Tony and His Elephants: Best Friends Forever!

Gr 3–5—As in the two earlier World Association of Kids and Animals books, large, bright photographs enliven a narrative of young people actively aiding animal conservation in their native lands. Eight-year-old Tony lives in a small mountainside elephant sanctuary in northern Thailand. Visiting a city for the New Year, he spots two mistreated young elephants. (Readers are told that using elephants in the timber industry is unlawful, but no blame for their neglect is assigned.) Tony's parents take the pair home, and Tony learns to care for them, the climax occurring when he coolheadedly saves them from a forest fire. The elephants are not anthropomorphized and are depicted in chains. Western involvement or government intervention is not addressed in the story. Maps locate Thailand and the sanctuary, and there are a few Thai words (without pronunciation help). The text is clear and focused on Tony; however, the overall presentation is slightly unpolished.