Elephantopia

by D.S. Arnauld

Young Caj and his elephant companion Mjok venture out to visit a scientist in the mountains who is working on ways for monkeys and humans to communicate together. Finding their friend away from his home, Caj peeks inside to find three monkeys housed in cages. And they can use sign language! But Mjok, seeing the caged animals, can’t help but release their latches and set them free. Despite the reassurance they will return, the three monkeys race off, and Caj is ordered by the Lingala council to journey to a trading post and replace them.

Caj sees the adventure as the perfect opportunity to search for a long lost scroll that teaches humans how to communicate with the animal kingdom, but the expedition brings far more than he expected. Soon Caj and Mjok, together with an impish young girl, find themselves in a desperate struggle for their lives against a race of people who will stop at nothing to have the lost scroll for themselves.

For fans of The Jungle Book and Treasure Island, Elephantopia is a lighthearted adventure about persistence, respect, and the true meaning of friendship.

Kindle Edition

First published July 25, 2013

About the author

D.S. Arnauld is known for creativity. The worlds he imagines are populated with lovable but flawed characters and their adventures are always larger than life. Like most authors, Arnauld truly loves books. He credits reading The Chronicles of Narnia in school as the book that kickstarted his own love of world-building.

D.S. Arnald visits schools and libraries conducting writing workshops. When he isn't working on the next story, he paints and raises money for wildlife conservation.

You can follow him on social media where he shares the process of making art.

Reviews

[Stella Temenu · Rating 5 out of 5]

D.S. Arnauld’s Elephantopia is an exciting journey with spunky, relatable characters. Unwitting hero, Caj, has the best of intentions but often stumbles into more trouble than he can handle. Mjok, his elephant, is loyal but extremely mischievous. And Chiku, Caj’s unlikely friend, is loud-mouthed and opinionated but genuine, kind, and fiercely brave. Together they overcome adversity and uncover a long-hidden treasure of knowledge. By their example, children will learn to empathize with all beings (human and animal), face challenges head on, place high value in education and understanding, and seek the true beauty in others despite possibly not-so-great first impressions. Young readers will be challenged by the vocabulary, but a glossary is conveniently provided. And, because of the creativity in the writing, there is also an opportunity for lessons in learning new words through context. Recommended for adolescents aged 9-14, but definitely enjoyable for all ages.

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story of the adventures and the bond a boy and his elephant. I received the book for free through Goodreads.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elephantopia tells the adventures of Caj and his elephant. The story is heartwarming and shows us the loyalty of elephants. For young readers, there is enough excitement to keep them engaged in the story. As well, the comprehensive glossary at the back is useful for readers who wish to improve their vocabulary or spelling.

Thank you GoodReads for the book.