The Elephant's Tale

by Lauren St. John

Overview

The fourth thrilling adventure in the dramatic Legend of the Animal Healer series!

When Martine and her grandmother discover that they might lose their game reserve, Sawubona, because of a clause in her grandfather's will, Martine and her best friend, Ben, decide to take matters into their own hands. After Martine hears a prophecy that tells her: "The elephants will lead you to the truth," Martine and Ben stow away in an airplane, get stuck in the desert, and help a group of elephants escape from a horrible prison. Along the way, Martine learns the truth about Sawubona, as well as the dramatic truth about her gift with animals and where it will take her in her life . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142418796
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/04/2011
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	4.92(w) x 7.82(h) x 0.66(d)
Lexile:	880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lauren St. John lives in London, England. A well-respected biographer and sports journalist, she grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa, where she had a pet giraffe, as well as numerous dogs, horses, and warthogs. This setting inspired The White Giraffe as well as her recent memoir, Rainbow’s End.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–7—This is the final book in a series that began with The White Giraffe (Dial, 2007), but it stands on its own. Martine, 11, has been living with her grandmother on a South African game reserve since the death of her parents. She loves the animals and land, and over the last year has discovered that she has the power to heal animals. But the peace and contentment of Sawubona is shattered when Reuben James, a former business partner of Martine's late grandfather, appears with a new will granting him ownership of the entire reserve. Martine, her grandmother, and all their employees must leave in two weeks. Martine is convinced that Mr. James somehow tricked her grandfather and vows to save Sawubona. She is encouraged in her effort by Grace, the local sangoma (healer), who divines her future and tells her that elephants will be a part of her quest. Along with her friend Ben, Martine sneaks into Mr. James's plane and when it lands they find themselves in Namibia. There they discover just what Reuben James has been up to—and that they were right to mistrust him. The children manage to expose him and in the process save a group of mistreated captive elephants. This is a fast-paced mystery with an underlying conservation theme. Tween readers will be absorbed by the adventure, the animals, and the African setting.—Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

The fourth and final book of the Legend of the Animal Healer series (begun in The White Giraffe, 2007) opens with an explosion of tension. A nefarious character, Reuben James, claims he has inherited Martine and her grandmother's beloved animal sanctuary in South Africa and plans to turn it into the White Giraffe Safari Resort. To thwart him, Martine and her friend Ben stow away on a small plane, but they are then stranded in the Namibian desert. They are rescued by a teenage Bushman whose father, an elephant whisperer, has disappeared and is mixed up in the mysterious "Ark Project." Critical to the action-filled, plot-driven story are Martine's ability to commune with animals (especially her white giraffe), elephant intelligence, global warming, diminishing water supply and the meaning of Bushmen cave paintings. The threads are almost head-spinningly many, but St. John dexterously weaves them together for a melodramatic finish. Fans of the first three books will be eager to read the conclusion but sad that Martine's story is over. The author's note makes a plea for elephant preservation and authenticates her research. (Adventure. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews