Module 7: Tua and the Elephant

Harris, R. P., & Yoo, T. (2012). Tua and the elephant. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Summary: Tua is a young girl who lives with her always-working mother in Chiang Mai, Thailand and helps her community of vendors by running errands across the night market. While running errands, Tua finds a whole in the wall surrounding the market that leads her to the bustling city where she encounters a chained elephant being mistreated and exploited by its handlers. She connects with the elephant, who she names Pohn-Pohn and is determined find her a safe place to live while outwitting the Pohn-Pohn’s previous owners in the process.

Response: I thought this book was an accurate depiction of life for a young girl of this age and it made it all the more engaging. There are many moments where we are keyed into the thought process of Tua who is respectful of adults, but knows the difference between those who are to be respected and those who are conniving such as the elephant’s previous owners. She also demonstrates quick thinking and resolve when her elephant is captured by two fisherman and she makes the ransom by filling plastic bags with strips of paper. She is aware of her own potential and as a young, imaginative person she is not limited to the boundaries of the adult world that would normally prevent her from taking action on behalf of the elephant’s life. I was also quite captured by the descriptions of tastes, smells and colors of the world around her.

Reviews:
Tua and the Elephant

R.P. Harris, illus, by Taeeun Yoo.

Harris's debut, inspired by a trip to the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, follows nine-year-old Tua and her relationship with an abused elephant, PohnPohn. Tua, whose mother is a hardworking waitress, lives an independent life in Chiang Mai, near a popular night market where she finds--and falls in love with--Pohn-Pohn. The elephant is under the charge of two thieving scoundrels and wordlessly begs Tua to help her escape. As quick-witted and adventurous as she is warmhearted, Tua undergoes hair-raising escapades to keep Pohn-Pohn our of the villains' grasp and find her a sanctuary. Engagingly filled with Thai vocabulary, food, and customs, and peopled by helpful family members, chums, and kind monks, the book maintains a quick, suspenseful pace. The final chapters wrap up the story a little too neatly, however, and border on an infomercial about the sanctuary for abused Asian elephants. Nonetheless, Harris's story, enlivened by Yoo's gently evocative woodcut illustrations in violet and mustard, avoids overt anthropomorphism of Pohn-Pohn while maintaining the sweet connection between elephant and girl. Ages 8-12. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

Tua and the Elephant. (2012, April 2). Publishers Weekly, 259(14), 58.

Program: Have an event on Thai culture with different tables focusing on several cultural aspects represented in the book: Thai food, theater, market life, and wildlife and elephant endangerment. If possible, have food samples of Thai food, pictures or samples of theater clothing and adornment, and information about wildlife preserves.