Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends

With a conversational narrative and copious photographs, Buckley, cofounder and executive director of Tennessees Elephant Sanctuary, spotlights the true-life friendship between an unlikely pair of animals. Following in the footsteps of hippo and tortoise duo Owen and Mzee, Tarra, a retired circus elephant who needed elephant friends and lots of room to roam, and Bella, one of the sanctuarys stray dogs, forge an immediate and strong bond. In one poignant scenario, Tarra stands guard by the ditch where an injured Bella is lying until sanctuary workers locate her, and remains in that spot for two days, waiting for her return. The elephant later stays by the barn where she correctly senses her friend is until a caregiver carries the ailing dog outside. Shots of Tarra petting Bella with her trunk are among the books most endearing pictures, which range from snapshotlike to skillfully framed images; also notable are photographs that underscore the dramatic difference in the animals sizes. An endnote gives additional information about the sanctuary and its mission. Though the lime-green background on some pages is distracting, the animals friendship will inspire young readers. Ages 3up. "(Sept.)" Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 35Unusual friendships occur in the animal worlda racehorse insisting on sharing living quarters with a goat, a cat lovingly raising a litter of bunniesexamples abound, especially on the Internet. But here the relationship is between such disparate critters as a stray dog and an elephant retired from the entertainment industry. No one knows why Bella (the dog) decided to accompany Tarra (the elephant) everywhere, or why Tarra allowed it in the first place (animals at the Elephant Sanctuary are not tolerant of dogs who hang about). Buckley's straightforward text and her empathy-building photos warmly present an indelible image of this unlikely friendship without trying to explain it. It simply is. The book also includes a segment on the history and goals of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN. Fans of Isabella and Craig Hatkoff's "Owen & Mzee" (Scholastic, 2006) will eat this up."Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"A sweet and sincere offering."
—Booklist
"Buckley's straightforward text and her empathy-building photos warmly present an indelible image of this unlikely friendship without trying to explain it. It simply is."
—School Library Journal
"The animals' friendship will inspire young readers."
—Publishers Weekly