Description
Book SynopsisWho would have thought that the emperor Charlemagne would make friends with an albino elephant, a gift from the caliph of Baghdad? Told from the fictionalized point of view of a monk who set down the actual story in 883–884 CE, the book follows the elephant’s journey through Egypt, across the Mediterranean to Italy and across the Alps to Germany. When the elephant finally reaches his destination, Charlemagne is so delighted with his exotic new pet that he introduces him to his many children and bathes with him in the hot springs near his palace. When the elephant dies of old age, the emperor is heartbroken. Jon Cannell invigorates his charming mixed-media artwork with artifacts, paintings, and sculpture from earlier centuries. An author’s note about the origins of the story and the remarkable water clock carried by the elephant is included.
Trade Review“Holmes, Harris and Cannel…again team up to tell a tale about a large exotic animal who historically ventured into European/Western territory. This time they reach back into the first millennium to look at a cross-cultural bridge constructed in the ninth century, when Charlemagne was emperor of most of Europe…Cannel’s ink-and-watercolor illustration is endearingly old-fashioned: simple, whimsical and sophisticated at the same time, reminiscent of Virginia Kahl and Laurent de Brunhoff in its expressive cartoon lines and lively scenes. An authors’ note provides more information on the historical Notker the Stammerer and the famous clock, as well as providing sources for their story. Captivating and charming both as animal story and as a glimpse of historical East/West relations.” —Kirkus Reviews
