Elephants, the largest land animals on Earth, have long been a part of life throughout India. Some of these huge creatures are trained to do heavy work. Others perform in public festivals. When Ted and Betsy Lewin arrive in southern India to see the elephants, they are introduced to Drona, the Royal Elephant that leads the glorious procession on the last day of Dasara, a centuries-old festival celebrated each fall.The Lewins are so enthralled with Drona that they decide to return the following year for Dasara. They arrive to find out that Drona has been in an accident and a new lead elephant, the majestic Balarama, has been chosen. This will be his first time carrying the golden howdah a beautifully carved ceremonial carriage in the grand finale parade of the Dasara festivities. All eyes will be on Balarama as he makes his debut.With exciting narrative and vividly colored paintings, Ted and Betsy Lewin invite readers to meet the elephants up close and to participate in the wonderful spectacle of the last day of Dasara. This is an adventure no one will want to miss."

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Intermediate category by the Young Hoosier Book Award. It was recognised by the Bluebonnet Award. It also was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Parents' Choice Award.

There are 56 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2010 by Lee & Low Books Inc .

Betsy Lewin is the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. www. betsylewin. com Ted Lewin is a distinguished American artist who travels the world gathering material for his work. He lives in New York.