Once Upon an Elephant

Once Upon an Elephant
by Linda Stanek
illustrated by Shennen Bersani
Arbordale Publishing, 2016
review copy provided by the author

Local author Linda Stanek has ventured out into the wild once again! With this newest book, she shows readers what it means when scientists designate elephants a keystone species of the African Savannah.

Elephants do so much! They break through hardened mud for water that benefits all. They keep trees from taking over the savannah, find salt, leave tracks that fill with water, pound down paths that become fire barriers, and so much more.

Clearly, it is important to protect these amazing animals -- for their own value, and for the value they bring to an entire ecosystem!

Two From the Columbus Zoo

Frenemies for Life
by John E. Becker, Ph.D.
School Street Media (for the Columbus Zoological Park Assn.), 2010

The Columbus Zoo is famous for its cheetah conservation program. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs have begun to be used in cheetah conservation, and this book explains how these natural enemies have become so important to each other. The dogs are bred and trained to protect herds of livestock (goats or sheep). When a cheetah approaches, the dog scares it away. No livestock are killed and the livestock owners do not feel the need to kill any cheetahs. The Columbus Zoo has raised two Anatolian shepherd pups and two cheetah kittens together to use to educate the public about this unique cheetah conservation effort.

This is a great little book with one- or two-page chapters and fabulous photography. It's the kind of nonfiction book a 3rd-5th grader could read cover to cover. We are always on the look-out for nonfiction our students can READ and not just BROWSE.

Beco's Big Year
by Linda Stanek
School Street Media (for the Columbus Zoological Park Assn.), 2010

If you live in Central Ohio and didn't know that there was a new baby elephant at the Zoo last year, you must have been living in a cave!

This book by local author Linda Stanek documents Beco the baby elephant's first year. I just dare you to read this book without saying, "Awww..."! The book is organized like a diary or journal, by date, and the entries are short and illustrated with lots of pictures. There are information boxes throughout that give general elephant information to go along with the milestones of Beco's first year.