FeedThursday Tour: Travels With Tarra and Just for Elephants by Carol Buckley
September 3, 2009 in Books with Science Content, Books with Science Content, Books With Social Studies Content, Buckley, Carol, Elementary Educators, Picture Book Tags: Blog Giveaway, Carol Buckley, Just for Elephants, Tilbury House, Travels with Tarra, Win free books
I am so happy to be a part of Tilbury House’s Elephant Tour! We have elephant facts, elephant book giveaways, photos, website links, and more. SO, here we go. . .
Carol Buckley and Tarra when Tarra lived at the tire shop
BOOK GIVEAWAYS!!!! BOOK GIVEAWAYS!!!!
*Two books will be given away from the comments on my blog on this post. I will draw two names from the comments. The first name I will draw gets to choose which book he or she wants either Travels with Tarra or Just for Elephants, both by Carol Buckley. The second name will get the second book. I will draw names on Friday, September 4 at 5:00 p.m. CST.
*But wait, there’s another chance to win a book! Tilbury House is also giving out prizes. They are drawing winners from all the comments on all the blogs that participate in the blog tour. Here are their prizes (they are able to ship in the U.S. and Canada):
1. Copy of Just for Elephants signed by Sanctuary co-founder Carol Buckley
2. Copy of Travels With Tarra signed by Carol and stamped by Tarra the Elephant
3. Package of Tilbury House animal books— The Goat Lady, Thanks to the Animals, and an advance copy of Bear-ly There
So, leave a comment below for a chance to win one of five prizes! Now onto the books. . .
Travels With Tarra is a book about Tarra the famous elephant, whom Carol Buckley purchased from a man who owned a tire shop when she was in college. Tarra has starred in movies, performed in circuses, and provided elephant rides. She loves dogs! This is a touching book with real photographs of Tarra, Carol, and their adventures. It also talks about how Carol started an Elephant Sanctuary for Tarra and other female elephants. A beautiful book for children and adults!
Just for Elephants is a book about Shirley the elephant who was a circus performer and then lived in a zoo. In this book, Shirley goes to the Elephant Sanctuary that Carol started for Tarra. The book shows how an elephant gets used to the sanctuary and other elephants in her new home. And Shirley sees an old elephant friend from her circus performing days. It’s quite touching!
Twitter Prize: From now through Sept. 9, anyone who tweets about the tour using the hashtag #trunktour will be entered to win a copy of Travels With Tarra or Just for Elephants. US/Canada only, two winners will be announced on Sept. 10th. **Follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Margo_L_Dill
So, what do you do with these books?
In the back of the books, many resources for teachers are included. Here are three:
1. The Elephant Sanctuary website has downloadable curriculum materials and links at http://www.elephants.com
2. The Elephant Information Repository is an extensive directory of elephant websites, organizations, events, etc. http://elephant.elehost.com
3. The website of the world-leading expert on African elephant family structures, life cycle, and behavior http://www.elephanttrust.org/cynthia-moss.htm
Here’s some interesting facts about Tarra the elephant–care to comment on any of these? 
*She is 8’2″ tall and weighs 8,700 pounds!
*Each day she eats: 130 lbs of hay and/or vegetation, 1 pound of hand-mixed whole grains (oats, barley, and wheat), 2 pounds of soaked wheat bran, 10-20 pounds of fruits & vegetables, and drinks approximately 30 gallons of water.
The blog tour continues with. . .
Friday, Sept. 4: Maw Books http://blog.mawbooks.com/
Saturday, Sept. 5: Shelf Elf http://shelfelf.wordpress.com/
Sunday, Sept. 6: Bees Knees http://beeskneesbooks.blogspot.com/
Monday, Sept. 7: Through The Looking Glass http://lookingglassreview.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, Sept. 8: Bri Meets Books www.brimeetsbooks.com
And finally. . .Tilbury House Promotion to Support The Elephant Sanctuary (8/1-12/31)
Tilbury House will hold their first-ever “Trunk Sale” promotion from August 1 through December 31. For every 100 elephant books that they sell, the independent publisher has pledged to sponsor a much-needed item from the Sanctuary’s wish list. These gifts will include 100 lbs of peanut butter (a favorite treat), a day’s worth of meals for one elephant (including more than 10 lbs of fruits & veggies and 100 lbs of hay!), and an elephant-sized piece of land (to support the Sanctuary’s recent
expansion).
So, buy these books if you don’t win them or buy a bunch and give them to your favorite school or as a Christmas gift!
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 am
I have always loved elephants and am so excited to get this book and share it with my son!!! Congrats for writing it and best of luck with it!
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:50 am
Both books look extraordinary!!!
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:49 am
I envy Tarra’s height – it’s what makes her look so trim.
Seriously, what a wonderful thing these people are doing; and the books look terrific!
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
My sons favorites are dragons and dinosaurs but anything big intrigues him so please put me in on these books. I love that there are actual photographs. It makes it so much more real for him.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I’m still trying to figure out how a guy at a tire store could own an elephant? Carol Buckley must be an AMAZING woman to take on an elephant AND get a sanctuary built! (Oh, and Tarra’s seems pretty amazing, too!)
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I love the Elephant Sanctuary. There was a great documentary on PBS many years ago about them. Wonderful organization. Can’t wait to read the books.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
An elephant book! Thanks. We’ve loved elephants since reading “Elmer” forever ago. Oh, and there’s also “Ella.”
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Elephants are one of my son’s favorite animals at the zoo. I find these massive creatures fascinating because they can be a dominating force and yet show such tenderness to their young. I definitely will try to check these books out.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
The cover of JUST FOR ELEPHANTS is enchanting. I LOVE they way the two elephants are bumping trunks together while a third is on the sideline raising his (or her) trunk. It looks like one of them just told a joke and the elephants are celebrating the moment.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
My kids love anything that has to do with animals. These look like great books.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Sounds like a wonderful book with incredible photography.
Plan to order one for the grandkids – to keep at my place.
I don’t feel so bad about my weight when I read their weight.
September 6th, 2009 at 2:44 am
I became very interested in Elephants when the St. Louis Zoo had a babyelephant naming contest. Since that time , I talked with many professors from the University who have a great interest in helping elephants.. Congratulations to Carol Buckley for interest in this mannificent animal. Thank you Carol for writing this lovely book and sharing you knowledge and writing skills. Keep up the good work and I hope you book is a big success.