Saving H'Non: Chang and the Elephant
-
- $8.99
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
From the creators behind the Eisner-nominated Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear comes another gorgeously-illustrated graphic novel adventure based on a true story, in which young conservationist Chang overcomes the odds to save and return an elephant to its natural habitat.
While volunteering at a wildlife rescue center near Yok Don National Park in Vietnam, Chang helps rescue an injured and abused Asian elephant named H'Non. For decades, H'Non was forced to haul heavy timber logs and concrete poles at construction sites, and then to carry riders at tourist attractions all day long with no break. While nursing H'Non back to health, Chang is tasked with finding a kind mahout—an elephant trainer—who will teach H'Non how to fend for herself in the wild. Though Chang initially has her doubts about the young mahout she finds, a boy named Wat, H'Non takes to him instantly. And as her friendships with both H'Non and Wat grow, Chang learns what it means to give people a chance, to show up for your friends, and to love openly and forgive compassionately.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The creators of Saving Sorya—Vietnamese collaborators Nguyeˆ˜n, a conservationist and activist, and comics artist Zdung—employ richly detailed prose brimming with fascinating STEM facts and scientifically accurate illustrations to produce a standout, heart-tugging work. Chang, a young Vietnamese wildlife conservationist, joins the animal rescue center at Yok Ðon National Park in Tây Nguyên, Vietnam, to learn about elephants through the Animals Asia Foundation. Nearby tourist attractions offer experiences with the animals, but many of these operations are owned by mahouts, or elephant trainers, who mistreat the elephants. When Chang encounters H'non, a 60-year-old captive that suffers from multiple injuries, she endeavors to rescue H'non and deliver her to a kind mahout who can help rehabilitate elephants that have endured lifelong captivity. Wat, a mahout's son, shows promise, but incidents from his past make Chang reluctant to entrust him with H'non. Flashbacks and Chang's field notes are rendered in graphite against parchment pages, while present-day events burst with vivid color; the resplendent images' texture and lighting deliver breathtaking results. Part wildlife journal, part adventure story, this epistolary graphic novel presents a propulsive, intensely researched read. Author notes conclude. Ages 8–12.
