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Travels with Tarra
Carol BuckleyHardcover, $16.95
ISBN 0-88448-241-3
9 x 10, 40 pages,
black/silver duotones
Children/Nature; Grades 3-7
CHILDREN'S BOOKS:
AMADI'S SNOWMAN—NewGIVE A GOAT—New
UNDER THE NIGHT SKY—New
CARPET BOY'S GIFT, THE
EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S LUNCH
GIFT FOR GITA, A
GOAT LADY, THE
HEALTHY FOODS FROM HEALTHY SOILS
JUST FOR ELEPHANTS
KEEP YOUR EAR ON THE BALL
LIFE UNDER ICE
LIGHTS FOR GITA
LUCY'S FAMILY TREE
MUSHROOM MAN, THE
MUSKRAT WILL BE SWIMMING
OPENING DAY
OUR FRIENDSHIP RULES
PLAYING WAR
PROJECT PUFFIN
ROSES FOR GITA
SARAH'S BOAT
SAVING BIRDS
SAY SOMETHING
SEA SOUP: PHYTOPLANKTON
SEA SOUP: ZOOPLANKTON
SHELTERWOOD
SHY MAMA'S HALLOWEEN
SPIRT THAT MOVES US, THE (VOL.I)
SPIRT THAT MOVES US, THE (VOL.II)
SPIRT THAT MOVES US, THE (VOL.III)
STONE WALL SECRETS
TALKING WALLS
TALKING WALLS: THE STORIES CONTINUE
THANKS TO THE ANIMALS
TRAVELS WITH TARRA
VERY BEST BED, THE
WELCOMING BABIES
WHEN THE BEES FLY HOME
WHO BELONGS HERE
- Finalist, Louisiana Young Reader's Choice Award, 2005
- Smithsonian Notable Books for Children, 2002
- "...Buckley creates a compelling story of human-animal friendship (a la Born Free or Free Willy) in which humans act as a fierce and stalwart support." —Publishers Weekly
What happens when you fall in love with a three-foot-tall, 700-pound infant covered with thick black hair?
Carol Buckley was a college student, studying exotic animal care, when she looked up from her homework one day to see a baby elephant walking past her house. The local tire dealer had bought the tiny elephant as a promotion gimmick for his store and was taking her for a stroll. Carol quickly volunteered to help care for and train Tarra, tried to meet the baby elephant’s emotional and social needs, and ended up buying her.
Tarra was bright, playful, and loved attention, so Carol taught her to do lots of tricks (including rollerskating and the hula), and for about twenty years they appeared at circuses, theme parks, and zoos, changing their lifestyle as Tarra’s needs changed and balancing the performing life with time at their farm.
But Carol began to dream of a place where elephants could just be elephants, where abused elephants could find a haven, and where old elephants could live out their days peacefully. She established The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, an 800-acre refuge now home to Tarra and five other elephants, with room for many more. A place just for elephants-no visitors-The Elephant Sanctuary has been featured on the award-winning PBS Nature documentary "Urban Elephants." Carol Buckley and Scott Blais were named "Heroes of the Planet" by Time Magazine for their work at The Sanctuary.
Illustrated with dozens of photographs, Carol’s 28-year odyssey with Tarra is the fascinating story of a lifetime commitment to an elephant, but it also asks us to reconsider the real needs of captive wild animals. A companion teacher’s guide on elephants, at two grade levels, can be downloaded from The Elephant Sanctuary’s superb web site: www.elephants.com. Teachers Take Note:
Adults and children everywhere will be moved by this story which gently explores how difficult it is to meet the needs of a captive, exotic animal , and what their "rights" in our society ought to be.
Travels With Tarra will help inspire classroom conversations about:
• Asian elephants
• Animal habitats
• Endangered animals and animal rights
• Careers which may involve the care and protection of animals
• The culture of zoos and circuses
Resources:
• Elephant Information
The Elephant Sanctuary: This is the official website of the Sanctuary, which features photographs and information about Tarra and the other elephants and real-time viewing of the elephants at The Sanctuary. There are elephant curriculum materials that teachers can easily download, links to other web sites, and much more. http://www.elephants.com
The Elephant Information Repository: This is an extensive directory of elephant web sites, organizations, events, etc. http://elephant.elehost.com/
Friends of the Asian Elephant: This organization provides medical treatment and reintroduces elephants into the wild. http://www.elephant.tnet.co.th
African Elephants: Visit the website of a leading expert on African Elephant family structures, life cycle, and behavior and read about her work with elephants. http://www.elephanttrust.org/cynthia_moss.htm
• Animal Rights Information
The Humane Society of the United States: This site offers extensive information about the treatment of captive animals and other issues. http://hsus.org
Activities:
• Visit the website of the Elephant Sanctuary. There are many activities available there which are designed to teach children all about elephants.
• Have students learn about how elephants live and are cared for in their native Asian countries.
• Have students discuss what they can do to promote the wellbeing of exotic animals in captivity.
• In many states there are laws pending that would prohibit the use of elephants and other large exotics in ttraveling circuses. Have students discuss why this is being done and what they think about it.
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