Elephants: A Book for Children

Product Information

Through the Eyes of Ernest: A Memoir to Honor Elephants- Debbie McFee (2013): A somber but ultimately hopeful tale told from an elephant’s point of view, Through the Eyes of Ernest asks us to consider why we keep such intelligent, social animals in captivity.

Lawrence Anthony devoted his life to animal conservation, protecting the world’s endangered species. Then he was asked to accept a herd of “rogue” wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand. I suppose if there were a part of the world in which mastodon still lived, somebody would design a new gun, and men, in their eternal impudence, would hunt mastodon as they now hunt elephant. Impudence seems to be the word. At least David and Goliath were of the same species, but, to an elephant, a man can only be a midge with a deathly sting.This is by no means a complete list of every elephant book, but something to get you started. If you feel like there is an amazing book we missed that needs to be listed, let us know. Please enjoy An elephant never forgets, but Lexington Willow can’t remember what happened before a tornado swept her away when she was a toddler. All she knows is that it landed her near an enclosure in a Nebraska zoo. And there an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm. Elephants have created their very own sunscreen!After a river or swamp bath, they’ll throw mud and sand up and over themselves to protect their skin from the hot, burning sun. Clever! And finally, if you are looking for a truly unique gift, consider buying something from Poo Poo Paper. They make surprisingly lovely notebooks, notecards, and craft paper from elephant, cow and donkey poo. Hey…it’s sustainable! More Books Featuring Animals Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees-Roger Fouts (1998): For 30 years Roger Fouts has pioneered communication with chimpanzees through sign language–beginning with a mischievous baby chimp named Washoe. This remarkable book describes Fout’s odyssey from novice researcher to celebrity scientist to impassioned crusader for the rights of animals.

Death at Seaworld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity- David Kirby (2013): Death at SeaWorld centers on the battle with the multimillion-dollar marine park industry over the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. Following the story of marine biologist and animal advocate at the Humane Society of the US, Naomi Rose, Kirby tells the gripping story of the two-decade fight against PR-savvy SeaWorld, which came to a head with the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Bohemoth: The History of the Elephant in America – Ronald B. Tobias (2013): A chronicle tracing the elephant’s indelible footprint on American culture, and its 200 year history Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story of Resilience and Recovery-Andrew Westoff (2012): An unflinching, visceral look at the emotional and physical damage—actual, real damage done to specific, individual apes—in some of America’s most notorious biomedical research labs. It is also the story of humans who were driven to provide them with refuge, retirement . . . and, ultimately, their inherent right to dignity. Elephants of Thailand: The Smiling Elephant – Aston Heath (2017) : (recommended ages 2-8) A touching true story Chang, a baby elephant, and his adventures as he is rescued from captivity. The Smiling Elephant tells a true story of the plight of elephants in captivity. This beautifully illustrated children’s book about elephants in Thailand takes the child through an elephant’s life, starting from the jungle, life in the tourist industry and then being rescued and taken to an elephant refuge park. It is absurd for a man to kill an elephant. It is not brutal, it is not heroic, and certainly it is not easy; it is just one of those preposterous things that men do like putting a dam across a great river, one tenth of whose volume could engulf the whole of mankind without disturbing the domestic life of a single catfish.

The book is so full of beautiful pictures of Elephants that shows they are full of personality and just how majestic they truly are. I love it and so do my family."

If you would like to learn more about elephant conservation, you would be hard pressed to find a better organization than Save the Elephants. Ian Douglas-Hamilton is the premier elephant conservationist and his team in Kenya lead efforts for not only their HQ in Kenya’s Samburu Reserve, but around the world.

Thanks for sharing your email! We've added you to our list.

They have partnered with Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) to develop an Elephant Crisis Fund, which has funded 348 projects throughout Africa and Asia. I personally donate time and money to WCN and can attest to both their ethics and their effectiveness. These magnificent mammals spend between 12 to 18 hourseating grass, plantsand fruitevery single day! They use their long trunks to smell their food and lift it up into their mouth – yum! If you are a traveler, I would strongly discourage you from participating in tourism that involves washing, walking or riding elephants. Many of these programs have very fraught ethics and it’s difficult to tell the good from the bad. In Mount Elgon National Park in Kenya, a group of elephants use their tusks to mine for salt in underground caves! They feel their way around with their trunks and eat the salts by breaking them off with their tusks. The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy- and Why They Matter- Marc Bekoff (2008): Based on award-winning scientist Marc Bekoff’s years studying social communication in a wide range of species, this important book shows that animals have rich emotional lives. Bekoff skillfully blends extraordinary stories of animal joy, empathy, grief, embarrassment, anger, and love with the latest scientific research confirming the existence of emotions that common sense and experience have long implied.