This Born Free Wildlife Book makes clear that the elephant may soon go the way of the passenger pigeon; ironically, humans are behind both the demise of the pachyderms, and their survival. Travers (whose parents are of Born Free fame; see McKenna, above) tells of one rescue effort, casting it first in fairly anthropomorphic terms, from the viewpoint of Tembo, the first elephant involved with the Elephant Translocation program. In Kenya, when the drought comes, hungry elephants invade farmers' fields, where they often eat and destroy a whole season's worth of crops. Scientists banded together to save Tembo—and other elephants in small reserves—by transporting him to the greener, wider pastures of Tsavo National Park. This section is depicted in Taylor's sand-colored drawings that personalize the elephants' ordeals with the farmers, while retaining the wild look of the animals. The second version of the tale takes a more fact-based approach, recreating the actual move, with full-color snapshots, journal-like entries, and a fact page to answer basic questions about elephants. Even to readers who have never seen elephants in the wild, this book makes clear the value of preserving both the animal and its habitat, and does so without condescension or oversimplification. (Picture book. 7-10) Read full book review >