Star The Elephant
Surviving the Wild

by Remy Lai
Published by Allen and Unwin
ISBN 97817610526849

If your 6 - 10 year old has read Koala The Rainbow or Pawcasso they are sure to love the third graphic novel in the series, by the same author, a little more.

The story of little, well relatively speaking little, Star the baby in the elephant herd with her mum and aunt, shares their story of the need to separate from the rest of their family as they keep moving to find enough food. As with all little ones the elephant mum tells her Star to stay where she can see her when Star is tempted to go off and play.

Through the words and graphics the story is told of growing up, in a world where humans keep destroying the animals natural habitat. Star, her mum and aunt are constantly on the look out for a new home as humans keep tearing down the forests for development. They find they have to cross the river to go to another island in the search for a home and food. The river crossing  is realistically told. There are some, tense moments in the story which add to the excitement while learning what is happening to the environment through these big gentle animals.  Readers will learn about the different food they eat and the fruit they find along the way while hiding from the humans. They also find out that not all the humans they see are bad, some are caring and kind.

The author has a wonderful way of showing that the elephants and the other animals in the forest, like the orangutans and crabs on the beach have fears, love and caring just like humans. If you are wondering there is a happy ending so young readers need not become concerned.

At the conclusion of the story you will find that.this story  is based on what actually happened to a small herd of elephants. There are also ideas on how to do more to help the environment and what individuals can do to make a difference, plus information on elephants and the differences between the Asian and African elephants.

As with the previous two books the illustrations are delightful. I have no hesitation in recommending Star the Elephant and the previous two books in the series, which are highlighted below.

These books would make ideal gifts and to have in your child's library.. Enjoy them!

Remy Lai was born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore. She currently lives in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes and draws stories for children  with her two dogs. She is an award-winning creator of Pie in the Sky, Fly on the Wall and Pawcasso.