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Travels With Tarra
The author tells the story of the baby elephant she raised, adopted, toured with in zoos and circuses, and for which she eventually created a sanctuary.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 2002
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 16, 2017
See my Q&A including updates with Carol Buckley and learn more about Tarra at www.readrantrockandroll.com
Carol Buckley is the founder of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. In this book she talks about Tarra, the Asian elephant who was brought to America in 1974. Tarra was purchased to live at a tire store and the owner specifically purchased her in hope of increased sales. It was sad reading just the first page of this book because you start to realize the horror of a baby elephant being torn away from its mother in the wild and the loss of security that Tarra will now experience.
The story takes us through Tarra’s journey and how Carol Buckley meets her for the very first time. She instantly had an interest in Tarra and became a permanent fixture in Tarra’s cage. Carol began studying her and wanted to know everything about her. Children will learn about how Tarra learned how to skate, how Carol begins training her, and how she becomes part of the circus making her famous. Readers will also learn about Tarra’s relationships that she had with other elephants and dogs before her arrival at the Elephant Sanctuary.
The photography in this book is amazing and insightful. I learned so much more about Tarra that I never knew before. She had many experiences and relationships in her life. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for elephants or just want to know more about Tarra.
This book does have a series of links and information for classroom use.
5*****
Carol Buckley is the founder of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. In this book she talks about Tarra, the Asian elephant who was brought to America in 1974. Tarra was purchased to live at a tire store and the owner specifically purchased her in hope of increased sales. It was sad reading just the first page of this book because you start to realize the horror of a baby elephant being torn away from its mother in the wild and the loss of security that Tarra will now experience.
The story takes us through Tarra’s journey and how Carol Buckley meets her for the very first time. She instantly had an interest in Tarra and became a permanent fixture in Tarra’s cage. Carol began studying her and wanted to know everything about her. Children will learn about how Tarra learned how to skate, how Carol begins training her, and how she becomes part of the circus making her famous. Readers will also learn about Tarra’s relationships that she had with other elephants and dogs before her arrival at the Elephant Sanctuary.
The photography in this book is amazing and insightful. I learned so much more about Tarra that I never knew before. She had many experiences and relationships in her life. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for elephants or just want to know more about Tarra.
This book does have a series of links and information for classroom use.
5*****
May 20, 2019
I'm generally not in favor of the use of animal acts in circuses (well really, I'm not in favor of it at all), but having fallen in love with Tarra the elephant, in Carol Buckley's recent
Tarra & Bella
- which details the friendship of retired pachyderm performer Tarra, and a stray dog named Bella - I was curious to learn more about the younger days of this massive charmer. When I saw that Buckley has published an earlier book about Tarra's days as an entertainer, and that said book was a Tilbury House title (one of my current obsessions), I had to read it!
I'm not sorry I did. Travels With Tarra details how Buckley got involved in caring for Tarra, when she was a very young elephant, recently purchased by a tire dealer as part of a promotional campaign. Eventually buying Tarra outright, Buckley trained her as an entertainer, teaching her how to do numerous tricks (like roller-skating), and traveling all over the world with her. For those with an interest in the movies, Tarra was the elephant used in the parade scene, at the end of Annie .
It's clear that Buckley loved (and loves) Tarra, took excellent care of her (both physically and spiritually), and provided for her retirement, by founding the The Elephant Sanctuary for her, in Tennessee. I think young elephant lovers will enjoy this tale, profusely illustrated with photographs of Tarra and Buckley in their years together. Parents or other adults who, like me, have reservations about using animals in circuses, can explain their position, but also highlight the importance of Tarra's humane treatment (and the fact that Asian elephants have been a "workforce" for many, many centuries), and her happy retirement.
I'm not sorry I did. Travels With Tarra details how Buckley got involved in caring for Tarra, when she was a very young elephant, recently purchased by a tire dealer as part of a promotional campaign. Eventually buying Tarra outright, Buckley trained her as an entertainer, teaching her how to do numerous tricks (like roller-skating), and traveling all over the world with her. For those with an interest in the movies, Tarra was the elephant used in the parade scene, at the end of Annie .
It's clear that Buckley loved (and loves) Tarra, took excellent care of her (both physically and spiritually), and provided for her retirement, by founding the The Elephant Sanctuary for her, in Tennessee. I think young elephant lovers will enjoy this tale, profusely illustrated with photographs of Tarra and Buckley in their years together. Parents or other adults who, like me, have reservations about using animals in circuses, can explain their position, but also highlight the importance of Tarra's humane treatment (and the fact that Asian elephants have been a "workforce" for many, many centuries), and her happy retirement.
March 15, 2010
There’s no doubt that elephants fascinate us humans, especially the youngest among us. So it is perhaps no surprise that Carol Buckley, founder of the Elephant Sanctuary, would want to tell her remarkable story in the form of a children’s book.
Black-and-white photographs help tell the story of Tarra, a baby elephant Buckley trained and eventually purchased. Buckley and Tarra went on the road together, appearing in parades, TV specials, and all manner of traveling circus shows. Eventually, Buckley realized that the elephant craved a naturalistic habitat and pachyderm friends rather than the glare of the spotlight, and the Elephant Sanctuary was born. Tarra is now part of a herd of other rescued ex-performers.
Although Buckley is a strong advocate on behalf of elephants, she avoids the issue of why so many animals need help at a place like the Elephant Sanctuary. On one hand, I understand this; she wants to ensure the book doesn’t upset younger readers. But at the same time, it isn’t hard to imagine that an uniformed reader might extrapolate the idea that all performing elephants are treated as well as Tarra was and get a cushy retirement at the end of their careers. I know this wasn’t Buckley’s intent, but when the author doesn’t address the darker reality of most performing elephants, the unknowledgeable reader has little else to go by.
Black-and-white photographs help tell the story of Tarra, a baby elephant Buckley trained and eventually purchased. Buckley and Tarra went on the road together, appearing in parades, TV specials, and all manner of traveling circus shows. Eventually, Buckley realized that the elephant craved a naturalistic habitat and pachyderm friends rather than the glare of the spotlight, and the Elephant Sanctuary was born. Tarra is now part of a herd of other rescued ex-performers.
Although Buckley is a strong advocate on behalf of elephants, she avoids the issue of why so many animals need help at a place like the Elephant Sanctuary. On one hand, I understand this; she wants to ensure the book doesn’t upset younger readers. But at the same time, it isn’t hard to imagine that an uniformed reader might extrapolate the idea that all performing elephants are treated as well as Tarra was and get a cushy retirement at the end of their careers. I know this wasn’t Buckley’s intent, but when the author doesn’t address the darker reality of most performing elephants, the unknowledgeable reader has little else to go by.
March 20, 2016
09/09: We learned of this from M. Dill and her blog. What a lovely book about an elephant brought to the States just so she could be a mascot at a tire store! Praise God, Carol Buckley lived nearby and took over with Tarra. She gave Tarra love and good food, rest and exercise. She even taught her to skate. Finally, she secured for her an 800-acre refuge in Tennessee. Gotta love to watch God work through people!
Amazon Book Description:
"Travels With Tarra is a heartwarming look at the life of one captive elephant and her devoted human caretaker, who realizes that Tarra's needs as an elephant are more important than anything else in their life together. All captive elephants should be as lucky as Tarra is now." -Richard Farinato, Director, Captive Wildlife Protection, Humane Society of the United States
What happens when you fall in love with a three-foot-tall, 700-pound infant covered with thick black hair?
Carol Buckley was a college student, studying exotic animal care, when she looked up from her homework one day to see a baby elephant walking past her house. The local tire dealer had bought the tiny elephant as a promotion gimmick for his store and was taking her for a stroll. Carol quickly volunteered to help care for and train Tarra, tried to meet the baby elephant’s emotional and social needs, and ended up buying her.
Tarra was bright, playful, and loved attention, so Carol taught her to do lots of tricks (including rollerskating and the hula), and for about twenty years they appeared at circuses, theme parks, and zoos, changing their lifestyle as Tarra’s needs changed and balancing the performing life with time at their farm.
But Carol began to dream of a place where elephants could just be elephants, where abused elephants could find a haven, and where old elephants could live out their days peacefully. She established The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, an 800-acre refuge now home to Tarra and five other elephants, with room for many more. A place just for elephants—no visitors—The Elephant Sanctuary has been featured on the award-winning PBS Nature documentary "Urban Elephants." Carol Buckley and Scott Blais were named "Heroes of the Planet" by Time Magazine for their work at The Sanctuary.
Amazon Book Description:
"Travels With Tarra is a heartwarming look at the life of one captive elephant and her devoted human caretaker, who realizes that Tarra's needs as an elephant are more important than anything else in their life together. All captive elephants should be as lucky as Tarra is now." -Richard Farinato, Director, Captive Wildlife Protection, Humane Society of the United States
What happens when you fall in love with a three-foot-tall, 700-pound infant covered with thick black hair?
Carol Buckley was a college student, studying exotic animal care, when she looked up from her homework one day to see a baby elephant walking past her house. The local tire dealer had bought the tiny elephant as a promotion gimmick for his store and was taking her for a stroll. Carol quickly volunteered to help care for and train Tarra, tried to meet the baby elephant’s emotional and social needs, and ended up buying her.
Tarra was bright, playful, and loved attention, so Carol taught her to do lots of tricks (including rollerskating and the hula), and for about twenty years they appeared at circuses, theme parks, and zoos, changing their lifestyle as Tarra’s needs changed and balancing the performing life with time at their farm.
But Carol began to dream of a place where elephants could just be elephants, where abused elephants could find a haven, and where old elephants could live out their days peacefully. She established The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, an 800-acre refuge now home to Tarra and five other elephants, with room for many more. A place just for elephants—no visitors—The Elephant Sanctuary has been featured on the award-winning PBS Nature documentary "Urban Elephants." Carol Buckley and Scott Blais were named "Heroes of the Planet" by Time Magazine for their work at The Sanctuary.
November 26, 2013
Travels with Tarra is a phenomenal informational book! The book chronicles the lives of two friends, author Carol Buckley and an Asian elephant named Tarra. From the first time they met, when Tarra went by Fluffie and was a tire store mascot, it was love at first sight, and the two have never been apart since. Through a series of personal prose and lots and lots of photographs, Travels with Tarra gives readers a look into the fascinating life of Tarra. Originally shipped to the USA from Burma, Tarra has done everything from performing at circuses, working at theme parks, being on TV and in movies, to living at the zoo. However, she and Buckley have found their home in the Elephant Sanctuary the author and friend Scott Blais established in Tennessee; the elephant sanctuary serves as a home for elephants where they do not have to worry about performing, but rather can focus simply on being elephants.
This book is a fantastic addition to any class, school or home library. The photographs are vivid and beautiful, and Tarra's story is captivating for animals lovers, travelers and everyone in-between. This book is great way to encourage students to read informational books; the story is so interesting that they'll forget they were even supposed to be learning! I would absolutely recommend this book, whether as an informational text for animal science or history, or simply as a unique read for individual students.
This book is a fantastic addition to any class, school or home library. The photographs are vivid and beautiful, and Tarra's story is captivating for animals lovers, travelers and everyone in-between. This book is great way to encourage students to read informational books; the story is so interesting that they'll forget they were even supposed to be learning! I would absolutely recommend this book, whether as an informational text for animal science or history, or simply as a unique read for individual students.
April 27, 2008
This is the story of how Carol Buckley came to found the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN. While "Travels with Tarra" is an engaging story, it is also full of information about the compassionate and responsible care of elephants. It opened my eyes to the unsuitability of most zoo settings for elephants who need acres of soft earth to roam daily - and also to their need for the company of other elephants. This book is written for children, but adults can get much more out of it.
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June 9, 2018Read my thoughts over on Reading Rumpus: https://www.readingrumpus.com/2009/09...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews