Jean Tseng

Sato and the Elephants was centralized around the main character Sato. From a young child Sato wanted to carve ivory with the type of skill that his father had. well that was until the day came that he bought, what he thought was the best piece of ivory, that he was going to make a masterpiece of this piece. He worked nearly all day to make this piece perfect, but he noticed something a blemish and then realized that it was bullet. He immediately felt sorrow, because that is when it hit him, that they were killing these elephants for their tusks and he had what i would like to call an epiphany. From there he stopped using ivory and carved out of stone. The central message i believe is that we should not be killing animals for materials such as ivory to carve, because it would not be long till there are none left.… (more)

This book taught me many things. First, I knew that there were talented people who could make beautiful carvings, but I never knew where some of them came from. I have new found knowledge about the work it takes to carve and where ivory comes from. Secondly, I have a new respect for elephants and all animals. They are such beautiful creatures and the fact that a bullet was, found almost had me in tears. I grew up and still live in a parish that thrives on hunting and fishing, but I never knew that elephants were being harmed. This is a big issue and I am forever grateful to this book for giving me a new perspective and teaching me things I did not know. I would use this book in a classroom, in hopes that students would learn something new, as I did. I thought of quote "Reading=hope x change" by Jacqueline Woodson, another author I am very fond of.… (more)