The Elephant From Baghdad

The Elephant from Baghdad is written by Mary Tavener Holmes and John Harris and illustrated by Jon Cannell.  The story itself, of Charlemagne being gifted an albino elephant from Harun al-Rashid, caliph of Baghdad, is FASCINATING.  The journeys that the ambassadors made, on FOOT, from present day Germany to Baghdad was long and arduous.  I can only imagine the return trip with…an elephant.  I think I would be pretty concerned that the ginormous clock would fall off the elephant’s back.  Just me?  I believe it is all true as transcribed by Notker the Stammerer.  He even says, “But it is true.  I swear it.”  I like that photographs of real artifacts were interspersed with Cannell’s illustrations.  The story telling from Notker the Stammerer’s point of view was well done, realistic and also showed that it was the monks of the time who recorded history and so, it was from their point of view that accounts came to be known to others. 

The Elephant From Baghdad

ISBN: 978-0-7614-6111-1

Published 2012 by Marshall Cavendish Children

I borrowed this copy from my public library to read and review.

Just today, I received a review copy from the publisher for CYBILS.