Moses: The True Story of an Elephant Baby

by Jenny Perepeczko

Meet Moses, an orphaned elephant baby from Malawi, Africa, who is curious, loving, and full of mischief! This nonfiction picture book bursts with fun facts and adorable photographs.

Moses is a little elephant who lives at the Jumbo Foundation, a home for orphaned animals in Africa. Like all elephants, Moses has big, floppy ears, and a very long trunk.

But in many ways, Moses is just like any kid! He likes to play with his animal friends and with his human baby sister, Catherine. He loves to cuddle and give great big hugs. He likes to share...but not always. And sometimes, he can be a bit naughty!

So get ready to learn all about elephants, to understand the challenges we face in protecting them, and to make friends with Moses—he can’t wait to meet you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2014

Reviews

[Seok Hyeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about an orphan elephant Morses. I like that the book did not just explain about the elephant, choose one of the elephant and name it 'Morses', then explain about him. It has story, so it can evoke student's interest more than just elephant. The fact that 'elephants use their trunks like a nose for breathing and smelling, but they can also use it like a straw to suck up water and spray it.' is really exciting and amazing. It is really informative book.

[Amber Kuipers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. My daughter is obsessed with elephants and found this book so endearing and heartwarming. Jenny Perepeczko captured Moses personality well in her descriptions of his antics and his ability to form relationships. Such a sweet book.

[Anne Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great book full of knowledge and insight!

[Amanda Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Lilongwe, Malawi, in Africa, Moses a baby elephant was left alone in "the bush" after his mother was poached. Luckily, rangers were able to rescue him and take him to the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. Moses became a part of a new family-author Jenny Perepeczko, her daughter Louise, new grand-baby Catherine, and a host of other rescued animals.

Perepeczko humors the reader with funny and delightful stories of some of Moses' curiosities, habits, likes/dislikes, and personality characteristics.

Ex: Moses would explore other animal and human faces and really loved putting his nose where it didn't belong! One time he put his nose in chili sauce and found out that, that wasn't a very good idea! Another time Moses figured out that granny had hearing aids, because every time he'd move his trunk over her ears they would whistle and that became a fun game!

This book is adorable and informative at the same time. Perepeczko does a great job of incorporating the enjoyable story of Moses with facts about elephants in general. I'd hand this book to kids from 2nd-6th grade who love animal books or that are interested in animal rescue. The reading level may be underwhelming for middle grade readers, however, I still think that they can learn something about elephants, enjoy the pictures, and get inspired to maybe one day help animals the way Perepeczko and her family do.

Read-a-likes:

Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley, because they are both nonfiction picture books where animals make unusual friends.

Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, because they are both nonfiction picture books where animals make unusual friends.

[Teresa Scherping Moulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rangers in Lilongwe, Malawi found a baby elephant wandering by himself one day and discovered that his mother had been killed by poachers. The little elephant was sent to the Jumbo Foundation, an organization that takes care of large animals that are orphaned or injured. Moses became part of a big family that included five dogs, one cat, one donkey, and three generations of humans. Like most babies, Moses sometimes got himself in trouble. Once he accidentally stuck his trunk in chili sauce, and another time he got mud all over his human mom's new dress! But no matter what he does, Moses knows that the cat will cuddle with him, the donkey will share his dust bowl with him, and his human mom will fall asleep with him. They are proof that even when they are different species, a family is still a family.

This book was a little too cute for my taste. The author, who raised Moses, pretends to know what he's thinking, whereas I would be more interested to just hear about his behavior and what it means in the context of elephant communication. But that may be just my personal preference for books about animals - I do think kids will like reading this.

I would recommend this book to grades 2-4, especially those who love animals. It would be a good readalike for Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs by Michaela Muntean and other books about rescued animals and their antics.

[Pam Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of Moses, an orphaned elephant living at the Jumbo Foundation in Malawi, Africa. Close-up photographs help children learn many details about elephants. While the book is a bit long for younger children, the information is interesting enough to hold their interest. I found it so interesting that baby elephants cannot be alone! The author and her family do amazing work for animals. I would give this book a "5" star rating if it did not include the dialogue thinking from Moses.

[Elizabeth Lauver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moses the True Story of an Elephant, by Jenny Perepeczko is a remarkable story about the life of an elephant abandoned by his mother. I found this book to be very informative and interesting and I know my future students will also find the same ideas. I could use this book in my future classroom to introduce the idea of non -fiction informational literature or I could use it in a different context. A context such as introducing the idea that some students may not have a mother or father and this is just a way through an animal to get that point across through the mind of young children. I thought that students could really understand the concept of caring for one another.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is literally the cutest story ever. When baby elephant Moses, ends up an orphan, he is taken to the Jumbo Foundation, where he will stay until he is old enough and big enough to go back out into the wild. It is there, that he learns much about his surroundings and the people and animals that reside in it. This book tells a narrative about Moses and his new family, while also giving young children plenty of good facts about young elephants.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet an informative look at the young life of an orphaned bay elephant. The text reads like an engrossing picture book and is full of information about how and why elephants behave in the wild.

Numerous full color photos are included which helps readers fall under Moses' spell. Elephant facts follow the narrative and an author's note let's readers know what happened to Moses after the story.

Could be read aloud with a patient/mature audience. Recommended for K-5.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers learn a lot about baby elephants from this picture book for young readers. The narrative is told from Moses's perspective, which at times was a bit off for me. Additionally, the text is somewhat long for what seems like the intended audience. However, the photographs and elephant facts are good and the text could be edited when reading aloud to Kinders.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a weakness for baby animals, then this is one book (and Librarian's Choice!) you must read. Read and learn all about elephants, how to protect them and read all about (and meet) Moses, an orphaned elephant baby from Malawi, Africa, who is curious, loving, and full of mischief! Overall a beautiful, heart warming story that can be enjoyed by everyone!

[Aleisha Douthitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great non-fiction option to offer a classroom and teach them about elephants, human kindness, and the interactions between the two. Moses is abandoned as a baby and is taken in by a human woman who becomes his family. The story goes through Moses's life on a daily basis, his likes and dislikes, the things he enjoys in life. It is truly wonderful and the pictures are all photographs!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming story about an orphaned baby elephant that goes to live at the Jumbo Foundation in Malawi. Told from the elephant's perspective with lots of irresistibly adorable color photographs. Good factual information about elephants.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photographs are very sweet, and I appreciated the lesson about saving elephants, but I wasn't a big fan of the way this book was written. The "conversations" between Moses and his human caretakers read as especially silly. Elephants are fascinating enough without putting words in their mouths.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring story of a rescued elephant baby and the Jumbo Foundation that cares for animals to release back into the wild. Would be a great introduction on a research unit about elephants. Pair with A Baby Elephant in the Wild and Tara and Bella.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about this elephant's story when he was still alive, and I've written my own version as a picture book. This is a lovely book and a good addition to any child's library. It brings home the need to stop the killing of elephants or there will be none left.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely more of a first-grade and up picture book. Very sweet, beautiful photographs. I wasn't fond of the narrative style, giving human voice to Moses.

[Yoo Kyung Sung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction like nonfiction book that has heart-warming story of Moese--the rescuted elephant from Lilongwe, Malawi in Africa.

[Jen]

AR book level 4.7