LITTLE BULL

Based on material from the upcoming TV film Africa’s Elephant Kingdom, this book follows the birth and life of a baby African elephant, Little Bull, and members of his herd in the national parks in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Full-color photographs provide appealing close-ups of the 250-pound baby, his mother, cousin, and older members of the herd as they graze, endure a drought, wallow in the mud, play, and keep a watchful eye for hungry lions. The brief text is informative; the design is attractive, alternating framed photographs with full-bleed pictures that capture the sweep of the African sky. Included is a brief glossary of limited use, defining a crane as “a tall wading bird that lives in marshes and on plains” and an egret as “a small, white bird that has long legs, a long neck, and a slender body,” even though cranes also have long necks and legs, and some egrets are tall. (index) (Picture book. 5-8)