  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 04/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—A herd of elephants led by Grandma Elephant are looking for water during a long drought in Tanzania. As the dry spell drags on, their efforts get more and more desperate. The intense thirst triggers a memory for Grandma Elephant of a long-ago drought that she lived through as a young calf. As Grandma Elephant leads Mama, Little Calf, and the rest of the herd in search of the water source from her memory, Little Calf collapses from thirst and exhaustion. Mama Elephant revives the little one by using her own saliva to cool Little Calf off enough to keep going. "The thirsty, thirsty elephants walk on, slowly." Grandma finally smells what she's been seeking. Readers will be rooting for Grandma, Mama, Little Calf, and the rest of the herd the whole way. VandenBroeck's colorful acrylic and watercolor illustrations depict the herd and other wildlife with full-spread, panoramic views and will keep readers engaged in the drama of the story. An author's note explains that the tale was inspired by an actual elephant, Big Mama, who 30 years earlier lived through a similar drought when she was a calf and then, according to researchers, went on to lead her herd to a water source during a 1994 drought in the Tarangire National Park area of Tanzania. In addition to the note, an "Amazing Elephant Facts" and "Digging Deeper" sections are included. VERDICT Lending itself well to read-alouds, this is an enjoyable addition to preschool and elementary picture book collections looking for stories inspired by actual animals and events.—Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 04/15/2017 Markle connects her young readers with a believable animal adventure in this lively story of elephant migration. Little Calf holds tight to his mother’s tail. The two follow Grandma, whose trunk is held high in the air—a sign that she smells water in the distance. Several dry days mean fewer watering holes, but “Grandma’s thirst stirs a memory of a dry time long ago, when she was a baby like Little Calf. She remembers another watering hole and sets off to find it.” After many miles and days of travel, Grandma trumpets for the herd and leads them to water. Based on a remarkable story of Big Mama and how she saved her herd during the 1994 drought in Tarangire National Park, Markle’s rich narrative descriptions pair beautifully with VandenBroeck’s bright, earth-toned savanna scenes, which include aqueous watercolor backgrounds echoing the story’s emphasis on the importance of water. Inspired by the actions of a real elephant matriarch in Tanzania, this engaging nonfiction picture book is bolstered by additional facts and resources for inquisitive youngsters. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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