Tua and the Elephant (16 page)

Toward the end of an extended trip through Oceania and Southeast Asia, my wife and I had the great fortune to walk into a restaurant, Taste from Heaven, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The owners, Roy and Nan Fudge, passionate supporters of elephants, booked us a day trip to the Elephant Nature Park. And in less than twenty-four hours I went from being someone whose only contact with elephants had been from a distance in a zoo to someone who fed them by hand and bathed with them in a river. We met the founder of the park, Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, who explained to us the plight of the Asian elephant; her staff and volunteers; and then the elephants themselves. The next morning, back in our hotel room in Chiang Mai, I began writing the story of
Tua and the Elephant.

It may not be possible to look an elephant in the eyes and not want to get to know her better. I hope you get the chance to try sometime.

R. P. HARRIS

R. P. HARRIS
has traveled the world with his wife, spending much time in Asia, including three months in Thailand, where this story was born. He currently lives in Shanghai, China. This is his first book.

TAEEUN YOO
has illustrated numerous books for children, including the
New York Times
Best Illustrated Book of 2009,
Only a Witch Can Fly.
She lives in New York City.