MAMAKUU'S FAMILY: An Elephant Herd

This photo-illustrated introduction to an African elephant herd has more words than Van Wormer's Elephants (p. 480, J-264) but nothing like the impact. The names (including Memsab) that Thiede assigns her individuals do nothing to give them immediacy, nor are the pictures nearly as sharp or as illustrative of the points discussed. Thiede's description of the herd, emphasizing their peaceful nature and ""constant physical contact,"" is appreciative of the elephants' qualities but doesn't help us evaluate such statements as ""elephants feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to one another"" and ""they are one of the few animals that are able to remember."" Unmemorable.