, this book is out of the price range for many professionals and certainly graduate students. The seeming incomplete nature of the book's content (lacking that "new and exciting" information referenced above) makes me less inclined to add it to my permanent collection. However, as the first collection on the topic in over half a century, it remains an important contribution to the field, and not just for specialists. Quaternary paleoecologists in particular will find a couple of very important sections. Get this from your university library first, and then decide if it's worth the money.

~ Jacquelyn Gill

In this brief story set in Thailand, Som See, a young girl, listens to her Pa Nang (great aunt) tell the story of a king who rode a white elephant into battle. As a young girl, Pa Nang had touched the elepant's trunk for good luck. Now that Pa Nang is preparing to embark on the last great journey of death, Som See sets out to find the white elephant so that Pan Nang can once again touch his trunk to ensure a safe journey. At the end of the book, the reader will find a little information about the importance of such stories in Thai culture and information about the artistry of the beautiful and lush illustrations which are a mixure of batik and direct dyeing. This is a wonderful picture book that looks at death in a very humble and respectful way.

Squeak, an adorable little elephant, wants to go outside, but everyone is busy. When he decides to go alone, Squeak takes along everything he might need while he is outside. Benson has created a wonderfully warm setting for this elephant family. The full page spreads show a surprisingly realistic family and neighborhood setting. A great read aloud for its predictability. Young children will relate to Squeak and his independence, and will be comforted by the love and affection shown by his family.

This one probably won`t win any awards, but my five-year-old likes to hear this funny tale over and over. The absurdity of an elephant in a bathtub to begin with, just tickles him. A dog, cat, and hen: housemates, hospitably open their home and brand-new tub to a bath-loving elephant. This little tale is an amusing way of learning about hospitality, taking turns, and friendship.