Faithful Elephants

Reprinted from The Wild Times Teacher Connection v1n2, Winter 1996.

Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People and War
by Yukio Tsuchiya
Reviewed by Seana Cameron

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Children may not fully understand the pain, destruction and horrors of war, but they can understand the loss of a loving and faithful animal friend.

Faithful Elephants is a short and poetic tale suited for readers 8 years and up. Because of the emotional and provocative nature of the story, it may be best discussed with an adult or in small groups.

Several years ago I came across this book, left mysteriously in my classroom and sat down to read it expecting a cute story about elephants. I was soon surprised to find myself moved to tears by the true story of three elephants; John, Tonky and Wanly, who once lived, and died, in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. John, Tonky and Wanly were loved and appreciated by the men, women, and children who visited the Tokyo zoo. They brought friendship and happiness to all, especially the trainers who cared for them. They were family.

In 1943, the world was at war. As the war continued, bombs fell everyday on the city of Tokyo like falling rain. People grew scared that the zoo would be bombed, allowing the animals run free. They couldn't let this happen. By command of the army, the animals had to be killed. The job of killing the animals fell to those who loved them the most...their family, the trainers.

Yukio Tsuchiya brings a very meaningful and powerful message to people of all ages. Through the elephants, he tells us that war is brutal and real, and that the victims are often the ones last thought of. He also tells a story of love and the hope that one day soon, maybe tomorrow, peace will come.

Faithful Elephants has become a part of my 4th/5th grade classroom and our growing appreciation and respect for the diversity of life in the world around us, be it within our small classroom or in the larger community we share, animals and human alike.

Seana teaches 4th and 5th grade at the Bank Street School for Children. Her class is a member of The Wild Ones and has work on their study of the arctic environment posted on the web site. Seana can be reached by e-mail at cameron@bnk1.bnkst.edu.

Faithful Elephants was published by Trumpet Book Clubs in 1988

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