Sneak Peek Review of the Children's Book When Anju Loved Being an Elephant

This is a sneak peek review of the children's book When Anju Loved Being an Elephant . It is authored by Wendy Henrichs. It's illustrated by John Butler, and is published by Sleeping Bear Press. This title is due for release on September 1, 2011. I was provided a review copy of this product by Sleeping Bear Press, but was under no obligation to recommend it. My observations are my own.

Synopsis and Review of the Children's Book When Anju Loved Being an Elephant

Anju is an elephant who has spent almost 50 years in captivity, taken from her natural surroundings in Sumatra and has performed in circuses and has resided in zoos. She often thinks of her fellow elephants she left behind, including her best friend Lali, especially because she finds herself often lonely, without the companionship of other elephants. One day, her caretaker loads her up and takes her on her last journey, which makes Anju wonder what her fate is going to be in her last years. The book contains two pages of "Elephant Facts" to ponder, after reading the story.

The narrative paints a great picture of elephants in their natural habitats and of the outdoors in general, showing how Mother Nature's creatures are most happy when they are not in captivity. The illustrations by Butler are warm, helping add to the aura of the story. I do recommend this 32 page book. Now, there are some resources at the end of the book (after the "Elephant Facts" section), which advise parents and children what they can do to help elephants, including not attending circuses that use animals and helping animal rights groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). One can take or leave that advice, but nonetheless, those suggestions don't detract from a fine story in the first place.

This children's book is scheduled to be available at retail outlets like Amazon.com on September 1, 2011, and its Suggested Retail Price is $16.95. The ISBN Number for When Anju Loved Being an Elephant is 1-58536-533-5. For more information on the publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, contact 315 Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Phone 800-487-2323. Email: sleepingbearpress@cengage.com Website here