The Great Elephant Escape

A Review of The Great Elephant Escape

What could be more exciting than watching elephants escape from the circus? Five young elephants escaped fro the Carson & Barnes grounds in Hugo, Oklahoma on July 2, 1975. Three elephants were quickly found, but Isa and Lilly were loose for three weeks. One day, Annie and Jimmy discover that someone (or something) has eaten their mother's garden. Who is the culprit? To their surprise, giant footprints are visible throughout the garden, indicating a large animal has been there. The children discover that two elephants have escaped from the circus. The sheriff's office is busy looking for the two elephants, but they are elusive and elude the entire town for three weeks, scaring people and appearing unexpectedly in backyards. In this delightful and enchanting story, young readers will discover what happens when two elephants escape the circus and lead the entire town on a wild goose chase. Young readers will enjoy the lively text and wonderful illustrations.

Reviewer:  Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D

Friday, November 16, 2012

Book Review: The Great Elephant Escape by Una Belle Townsend , Illus by Janice Hechter

Synopsis: 
It's not every day that animals escape from the circus; however, in 1975 two playful baby elephants did just that! 

While in Hugo, Oklahoma, Isa and Lilly escaped and decided it would be fun to play a very long game of hide-and-seek. They evaded the authorities for eighteen days, leaving a trail of clues everywhere, from broken fences and large footprints to gardens with missing vegetables. Still these giant runaways were nowhere to be found! 

Even when people reported seeing Isa and Lilly rambling around their homes and causing a ruckus, the police were one step behind these clever tricksters. Based on an amazing true story, these fugitives captivated the attention of a country and are sure to capture the hearts of readers of all ages. 

Review: Kiddo adored this book! She was turning pages faster than I could read them, to see what was going to happen to the elephants and would they get recovered! I vaguely remembered the story when it actually happened, so it was great to be able to discuss with her what would ACTUALLY happen if 2 elephants got loose in today's modern world! 

This book would be an adorable Christmas or birthday present, teamed with a stuffed elephant, or tickets to the Circus! Both you and your child/grandchild, will be just as enchanted with the tale as we were!

About the Author:  Una Belle Townsend has been an elementary-school teacher for nearly twenty years. She graduated from East Texas Baptist College and earned a master's degree in elementary education at Stephen F. Austin State University. She has received many local honors for her short stories and poetry. Townsend has lived in Yukon, Oklahoma, for more than twenty-five years.

About the Illustrator: Janice Hechter is an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer. She is the recipient of a National Best Book Award and a San Francisco Book Festival Award. 

                                              Description

Wanted: two baby elephants, Isa and Lilly. Where: Hugo, Oklahoma. The year: 1975. The crime: being overly sneaky.

When the circus stopped in the small town of Hugo, Oklahoma, two exceedingly curious and playful elephants decided it would be fun to play a very long game of hide-and-seek. But these were not your average runaways! These slippery fugitives dodged the authorities for eighteen days, trampling through gardens and tearing up backyards. There were clues all around, from broken fences to large footprints and missing vegetables galore, but no one could find Isa and Lilly! Though people reported sightings of the pair causing a ruckus, the police could not catch up to these tricksters. Based on an amazing true story, this colorful picture book relates the tale of these elephants, which captivated the attention of a country and is sure to capture the hearts of readers, no matter their age. These two really did prove that it is a circus out there!

• ISBN13: 9781455615827
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company

This is little Dori Marie, an elephant at the Carson & Barnes Circus grounds in Hugo, OK. It's her birthday, and she's enjoying her cake.

An presentation of  "The Great Elephant Escape" at a summer reading program in Marshall, TX.

Ever seen an elephant's eye up close? This elephant is part of the elephants on display at the Endangered Ark in Hugo, OK.

I'm in Lily's pen. She's one of the elephants that I wrote about in "The Great Elephant Escape" which happened in Hugo, OK in 1975.  The trainer, from Carson and Barnes Circus, is with me. I gave Lily a melon to eat. She loves melons.

This is Lyndol Fry.We're signing books in Hugo. He is the man who tranquilized the elephants, Isa and Lily in the summer of 1975.

The Daily Oklahoman recently showed front page coverage of the 1975 story of the elephants in Hugo who ran away from the circus grounds. It's the story that I wrote which received an OWFI  (Oklahoma Writer's Federation, Inc) award in 2013 as Best Juvenile Book. Although the story on the front page is not about my book, it does mention it on the second page.