The Elephant Whisperer

Last week I shared half a handful of elephant picture books. Today's book is middle grade nonfiction.

The Elephant Whisperer
by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
256 pages; ages 10-14
Henry Holt & Co, 2017

I love nonfiction that reads like an adventure novel! Lawrence Anthony ran the Thula Thula reserve - 5,000 acres of undeveloped bush in the heart of Zululand, South Africa. It was home to white rhinos, cape buffalo, giraffes, zebras, lynx, antelope, and other animals, but no elephants. Anthony never thought to have elephants, until he hears of a small group of elephants being given away.

They're "troublesome", he's warned. But he decides to take a chance on them and reinforces the fencing. They get out - many times - and Anthony decides he'll have to sleep with them to let them know that they are safe and this is their home.

In between the adventures of tracking down escaped elephants and capturing poachers, Anthony tells about elephant social groups. He describes each of the animals in the herd, their personalities, and a whole lot about animal behavior. One thing he emphasizes: elephants are smart. They are tenacious problem-solvers.

Eventually the herd starts visiting his house - especially after he's been away and is returning to the reserve. When they have babies, the females bring them to the house and "introduce" the babies to the human who is now an adopted member of the herd. Woven throughout the book is Anthony's life on the reserve - including some tips for gardening in elephant territory.

"These elephants taught me that all life-forms are imporant to one another in our common quests for survival and happiness," writes Anthony. "... there is more to life than just yourself, your own family, or your own kind."

Check out this video of the elephants at Thula Thula.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - On Monday we'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle - so hop over to see what other people are reading. ARC provided by publisher.

Wednesday Explorers ~ Rubber Band Science

We collect rubber bands around our house: red ones, blue ones, thick ones, thin ones, long ones, short ones. So one day we decided to test their flying ability.

Here's what you need:
ruler
rubber bands
yardstick or tape measure
markers (poker chips, masking tape, small post-it notes)

How far do rubber bands fly?
Make a starting line. Predict how far your rubber band will fly when you pull it back 6 inches.
Then snug one end against the end of the ruler and pull the band 6 inches. Let it fly. Have someone mark where it hits the floor.

Questions to explore:
1. How far do they fly when pulled 8 inches or 10 inches?
2. Compare rubber bands of different thicknesses. Is there a difference?
3. Does it get "tired" after lots of flying? Is it possible to stretch it out so it changes how elastic it is, and therefore how well it flies?
4. Do cold rubber bands fly better or worse than warmed rubber bands? To test, put a rubber band in the freezer for an hour and one of the same kind and size over a hot air vent or on top of a warm place for an hour. Then test their flight abilities.

Have fun!

Elephants everywhere!

So many books about elephants! I'm not complaining because elephants are smart, brave, social, and very cool animals. So if you've got an elephant-loving kid in your house, here are some new-ish books that will capture their imagination.
themes: nonfiction, animal families, STEM

How to Be an Elephant
by Katherine Roy
48 pages; ages 7 - 11
Roaring Brook Press, 2017

With flapping ears and whiffling trunks, the herd quickly relays the news. After 22 months of growing, a new baby is on her way.

There are so many things this young elephant needs to learn. She'll learn about the importance of family. She'll learn that her feet were made for walking. She'll learn about all the ways to use her trunk and how to communicate with distant families.

What I like about this book: It's info-packed, but so fun to read. Katherine Roy puts us right in the midst of a herd, so we get an intimate look at how young elephants grow up and the education they receive. I enjoyed learning more about the social groups of elephants, headed by a matriarch who protects them and leads them to water and food. Also the comparisons of young elephants to other youngsters who learn through play. Elephant children play games like "chase the enemy" with egrets, baboons, and other smaller neighbors; our children play tag and king of the hill. We need books like this to help our children understand how all life is connected, and how some species, like elephants, are keystone species for their ecosystems.

If you ever receive an elephant as a gift and need to weigh it, this book is for you.

Cao Chong Weighs and Elephant
by Songju Ma Daemicke; illustrated by Christina Wald
32 pages; ages 4-8
Arbordale, 2017

Nearly 2,000 years ago a curious boy named Cao Chong came up with a solution to a weighty problem. His father received an elephant as a gift. People marveled at its size and its long, flexible trunk. "It works like an arm and a hand," young Chong exclaims.

When they speculate on its weight, Chong's father puts up a prize for whoever can solve the problem. Scales won't work, and cutting the huge animal into smaller pieces to weigh isn't a humane solution. But Chong has an idea. It involves a lake, a boat, and  Archimedes' principle.

Why I like this book: Archimedes' principle - how can I not like it! Plus a creative way to introduce a complex idea to kids - and lots of back matter and activities.

How to Find an Elephant
by Kate Banks; illus. by Boris Kulikov
32 pages; ages 3-6
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017

The best time to look for an elephant is on a dull day when clouds hover on the horizon looking like spaceships.

I did not know that! Apparently there are many things I don't know about finding elephants: you have to climb a tree; you should carry a flute; and if you find one, don't feed it pizza.

What I like about this book: This imaginative, playful, and very much NOT nonfiction book is plain fun to read. We head out with the main character on an elephant-finding expedition. The fun part: the elephant is there, hidden on the page or - in some cases - not hidden at all.

Beyond the Books:

Learn more about African Elephants. National Geographic has a great page full of photos and information here. You can find out more about how people are working to save elephants at Save the Elephants.

What's Archimedes' Principle? Well, it was SO neat that he jumped out of a bathtub and ran through town shouting "Eureka!" Find out more here. And try it yourself here.

Go on an Elephant Finding Expedition around your neighborhood. If elephants were there, where would they be hiding? Would they be camouflaged? Would they be hiding beneath the snow? Better yet, head to a zoo and check out what the real elephants are doing. Maybe you'll catch one of the trainers working with the elephants - using broccoli treats to get the elephants to raise one foot at a time for cleaning.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - and we're also joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copies from the publishers.