Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People and War

By Yukio Tsuchiya and Ted Lewin

This beautifully illustrated children’s book offers a sobering lesson about the horrors of war through the lens of a Japanese zoo during WWII.
 
At Tokyo’s famous Ueno Zoo, a zookeeper recounts the story of three performing elephants—John, Tonky, and Wanly—who became casualties of the Second World War. As bombs fell nightly on the city, the zoo was in danger of destruction. In the interest of public safety, instructions were given to kill the potentially dangerous animals. Still, the elephant’s keepers wept and prayed that the war would end so that their beloved elephants might be saved.
 
Originally published in Japan in 1951, this heartbreaking historical tale is now available in English with beautiful watercolor illustrations by Ted Lewin.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jul 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9780544575899

Book preview

Reviews for Faithful Elephants

[tnaewwf123 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is the most depressing book I have read in quite some time. Originally, I heard of it when Young et al. listed it in the back of Chapter 13 (p. 184). I figured that since I like elephants, I would read a lighthearted story about the bond between these creatures and their owners; boy was I wrong. Having never heard of the Japanese government ordering the euthanasia of animals at the Ueno Zoo during World War II, this book really tugged at my heartstrings. Reading about the slow death of the elephants was sad enough, but it became even more heartbreaking when research I did afterwards suggested that there was no danger to the animals to begin with, and the killings were going to be used as propaganda against the Allied forces. All in all, even though this book’s overall message about the depravity of war is powerful, I would recommend reading it only if you are looking to have a good cry.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful read-aloud. My 11th grade English teacher read this aloud and I was sobbing on my desk. I read it aloud during a "lock-down" and my students were similarly affected. Sad, sad, sad.

[agates5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an excellent book for three reasons. First, the language throughout the book is very descriptive and engaging. It allows readers to visualize what is occurring in the story and conveys emotion. For example one line out of the book was, “petals falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun.” The reader can create a mental image of this occurring. The author’s description of both the setting and the elephants is truly remarkable. Second, the illustrations are phenomenal. They accent the book by portraying all of the description that the words have to offer. You can see the texture on the old elephants, just as described in the story and see the sadness in their eyes as the story goes along. The third thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the issue of war that it addressed. The book showed how war does not only affect individuals in the conflict, but nearly everything around it. The plot of the story allows readers to gradually become more and more emotionally involved and feel the grief, fear, and distress that all of the characters, elephants included, must have experienced.

[sluper1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book open the eyes of the readers towards animal cruelty and times of war. I liked how the authors share the story of elephants who where euthanized through starvation during a time of war. The plot of this story intents to show how war affects more than just the humans who fight them. The content of the book may be shocking for sensitive people and for animal lovers. The zookeepers tried various ways to killed the elephants and nothing worked. The zookeepers agreed that the only way to kill these elephants is to starve them to death. After several weeks the elephants died. This is a sad story with a profound message. I will advice my future students if they decide to read this book.

[kwhite18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, this is a very eye opening children's book. This story takes place in another country during war times. The reader was able to catch a glimpse of life during WWII. We were able to see how the characters in the story reacted to what was going on around them. We saw the zookeepers struggle to abide by their government's wishes to put down the animals they loved so much. The zookeepers had to put their personal feelings aside in order to do what they were told to do. They knew that if the zoo was bombed and the animals escaped, they would cause trouble in the town. I really enjoyed the illustrations as well. The pages were very neutral colored and this helped to depict the unhappy times. Also, most of the backgrounds were not very detailed, which allowed the reader to create their own backdrop in their mind. This helps to make the reader an active part of the story. This book encourages the reader to put themself in the position of the main characters to image how they would handle the given situation. Would they do the same thing? Would they try to save the elephants and go against the government? The big idea of this story is that sometimes, you have to do what you think is wrong for the better good. This is a tough message, but an important one for students to learn and understand.

[kmetca1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked the book Faithful Elephants because the story line was very captivating. Throughout the story I wondered what would happen to those poor three elephants. I knew at some point the elephants would die, because that was the premise of the story. From the first page the reader is informed about the plaque that honors the animals that died during World War 2. Because of this knowledge I knew that the elephants were going to die, but I was hoping for a different outcome for them. The anticipation of waiting for it to happen made the story a very interesting read. In my opinion, this a heart wrenching book. Reading about how the elephants had to die was painful. The agony was enhanced in the story through the illustrations. Specifically the illustration of the elephants hanging their trunks out of the cage to wave to the audience even as they were dying. This really allowed the reader to visualize to true tragedy of the situation. The descriptive language that was used in the story only made the story sadder for the reader. The elephants were described as only wanting to please, and perform for people. This description allowed me to get more emotionally involved in the story. The book also allowed me to think about an effect of war that I had never thought about. It was a perspective that I had never taken, and this also really interested me about the book. I had never thought about what would happen to zoo animals during war, but since reading the story I have thought of many scenarios for the animals. For example, in the story it was mentioned that if a bomb were to land on the zoo that all the animals would get released. But I think they might just die from the explosion, so I don’t know if it would be necessary to kill the animals. I believe the big idea of the story was for us to think about what happens to the helpless victims, or zoo animals, during wartime.

[mchapp1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked the story Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya for multiple reasons, from the story’s language, writing, and plot, to the characters, and thought provoking content. In the story the author uses very descriptive information to describe the conditions of the elephants as they were dying. Tsuchiya states, “ as the days passed, the elephants became thinner and thinner, weaker and weaker… Their small, loving eyes began to look like round rubber balls in their dropping, shrunken faces. Their ears seemed too large for their bodies”. This helps the reader to visualize the despair that the elephants faced as they were reaching the end of their lives. Because of Tsuchiya’s descriptive language the writing was very engaging, and made the reader feel as if they were watching the elephants undergo their unfortunate and unjust changes. I also enjoyed the characters, from the elephants, to the zoo keepers the characters were well developed and the reader is able to get a sense of the emotional turmoil that the elephants and the zookeepers experienced throughout the story. The story highlights the reaction of the elephant keeper upon discovering the lifeless bodies of his beloved elephants “as he buried his head in his arms and cried, beating the desk top with his fist”. The plot builds suspense, as there is a constant reference to the fact that if the war stops the elephants’ lives will be spared. The reader is left wondering if the war will suddenly end and stop the elephants’ suffering. The overall meaning of the story is that war not only affects innocent human lives, but the lives of animals. War subjects every living being to unspeakable tragedy, and it is our job as humans to ensure that all lives are seen as precious, even the lives of animals. This is a wonderful book; it pushes the reader to truly think about the issue of war. It also forces the reader to realize that war is not just a human problem, but also a problem for all lives living in the areas that are feuding.

[jherrm1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion this is an eye opening read for children. I think this book is better for older children because it talks about war and bombing and younger children would have a hard time understanding that concept. The story was very sad because it deals with not just death but the idea of war, people hating other people and how the animals were effected by war. Even though this story is sad it teaches children the reality that the effects of war not only has on people but on a whole country including an animal. The illustrations depict the true feeling of how the animals and the people felt in the story which is easier for children to make connections and understand. I enjoyed reading this story because it is a good way to teach children about the reality of the world no matter how harsh it may be at times.

[lbrink2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like this book for several reasons. One reason I like this book is the plot. The plot of this story is war and how the animals in zoos are treated when a war is in their area. This plot takes students through the emotions that zoo keepers feel when they are told to kill their animals. It is rare for books to look deeply into what war does to animals especially in a way children can understand. The illustrations are another reason why I like this book. The illustrations are not too graphic but do convey the mood of the story and how the characters feel. The message of this story is important for students because they need to see that our actions can hurt others including animals.

[pnieme1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book details the life and death of 3 zoo elephants during the war. The bombings across Japan forced all the zoo animals to be killed because of how dangerous it would be if they escaped. The zoo keepers had to starve the animals until they died because they could not tranquilize them. It details the painful death the animals went through. I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I liked the book because it was very honest. It gave a real picture of what happens during a war, and showed a new perspective we often do not think about. However, I believe it was controversial to read to children. The elephants not only die, but they die very slowly and painfully. They are starved and neglected for a long time. The author goes into great detail of how sick the animals were and how they killed many different animals. It is important children know about war and how terrible it is, I just feel it may be too much for some students to handle. I feel many parents would have a problem with this book being read in their classroom. If I had a class how could handle it I would read this book aloud. The book pushes readers to tough issues and broadens their perspectives. It shows readers what happens in a war through a different point of view.

[lhanso1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I liked the book because it pushed readers to think about tough issues such as war and starving animals. But I did not like the writing because of how detailed the author described the elephants that were starving to death. I thought the writing was extremely sad and I do not know if children could handle reading a picture book without getting upset when I am 20 years old and barely could. I think the message of the story is for people to consider the greater impact war has not only innocent civilians, but innocent animals as well. I think often times people only draw attention to the impact war has on the soldiers when in reality there is so much more to it than that.

[lgrube4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book in class and I really enjoyed it. It was very sad, but the story was interesting. It takes place during World War II, in a zoo in Tokyo. The Japanese army wanted the zoos to kill their large dangerous animals incase they were to escape during the war. There were three elephants who the story was about, John, Wanly, and Tonky. These beloved elephants fought hard to not die, but in the end were starved to death. Their memory lives on today and the zookeeper was the one telling the story. It was upsetting to hear this story, and I thought that it wasn't a story that children should be reading. The illustrations were good, and the language was easy to read, but the plot was very disturbing. This book does push readers to think about tough issues that have happened. I liked it because it was a true story, but I didn't like it because it was sad.

[stsmurphy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A zookeeper recounts the story of John, Tonky, and Wanly, three performing elephants at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, whose turn it is to die, and of their keepers, who weep and pray that World War II will end so their beloved elephants might be saved.

[matthewbloome · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is among the most heart-wrenching picture books ever written. Plainly anti-war sentiment in a true story. I had to read this one through the tears and have a good cry after I finished. In the short term, I regretted reading it because it really brought me down, but in the long term I loved the book for all that it was.

[paulafonseca530b · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Audience: Grade 3 to 8When Tokyo was being heavily bombed during World War II, the Army decided to put down all zoo animals so that they would not escape in case the facilities were targeted. One by one, animals were poisoned to death. The elephants, however, proved too hard to kill. Too smart, they would not eat the poisoned food. Too strong, needles would not pierce their skin. They were left to starve to death. The zoo staff could not stand witnessing the beautiful animals wither, so they walked away. The three elephants died of hunger and thirst. To honor their suffering, a monument was raised, and their ashes rest in a tombstone at the Ueno Zoo.Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War is as beautiful as it is sad. The delicate watercolor illustrations contrast with the heaviness of the story. The reader is faced with the same sense of helplessness experienced by the staff—to see such majestic creatures die without being able to intervene. The story reminds readers that war claims many victims, some of them unknown to us. Faithful Elephants is a powerful antiwar account that helps children understand the loss and sadness associated with war. Because of its strong message and easy to understand language, the book is suitable not only for the lower grades, but it also makes a great addition in classrooms where students need access to content but are lacking skills. Readers of all ages can enjoy this touching tale, and teachers can use the book to start discussions about war and its cost, animal rights, and human responsibility.

[bbohard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the book, "Faithful Elephants", three elephants that lived in a Korean zoo during the war had to be killed. It was mandatory that they be killed in case bombs hit the zoo, no dangerous animals would be able to escape. This book describes the agony the zoo keepers went through by having to starve the elephants to death. It gives a small insight of how intense this time in history was.This is a sad, yet phenomenal book. It is so well written that you can almost feel the grief and compassion the characters in this book felt. This is definitely a book that is easy to get lost in. I do not feel that this book is appropriate to read to young children, but it would be suitable for secondary education.To incorporate this book into the classroom, I would read this book aloud to middle our high school students in history class when studying this war. I would allow the students to discuss what they thought of the book, and how it effects their view of that time in history.

[mcclendon_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book should only be read to 4th and 5th grade students due to the nature of the book. This is a sad protrayal of the animals in zoo during times of war. People were scared the animals would get lose during an attack and would harm innocent people, so they had to put them down. The book especially highlights three elephants and their trainers.

[auntkrissy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Written in 1951. Illustrator used watercolor throughout text. The colors reflect the somber heaviness of this subject. Tsuchiya is a prolific writer and critic of Japanese children's literature. Translated from Japanese.

[hebeaton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about the animals at the Tokyo Zoo during World War II. It is a very sad book about how they killed the dangerous animals in order to save the humans. This would not be a good book for younger children. Older children, however, could have a good discussion about it.

[eilonwy_anne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A sad little book about some of the less well known casualties of World War II: animals in Tokyo's zoo. The watercolor illustrations are lovely, and the story is moving. The small focus, on the lives of a few elephants, may be particularly effective in making the cost of war clear to young readers.

[kmacneill_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book would be great as a conspiracy theory since not that many people know about this particular story. In Japan during WWII, the zoo in a particular city had to kill the animals in the zoo. They did this because if a bomb were to hit the zoo and the wild animals got loose they could harm the people. The book is focused on how the zoo keepers had to kill these three elephants that they loved so much. They had to use various techniques to kill the elephants and it hurt the zoo keepers very much. The elephants ended up dying. This is a very sad story. It would be good to use for class discussion, reading aloud, and have students write author-notes. The authors words evoke strong emotions. Interesting fact: This book is read every year in Japan on the radio.

[mrpascua · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This picture book has illustrations are done in water color. The story is set during World War II in Japan. Due to bombings, the Japanese Army instructed the zoo keepers to kill the animals at the Ueno Zoo to prevent the animals from escaping and running through the streets. This sad story describes how war can affect even animals. Students in English Language Arts can find metaphorical or allegorical components; Students in social studies can identify ethical dilemmas and the horrors of war. This is a picture book that could be used effectively at the secondary level as it ties in with the social studies curriculum (WWII, Asia) and the English Language Arts curriculum. The illustrations are engaging and the story thought provoking. This books shows that even picture books can be added to the secondary curriculum and can still be appropriate for high school aged students.

[justinscott66 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have heard about this book for years, but have never read it until now. My initial impression is that it teaches a powerful story about loss in war through the characters nearly all children can relate to - animals. My recommendation is that teachers read this to themselves first so that they can effectively plan how to approach the read aloud with children. No matter the age, students will require a significant amount of process and connection time. This book should be read aloud with children!

[morganannie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful picture book depicting the plight of the animals (particularly the elephants) at the Tokyo zoo during WWII. The zoo decides to kill all the animals for fear of them getting loose during a nuclear attack. The elephants are the last to die. Their trainers are torn apart by what they see but must continue with the plan.