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Nesfârșita goană după elefant
Roman distins cu premiile Nestlé Smarties Award şi Whitbread Children’s Book Award
“Un clasic indiscutabil.” – Sunday Times
Când doi copii şi un elefant pornesc într-o călătorie extraordinară prin America, nu ne putem aştepta decât la cele mai grozave aventuri şi primejdii, care pândesc la tot pasul. Din Pennsylvania până în Nebraska, Tad şi Cissie străbat râuri învolburate cu o pluta, merg cu trenul şi cu vaporul cu aburi,
în căutarea unui adapost sigur pentru ei şi pentru elefantul Khush. În drumul lor către Nebraska, unde locuieşte cea mai bună prietenă a lui Cissie, cei trei sunt urmăriţi de un negustor şi de soţia acestuia, care vor să pună mâna cu orice preţ pe elefant.
Pentru acest roman, Gillian Cross a primit prestigioasele premii Whitbread Children’s Novel Award şi Smarties Prize, acordate celor mai talentaţi autori de literatură pentru copii din Marea Britanie şi din Irlanda.
“Un clasic indiscutabil.” – Sunday Times
Când doi copii şi un elefant pornesc într-o călătorie extraordinară prin America, nu ne putem aştepta decât la cele mai grozave aventuri şi primejdii, care pândesc la tot pasul. Din Pennsylvania până în Nebraska, Tad şi Cissie străbat râuri învolburate cu o pluta, merg cu trenul şi cu vaporul cu aburi,
în căutarea unui adapost sigur pentru ei şi pentru elefantul Khush. În drumul lor către Nebraska, unde locuieşte cea mai bună prietenă a lui Cissie, cei trei sunt urmăriţi de un negustor şi de soţia acestuia, care vor să pună mâna cu orice preţ pe elefant.
Pentru acest roman, Gillian Cross a primit prestigioasele premii Whitbread Children’s Novel Award şi Smarties Prize, acordate celor mai talentaţi autori de literatură pentru copii din Marea Britanie şi din Irlanda.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1993
24 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Cross
148 books86 followersGillian Cross was born Gillian Arnold in 1945. She was educated at North London Collegiate School, Somerville College, Oxford and the University of Sussex. Although now a full-time writer who often travels and gives talks in connection with her work, she has had a number of informal jobs including being an assistant to a Member of Parliament. For eight years she also sat on the committee which advises ministers about public libraries.
She is married to Martin Cross and they have four grown-up children, two sons and two daughters.
She is married to Martin Cross and they have four grown-up children, two sons and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
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October 11, 2010Yet another childhood gem
January 30, 2023
This was a cute little book about a boy, a girl, an elephant, and the sorts of adventures and ingenuity you would expect from a middle grade novel. Tad and Cissie's character arcs were somewhat predictable and felt like I had read them hundreds of times before whilst Mr Jackson and Esther could have done with a little more development to stop them seeming like cardboard cut-out villains, but in that respect the book is a product of its era.
That said, the setting is - certainly to me - very original. The multinational diasporas of early US history were quite lovingly rendered and the speech patterns of German- and Swedish-speakers speaking English were impressively convincing and clearly studied. Certain sub-characters were so lovely I wanted to cheer for them .
One thing I am often amazed by in middle grade fiction is the amount of sheer nastiness that characters get away with. Utter tragedy is often concealed within an otherwise innocuous story and because it is a children's story we don't pause to consider how awful it is. Take, as an example, the unlikely number of child protagonists who are orphans and have grown up being mentally or even physically abused by an uncle, aunt or guardian. This book is no exception. So if you prefer your middle grade light and fluffy, you will find some of that here, but be warned that heartstrings will be tugged if you let them be.
That said, the setting is - certainly to me - very original. The multinational diasporas of early US history were quite lovingly rendered and the speech patterns of German- and Swedish-speakers speaking English were impressively convincing and clearly studied. Certain sub-characters were so lovely I wanted to cheer for them .
One thing I am often amazed by in middle grade fiction is the amount of sheer nastiness that characters get away with. Utter tragedy is often concealed within an otherwise innocuous story and because it is a children's story we don't pause to consider how awful it is. Take, as an example, the unlikely number of child protagonists who are orphans and have grown up being mentally or even physically abused by an uncle, aunt or guardian. This book is no exception. So if you prefer your middle grade light and fluffy, you will find some of that here, but be warned that heartstrings will be tugged if you let them be.
dnf
November 20, 2023I decided to dnf this book after all.
DNF at page 56/351
The writing style wasn't for me and the plot wasn't as intriguing as to keep me going. Also the characters seemed flat and a bit annoying.
I started this book in August for the middle-grade challenge but put it on pause. And now I'm sadly deciding the final thing, to dnf it and give it away.
DNF at page 56/351
The writing style wasn't for me and the plot wasn't as intriguing as to keep me going. Also the characters seemed flat and a bit annoying.
I started this book in August for the middle-grade challenge but put it on pause. And now I'm sadly deciding the final thing, to dnf it and give it away.
April 29, 2020
O carte plina de aventura,care uneori te tine in suspans.Am invatat sa cred in orice vis,pe care il am ,daca imi doresc ceva voi reusi doar daca muncesc pentru a implini a cel vis.uneori cartea a fost trista, dar s-a terminat fromos.Are momente de suspans,de tristete si de bucurie.
February 18, 2025
A solid 4/5 - classic adventure material, with wholesome characters to root for, the breath of fresh air of an adventure, and the breath-taking suspense of running away from the bad guys!
March 4, 2025
very very cute storyline, the only let down was how there wasn't enough of the ending; it was left quite vague and short.
July 6, 2015
This is a childhood favourite of mine, one that I’ve reread more times than I can count. I’ve never tired of it. It’s the heart-warming story of two outcasts burdened by their own guilt – Tad, the slow, clumsy boy who’s spent his whole life being told he is worthless and Cissy, small and frail looking but with a ferocious will – and the elephant who brings them together. Make no mistake, Khush is as much a character and hero in this story as the children. If he wasn’t, we wouldn’t care so much about making sure he isn’t taken by a cruel man. We know Khush loves Tad and Cissy, we know they love him. We know it would be wrong to separate them. The children’s desperation is understandable and helps us constantly root for them as they embark on what looks like an impossible journey.
As they cross an America that’s still in the early days of European settlement, we see these three different personalities learning to work together, understand each other and form their own family. Tad finds acceptance and someone who needs him for the first time in his life, Cissy finds a way to help her overcome her grief and Khush finds the people he knows will take care of him. When one person falters (as all three do at various points), the others help pick them up as the prospect of a real home comes ever closer, but Mr Jackson and Esther (a quite magnificent pair of villains) are never far behind.
With a detailed setting, vivid supporting characters and well-maintained pace and tension, this is an easy but engaging read. The ending took me by surprise the first time I read it, but in a good way. It’s immensely satisfying and makes you feel that nothing else would have been right.
As they cross an America that’s still in the early days of European settlement, we see these three different personalities learning to work together, understand each other and form their own family. Tad finds acceptance and someone who needs him for the first time in his life, Cissy finds a way to help her overcome her grief and Khush finds the people he knows will take care of him. When one person falters (as all three do at various points), the others help pick them up as the prospect of a real home comes ever closer, but Mr Jackson and Esther (a quite magnificent pair of villains) are never far behind.
With a detailed setting, vivid supporting characters and well-maintained pace and tension, this is an easy but engaging read. The ending took me by surprise the first time I read it, but in a good way. It’s immensely satisfying and makes you feel that nothing else would have been right.
May 28, 2012
This is a book that I have just finished reading after a conversation with one of my higher achieving year 6 pupils who loves his books and highly recommended it.
A wonderfully engaging adventure story between two really well developed characters - Tad and Cissie - which sees the orphan boy and his friend and her elephant travel across the country to avoid Hannibal Jackson.
A tense atmosphere is created within this story which is balanced out wonderfully by a witty humour. The book is a real page-turner and will enthrall readers of year 6 age up and above.
Clearly a favourite among children of both sexes having been voted for, by children, from a shortlist for the Smareties awards.
A wonderfully engaging adventure story between two really well developed characters - Tad and Cissie - which sees the orphan boy and his friend and her elephant travel across the country to avoid Hannibal Jackson.
A tense atmosphere is created within this story which is balanced out wonderfully by a witty humour. The book is a real page-turner and will enthrall readers of year 6 age up and above.
Clearly a favourite among children of both sexes having been voted for, by children, from a shortlist for the Smareties awards.
June 14, 2017
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
This was a strangely formal yet enjoyable novel. The characters were few but well-written and the plot was progressive and realistic. Plus, the many drawbacks of fleeing with a fully-grown, Indian elephant added humour and unpredictability to the story.
Gillian Cross’s writing style was unapologetically adult; she didn’t attempt to ‘speak down’ to the reader. In fact, her writing was so proper that it highlighted the difference between Cissie and Tad’s dialects and succeeded in establishing their conflicting personalities early on.
I particularly liked Cross’s inclusion of two formats: prose and letter-based narrative. It was an effective way of allowing the reader into Tad and Cissie’s heads without making use of the multiple-perspective approach, which falls flat more often than not.
There were two specific parts of the plot that I thought were inspired. Including Esther and Mr Jackson in the beginning of the story before Khush and his entourage were introduced was a stroke of genius. It made the transition into the main plot smoother and more believable.
The ending was similarly impressive. The age difference between Tad and Cissie was evident at most key points in the novel but primarily at the end, when the group reached Ketty. Cissie’s journey at that point was over. Tad, on the other hand, was expected to pack up and go. It was nice that he got to keep Khush but the dose of reality was undermined slightly by the happy ending.
Finally, the characterisation of Khush was managed really well. Short of making him talk, I don’t think Cross could have done it better. Khush teased Tad and Cissie, he demonstrated a clear attachment to them and he teetered between obedient and obstinate, depending how hungry and how comfortable he was. Khush was a fully-fledged character in the novel, not just an animal that happened to accompany the main protagonists.
This was a strangely formal yet enjoyable novel. The characters were few but well-written and the plot was progressive and realistic. Plus, the many drawbacks of fleeing with a fully-grown, Indian elephant added humour and unpredictability to the story.
Gillian Cross’s writing style was unapologetically adult; she didn’t attempt to ‘speak down’ to the reader. In fact, her writing was so proper that it highlighted the difference between Cissie and Tad’s dialects and succeeded in establishing their conflicting personalities early on.
I particularly liked Cross’s inclusion of two formats: prose and letter-based narrative. It was an effective way of allowing the reader into Tad and Cissie’s heads without making use of the multiple-perspective approach, which falls flat more often than not.
There were two specific parts of the plot that I thought were inspired. Including Esther and Mr Jackson in the beginning of the story before Khush and his entourage were introduced was a stroke of genius. It made the transition into the main plot smoother and more believable.
The ending was similarly impressive. The age difference between Tad and Cissie was evident at most key points in the novel but primarily at the end, when the group reached Ketty. Cissie’s journey at that point was over. Tad, on the other hand, was expected to pack up and go. It was nice that he got to keep Khush but the dose of reality was undermined slightly by the happy ending.
Finally, the characterisation of Khush was managed really well. Short of making him talk, I don’t think Cross could have done it better. Khush teased Tad and Cissie, he demonstrated a clear attachment to them and he teetered between obedient and obstinate, depending how hungry and how comfortable he was. Khush was a fully-fledged character in the novel, not just an animal that happened to accompany the main protagonists.
August 30, 2023
When I first began to read this book I felt upset for the children's and the Indian Elephant (Khush's) plight which I hope would not be PC these days. However, the setting of this book is America around 1881 reflects a time when people were not as knowledgeable about Elephants and children or their needs.
As I continued to read and to follow the children's journey across America the book became a page turner for me. I felt drawn in to their wild journey and to worry for their safety, "would Tad and Cissie get to their destination with a very large Indian elephant in tow and avoid being caught by Hannibal Jackson a bully who claims to have a legal right to Khush who will stop at nothing to get him?"
All the characters in this book are well developed and the atmosphere of the story although tense can be very humorous at times. I think this book will enthral readers aged 6 and above and even adults like me.
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As I continued to read and to follow the children's journey across America the book became a page turner for me. I felt drawn in to their wild journey and to worry for their safety, "would Tad and Cissie get to their destination with a very large Indian elephant in tow and avoid being caught by Hannibal Jackson a bully who claims to have a legal right to Khush who will stop at nothing to get him?"
All the characters in this book are well developed and the atmosphere of the story although tense can be very humorous at times. I think this book will enthral readers aged 6 and above and even adults like me.
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December 19, 2023
I liked this book very much. I especially liked Tad and the way he finds himself through looking after Khush the elephant. The development of the close relationship between them is sensitively and realistically portrayed without being in any way sentimental. The story too is exciting, and the landscape and some of the peoples of late nineteenth-century North America are well and informatively described. I liked the ending very much, opening out into a wide and interesting future for Tad, whilst Cissie finds her new home in the prairies with Ketty and her husband. Not 5 stars for me, but well worth reading - a lovely and inspiring story.
March 25, 2020
This is Gillian Cross at her best. A wonderful and engaging adventure involving a girl, her elephant, an orphan boy and the man who wants to take the elephant from them. Crossing 2000 miles of 19th century America, this is a grand chase well described.
The book won Whitbread and Smarties awards. The latter involved children voting on the short listed books, so it is clearly a children's favourite. Gillian Cross is a tremendously versatile author, who has written many books that I have liked very much in a variety of very different settings. This one is very much recommended.
The book won Whitbread and Smarties awards. The latter involved children voting on the short listed books, so it is clearly a children's favourite. Gillian Cross is a tremendously versatile author, who has written many books that I have liked very much in a variety of very different settings. This one is very much recommended.
November 5, 2018
This is the second book that I've read from Gillian Cross. The newer one, Shadow Cat is almost identical in logic, suspense and the faked out story like this one. It again makes no sense, the story is unappealing and bland. I don't recommend reading this book.
January 6, 2019
Well written, does not talk down but keeps sentences short, accessible language, adventure plus relationships and credible characters. I enjoyed reading this for myself but has enough excitement at start to get a young reader engaged before embarking on a long adventure.
March 28, 2023
This was just so-so. The ending was disappointing. I read it to my kids & when it was done they all said so what happened? It didn’t feel like there was a conclusion. I kinda just made one up for them myself! I don’t recommend it.
February 7, 2025
I love this book especially the fact i read it during year 7 which i thought was the perfect book because it's adventurous, thriling and a great book i would definetely recommend for early highschoolers
September 29, 2017
such a gem =)
September 29, 2018
İts soo good
November 10, 2018
fffffffff
May 26, 2019
best book i have ever read in my life
January 30, 2020
jesus it was drawn out
October 28, 2022
B. fiction, teen fiction (grades 6-9); adventure, friendship two children cross the country with an elephant; from stash, keep
January 27, 2021
I enjoyed this book it brought back the feeling of reading children's books, it reminded me of reading when I was younger. It's a laid back book that lets you immerse yourself in the story. Overall a good read.
October 19, 2012
The first two chapters pull you in, with sentences that promise lots of action and unexpected twists. And the delivers what it promises: a fantastic voyage of two kids and an elephant. Just when traveling gets a bit boring, a chase, a good or a bad character pops up, keeping it an easy and entertaining read.
I particularly focused on the growth of the characters and must admit the tipping point for Tad happens too sudden. From being ordered around to being able to see himself as a worthy human being takes more than just an elephant chase.
Nevertheless the book is charming, well written and the plot is really good. All characters continuously and consistently fight for what they want, making them believable and recognizable.
Waiting for the day my kids are old enough.
I particularly focused on the growth of the characters and must admit the tipping point for Tad happens too sudden. From being ordered around to being able to see himself as a worthy human being takes more than just an elephant chase.
Nevertheless the book is charming, well written and the plot is really good. All characters continuously and consistently fight for what they want, making them believable and recognizable.
Waiting for the day my kids are old enough.
May 29, 2014
gr 4-6 193 pgs
1881, PA/Western US. 15 year old Tad didn't mean to runaway with the traveling medicine show. But, just like his aunt says, he can't seem to do anything right. But the elephant's owner Michael Keenan offers him a job and unlike Tad's aunt, is happy with how well Tad takes care of the elephant. When Michael Keenan is murdered, Tad and Michael Keenan's daughter Cissie begin a race toward Cissie's sister's home in Nebraska and safety. They hope to be able to reach Nebraska before the people who killed Michael and want the elephant for their own can get them.
Great story for animal lovers. I only wonder what the author was thinking with the page layout. There seems to be less space than usual between each line, giving the book a very crowded feeling.
1881, PA/Western US. 15 year old Tad didn't mean to runaway with the traveling medicine show. But, just like his aunt says, he can't seem to do anything right. But the elephant's owner Michael Keenan offers him a job and unlike Tad's aunt, is happy with how well Tad takes care of the elephant. When Michael Keenan is murdered, Tad and Michael Keenan's daughter Cissie begin a race toward Cissie's sister's home in Nebraska and safety. They hope to be able to reach Nebraska before the people who killed Michael and want the elephant for their own can get them.
Great story for animal lovers. I only wonder what the author was thinking with the page layout. There seems to be less space than usual between each line, giving the book a very crowded feeling.
February 17, 2014
It takes a little to plow through the beginning of this nineteenth century adventure, but once we learn about Tad and how he came to be stowed away in an elephant trailer, the images seem to fly of the pages. We follow Tad and Cissy as they travel by train, flatboat and steamboat with Khush the elephant, all the while trying to keep him hidden from an evil con man. I loved the way you could see, hear and smell every scene. For confident readers age 10 – 12
November 9, 2014
I would give this book 4.5 stars but since that is not posible I'm stuck with four. This is a great book with lots of twists. I found it hard not to read it at any opportunity. This book may be sutible for adults but I would say its for young adults (like me).
It is about a yong boy called tad who hides away in a elephant create and eventualy steals it along with the owners daughter to stop his unlikeable cook and partner stealing it. There are many great twists along there journey!
It is about a yong boy called tad who hides away in a elephant create and eventualy steals it along with the owners daughter to stop his unlikeable cook and partner stealing it. There are many great twists along there journey!
February 16, 2008
It was a good book. it had a good storyline, but it was very hard to imagine what was happening.
September 8, 2016
When I was younger this was my most favorite book. I recommend it to anyone after a emotional story that will leave you anticipating the next chapter.
Read
June 24, 2014I really liked this book when I was younger. I remember finishing it, then promptly starting the story again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews