Little Bull: Growing up in Africa's Elephant Kingdom

by Ellen Foley James, Karl Ammann (Photographer)

He's one of the most endearing main characters in a story in many years - and he's real! Come along and share his adventures. Through enchanting full-color photos, watch as this mischievous, playful, and innocent 250-pound baby elephant learns about the world around him. See him newly born, his big elephant ears wrapped tightly around him; struggling to his feet for the first time, prodded by his mother's wiggly trunk; stumbling and swaying on wobbly legs; and making friends with many of the members of Africa's animal kingdom. In a playground as wide as all outdoors, in a land of lush rolling hills and umbrella trees, Little Bull and his herd live and travel. Little Bull doesn't lack for affection.You'll meet the family who watches over him always - a loving mother, attentive aunts, and an older sister who becomes his self-appointed guardian - as well as the other baby elephants who play with him, wrestling in the mud, grabbing stones, and learning tricks. Early on, he becomes friends with a white egret who follows the herd - and he also learns to avoid the lions who regard him with glittering, hungry eyes. You're also there as the rains stop, and the grass and water slowly dry up. Follow the herd as they go on a journey across miles of land, searching desperately for food. The baby elephants struggle hard to keep up, and though the adults gently nudge them on, soon they weaken. But then one day, in the distance, thunder sounds. Dark clouds roll in, and the cool, fresh rains pour down and turn the earth green once more...And you'll rejoice as life returns to the savanna once again. With its simple and lyrical style, lush color photography, and design that echoes traditional African

Genres: Animals

48 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1998

Reviews

[Marisa Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Bull: Growing Up in Africa's Elephant Kingdom follows a newborn elephant, Little Bull, in the beginning of his life. Little Bull learns how to live, travel, and exist in a herd. This book is a nonfiction text that is ideal for a transitional reader. There are picture cues to help students decode and comprehend, but meaning largely comes from the text. It is also good for teaching e-drop endings (-ing, -ed, -ly), decoding multiple syllable words, and prefixes and suffixes.