Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Little One You Are the Universe by Zeni Shariff

Rating: WORTHY!

This is a small format young children's illustrated book about elephants that seems at first glance to be a bit 'new-age-y', but it's really an entertaining and nicely-illustrated book about friendship. Young elephants Lotus and Adia meet at the watering hole one day and learn to overcome their shyness. Over time they become good friends, but they're separated when they are taken captive by humans and forced into labor camps, one of which involves railroad construction, the other of which involves mining.

While I disagree with the anthropomorphization of animals, it's not overdone here, and elephants are without a doubt intelligent and sensitive mammals who reflect human emotions and behaviors in small ways. But I don't doubt that two elephants who have grown up together would miss each other and that's what happens with these two, until they find themselves, after a long journey, brought sweetly back into each other's orbit.

This was a fun book and nicely-done both in the writing and in the artwork by the author. I commend it as a worthy read.