The Secret Elephant review

 

Discover the unbreakable bond between a baby elephant and her keeper in this heartfelt narrative set against the backdrop of World War II.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

This is a beautiful story that is based on actual true events about a young zookeeper, from the Belfast Zoo during World War II, named Denise Weston Austin.  She forms a special bond with Sheila, a baby elephant, comforting her from the scary sights and sounds of the bombings around them.  But as the war intensifies nightly,  Denise vows not to leave Sheila alone and each night sneaks her out of the zoo taking her to her own home.  It was not easy keeping an elephant a secret but with perseverance Denise manages to do so for a while.  The story is told from Sheila's perspective and shows a bit of humor while adjusting to Denise's "enclosure".  The end pages have newspaper articles retelling the story of  Denise also known as the Elephant Angel.  A beautiful name fitting for her as she protects the baby elephant from a very challenging time in history.  This is a heart-warming story of kindness, love, courage and hope.  I enjoyed learning about their story and I think this is a "just right book" for ages 5-7.~

 

Title: The Secret Elephant

Author: Ellan Rankin

Pub. date: March 2023, Wren & Rook

Genre: picture book, historical

Hardcover, 33 pgs.

Fossil Hunter - How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life review

 

A fascinating, highly visual biography of Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

In 1812, Mary Anning of Lyme Regis, England, chisels and digs for fossils hidden in the rocks for millions of years.  The previous year, her brother Joseph, found a large crocodile like fossilized skull which was four feet in length.  If  Joseph was able to find a skull, Mary was determined there must be the remains of a skeleton somewhere belonging to it.  She searched for months without success until one day a winter storm washed away part of the cliff.  She finally spotted what she had hoped to find and with many back breaking hours, unearthed a skeleton to the skull measuring seventeen feet long.  It opened up many questions from scientists about the unusual fossil and a new beginning to Mary's life.

At the age of 13, Mary had found the first completed and documented Ichthyosaur in England.  The findings puzzled scientists for years.  It had a long snout just like a crocodile but the huge saucer eyes were nothing like one.  Plus, how could a crocodile be in England?  This story is a wonderfully well-written biography about of one of the greatest but unknown woman fossil hunter.   I enjoyed learning so much about Mary's life from growing up poor and uneducated to becoming a business woman selling fossils, teaching herself about about them and making the discoveries of several types of dinosaur species, changing scientific ideas about prehistoric life and extinction.  This would be a great book for a school report or project since it is filled with so much information about Mary and her becoming a self-taught paleontologist.  Mary was never formally recognized for her extraordinary findings and this was not unusual for the time period.  She did pave the way by the example she set for women to follow in her footsteps.  The book is filled with various pictures, photographs, drawings, maps and many handwritten notes.  Many of Mary's fossils are still on display today in world museums and she is finally receiving recognition for them.  I am so happy the author decided to research Mary and write her story.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 9-11.~

Title:  Fossil Hunter - How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life

Author:  Cheryl Blackford

Pub. date:  January 2022 Clarion Books

genre: nonfiction, biography

Hardcover: 128 pgs.