Sato and the Elephants Author:Juanita Havill, Jean Tseng, Mou-Sien Tseng From School Library Journal — Grade 2-4-A visually attractive book, created to help children understand one of the ugly realities of the world-the slaughter of African elephants for the ivory trade. The story is told from the perspective of a Japanese boy who learns the craft of ivory carving from his father, allowing readers to identity with som... more »eone whose proud way of life and livelihood are threatened by the world's ecological concerns. His painful decision to give up his hard-won skill in favor of carving in stone begins with his discovery of a bullet in a large piece of ivory. He then has a dream of being with the elephants on the African plain. The text is straightforward and contains interesting details, but the mood is developed largely through the fine watercolor illustrations. They primarily depict images of modern Japan, yet show the continuity of traditional ways. The pages are beautifully composed, using a variety of dominant colors to convey changing feelings, and are filled with the kind of detail that fascinates children.
From Booklist
Ages 7-9. Sato, who aspires to be a master ivory cutter like his father, finally acquires an expensive but superb piece of elephant tusk and carefully begins carving. But after he spends many hours of intense carving, his knife slips, revealing a bullet lodged within the seemingly flawless tusk. All night he carves, sculpturing the image of an elephant with a bullet embedded in its forehead. Dizzy with weariness, he falls asleep. He dreams about a wild and frightening adventure with a herd of elephants, which stuns him into realizing that for him to perform his artistry, elephants must be killed. Jolted, he decides to learn the mysteries of stones and perfect his craft on them. This book focuses on the controversial African ivory trade and the Japanese carvers, a connection made in few books for children. The handsome paintings establish a convincing sense of place while vividly portraying the artist's anguish as he contemplates the fate of elephants tied so unfortunately to his profession. Good for discussion with older children as well.« less