Book Review #31: TARRA & BELLA by Carol Buckley

TARRA & BELLA

The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends

by Carol Buckley

Pub. Date: September 2009

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Format: Hardcover, 32pp

Sales Rank: 9,085

Age Range: For infants or children in preschool

ISBN-13: 9780399254437

ISBN: 0399254439

Description (from the publisher):
Best friends come in all shapes and sizes!

After retiring from the circus, Tarra became the first resident of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. When other elephants moved in and developed close friendships, only Tarra remained independent— until the day she met a stray mixed-breed dog named Bella.

It was love at first sight as this unlikely duo became inseparable. They ate together, slept together, and even understood each other's language. And when Bella suffered a severe spinal injury, Tarra stayed by her side and was there for her until Bella regained her health.

Brilliant color photographs of Tarra and Bella at home in the Elephant Sanctuary deftly illustrate this inspiring story of companionship, and an informative note about the Sanctuary provides a great resource for parents and teachers.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

My Thoughts:
You can't go wrong with the story of TARRA & BELLA. A person would have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by this charming and true tale of an unlikely and enduring friendship between an elephant and a dog.

Tarra was the first elephant brought to live at the Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee. As other elephants came to live there, they paired off into sets of best friends. For unknown reasons, and though Tarra served as a sort of matriach to the group, she never found that one special best friend -- at least, not among the elephants. One day Tarra befriended a stray dog, soon to be known as Bella, and the rest is history. They became inseparable.

The remarkable story of their friendship has been documented by the media and has helped to bring a lot of attention and support to the Elephant Sanctuary. (You can see some video by clicking the links below.)  This book provides a little background into Tarra's history, beautiful photographs of the best friends at play or companionably walking through the Sanctuary, as well as details of the occasion when Bella was seriously injured and how their friendship played a part in her recovery.

I don't understand why the publisher describes TARRA & BELLA as a book for infants through preschool. That's just plain silly! The kids at my house (who are 6 and 9) are in love with this book and have read it every day since we picked it up from the library. I myself have enjoyed reading it on my own. The photography is beautiful. The text is at a middle grade level. Sure, preschoolers will love the pictures of the animals, but I think older kids will appreciate the story of this unique friendship more than the littlest ones. I really like this book and the story it tells.

I would recommend this book for anyone with a particular interest in elephants and/or dogs, preservation, or conservation. It's obviously a great book for the classroom. 

Most of the links in this post lead to the website for the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennesee. At the site you can view more video and photos of Tarra and Bella as well as many of the other elephants who live at the Sanctuary. At the back of the book and at the website you can find more information about how the Sanctuary was established and ways in which you can support their efforts. They also have some gift shop items - tee shirt, caps, mugs, etc. to consider for the upcoming holidays. 

CBS Video

Oprah Video

Click here to visit the website of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

About the author (from the publisher):
Carol Buckley is the cofounder and CEO of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. She is also the author of TRAVELS WITH TARRA and JUST FOR ELEPHANTS.

Book Review #26: THE WOODSTOCK STORY BOOK by Lianne G. Sackett and Barry Z. Levine

THE WOODSTOCK STORY BOOK

by Linanne G. Sackett

Photographs by Barry Z Levine

Pub. Date: August 2009

Publisher: Channel Photographics

Format: Hardcover, 176pp

ISBN-13: 9780977339983

ISBN: 097733998X

Edition Number: 40

Edition Description: Special

Synopsis (from the publisher):
For three days in the summer of 1969, 500,000 people spontaneously gathered like no others had before or since then, bringing together peace, love, aromatic smoke and the sounds of the greatest rock 'n' roll show in history. Sounds and smells wafted through the air, making this legendary event one that has never been duplicated. Barry Z Levine, a member of the Academy Award-winning Woodstock documentary film team, captured this entire event. Levine arrived days before the crowds when Woodstock was still a green, grassy pasture and continued to photograph long after the last person had departed the debris-strewn mud hole. Over the course of that tumultuous week, Levine had taken so many pictures, he had blisters on his index finger and thumb from clicking the shutter and advancing the film. Levine stopped only once, for a 45 minute nap on top of a piano cover that was on stage while Blood, Sweat & Tears performed. Along with 240 full-color photographs, the text by Linanne G. Sacket presents a chronological account of this historical event, capturing the performers, personalities, audience, excitement, mood, and actions. The Woodstock Story Book is a must for anyone who was at Woodstock, wishes they had gone, or just wanted a bird's eye view at the greatest historical event of the 1960s.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


My Thoughts:

It's just too hard for me to believe that 40 years have passed since Woodstock occured. Not that I was there -- no way would my parents have allowed it and, in 1969, I was still young enough to be firmly under their jurisdiction.  But I was old enough to wish I was there. I can't help but wonder in what ways I would be different if I had experienced that unique event for myself. Ah, who am I kidding? I don't like being in a crowd. I probably would have freaked out and they'd have had to airlift me out!

Alas, for those of us who couldn't make it, it's a lot of fun to daydream over THE WOODSTOCK STORY BOOK. The photography by Barry Z. Levine is, of course, incredible. To see so many great performers in their heyday and looking so young and happy made me happy, too. Sometimes I felt as though I was looking at an old yearbook full of familiar faces but young, so much younger! And the styles! All that hair! Of course having lived through it, I understand the appeal and motivation behind the fashions, but it's still pretty funny to look back and see some things that I now think are totally ridiculous. I guess I really have passed over to the other side of the generation gap.

THE WOODSTOCK STORY BOOK is not just about the performers.  There are as many, if not more, pictures of the crowds and the individual attendees. And being as this volume is "anatomically correct," there are quite a few photos of the famed nudity that overtook the crowd in reaction to all the rain and mud. If you've got young ones at home, you might want to take a good look at the book before you let them browse through it. Personally, I didn't find anything offensive. I looked at the photos in the same spirit that everyone had when they got naked -- it's not meant to be sexual or erotic, just natural and fun.

I would have liked more commentary in the book.  There's a short Forward written by Wavy Gravy and Barry Z Levine sums things up in an Afterword. Throughout the book is rhyming prose written by Linanne G. Sackett which doesn't really serve to do much more than identify who's in the photographs. In this volume, the text accompanies the photos, not the other way around. As I said, I would have liked to read more about the event, the performers, and the audiance. I think more information would give the book a wider appeal. 

All in all, if you were there, know someone who was, or if you just wish you could have been, THE WOODSTOCK STORY BOOK is a terrific treat. I suggest sitting back with the book while you play the movie soundtrack in the backgound and just truck on back through the long strange trip!

Visit the website for THE WOODSTOCK STORY BOOK.

Visit Woodstock for even more photos of the event by Barry Z. Levine.

Biography (from the publisher):
Levine has been honored as "Celebrated Artist" of Italy's 2009 Biografilm Festival and his photographs will be on display in Rome, Milan, and Bologna.


As part of the Academy Award-winning “Woodstock” documentary team, still photographer Barry Z Levine was there, and captured it all.

A big thank you to Lisa Roe at Online Publicist for providing me a review copy of this book.