Desert Elephants

Gr 1—3—Although other titles consider the lives of elephants in Africa, Cowcher's book is unique in its emphasis on the accommodations humans make to facilitate the migration of these huge animals. The author follows the 300-mile trek in Mali as the desert elephants search for water. The Dogon, Fulani, and Tuareg peoples, who live in the same region, communicate with one another by radio about the animals' movements and make sure the ancient routes remain unobstructed. When some newcomers build their home on the pathway that leads to the "Elephants' Doorway" through desert cliffs, elders in a nearby village devise a plan for the people to move out of the animals' way. Cowcher's paintings of the arid landscape and its rejuvenation by rain link the lives of elephants and humans in their mutual survival. The illustrations of elephants are more compelling than those of people, but the visuals do reinforce the theme of cooperation and conservation.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato