  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 05/01/2014 K-Gr 2—At the core, this is a tremendous story about the Jumbo Foundation, an organization devoted to caring for large wild animals until they can be released back into the wild. The author rescued Moses, an orphaned baby elephant, and brought him into her family. Perepeczko and her daughter, newly born granddaughter, and visiting grandmother, as well as dogs, a cat, and even a donkey, all interact with the elephant at their wildlife reserve in Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa. Readers will get a sense of the love and tenderness that the author felt for Moses, but the photography, text, and content range from excellent to disappointingly unsatisfactory. The book lacks documentation for the statistics and animal facts mentioned. Further, the profuse use of anthropomorphisms makes it less than credible as juvenile nonfiction ("Oh dear, she is a bit grumpy, he thought"). Some of the photographs are crisp and clear and enhance the text, while others are fuzzy, appear posed, or are mere space fillers that don't go well with the narrative. However, the conversational style will make readers feel at home with the family as they care for Moses. There's plenty of inspiration here for animal lovers. This is a touching rescue story, despite a sad ending (the last image features Moses strolling outside, but the author's note states that Moses died after an operation), though the flaws make it problematic.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2014 When baby elephant Moses loses his mother to poachers, he finds a new home at the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage in Malawi. There he’s raised by a human foster mother (the pair even sleeps in the same house, since “baby elephants can never be left alone”), and he socializes with the humans and other animals there until he can go back to the wild. The book is largely a series of titled short episodes as Moses gets into trouble (sticking his noise into a pot of chili) and plays with his companions at the orphanage (achieving détente with Mr. Bo Jangles the donkey), accompanied by close-up photos of the indelibly cute little Moses. The narrative has a strongly fictionalized air, with Moses’ thoughts articulated in detailed statements and imaginings (“Why am I the only one without a nose?” worries Moses), and since the pictures often don’t depict the actions described in the text, it’s not clear if Moses’ experiences are drawn from true life or not; additionally, the phraseology is very young (an animal’s abusive past is summarized as “Some people had been very mean to him”) for such a long and detailed text. However, it’s hard to resist the lure of an inquisitive little elephant, and the brief chapters could provide engaging readalouds for kids close enough to gaze with wonder. The photographs are clearly informal snapshots, so their clarity varies (and a few are disappointingly small), but Moses’ photogenic talents are never in any doubt. Librarians will want to pay sharp attention to the concluding author’s note that mentions Moses’ sadly early death; a page of elephant facts is also included. DS - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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