School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Harris, Holmes, and Cannell draw on early sources and art to tell this tale of a long-ago special friendship that developed between the caliph of Baghdad and Charlemagne. As in Holmes and Cannell's My Travels with Clara (Getty, 2007) and the trio's A Giraffe Goes to Paris (Marshall Cavendish, 2010), the story is told by a narrator who was supposedly a participant in the reported events. Here it is Notker the Stammerer, a monk who in fact wrote a chronicle of Charlemagne's life. He explains that the emperor was curious about the legendary Harun al-Rashid and "sent some trusted men of his court...thousands of miles, from Germany, across the Alps to Italy, and finally by boat across the Mediterranean" to make the acquaintance of the famous ruler at the center of the Muslim world. Wanting to give Charlemagne a gift "fit for a fellow emperor," he gives him his prized albino elephant. The splendors of Baghdad lose a bit of their luster in Cannell's homely, naive drawings, though the long return journey by foot with the white elephant bearing a huge mechanical clock atop his back is aptly suggested. Oddly, the travelers seem to have no other baggage, and there's no sign of the multitude of other costly gifts they received. A broad map conveys the long route to and fro, and inserted reprints show a lifelike bust of Charlemagne, a stylized painting of Harun al-Rashid, and a silk cloth woven with elephants found in Charlemagne's tomb. The extreme journey is intriguing, Charlemagne's love for the elephant is heartwarming, and for readers becoming interested in history, this tiny glimpse of the eighth-century world is an inviting introduction to that era. The authors include closing notes on Notker the Stammerer and the magical mechanical water clock.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The team behind A Giraffe Goes to Paris (2010) continues its pursuit of historic megafauna with this tale of Abu the white elephant, sent to Charlemagne by the caliph Harun al-Rashid. Though the story shares many of its predecessor's attractions-the wonderful outlandishness of the idea of taking a huge animal on a long journey, the delight of human-animal bonds-it suffers a bit by comparison. The medieval monk Notker the Stammerer provides narration as the ambassadors from Charlemagne's court arrive in Baghdad to find "artists, musicians, scholars, mathematicians, architects, and poets.... The Europeans were treated to concerts and fine meals, even sherbet made of snow." The caliph sends Charle-magne's representatives back with "presents fit for a fellow emperor," including an elaborate clock (discussed further in end notes) and, of course, Abu. The journey back to Aachen and Abu's somewhat quiet relationship with Charlemagne may leave some readers feeling wistful-too bad they couldn't all have stayed in warm, lively Baghdad. Yet the eye-opening depiction of a city now known as a war zone as a paradise is worth the price of admission. Ages 5-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Did you know that Charlemagne would bathe with his white elephant, a gift from the caliph of Baghdad? No? Well, let the monk tell the tale. Charlemagne, emperor of most of the Western world, was curious about Harun Al-Rashid, an impressive Muslim leader. So he embarked upon a journey that took him from Germany to Italy, across the Mediterranean, through Cairo, and finally into Baghdad. There the travelers were stunned by the sophisticated society they found. Most intriguing? The Muslim world's knowledge about science, medicine, and engineering, far exceeding what Europeans knew. At Charlemagne's departure, Harun gave him gifts; the most precious was Abu, a white elephant. As they journeyed home, the elephant and the ruler forged a lifelong friendship. A primitive yet joyful art style brings the story close to children, but photographic artifacts from Charlemagne's reign are interwoven, giving the visual element depth. Though the relationship between Abu and Charlemagne is tender, perhaps the best part of this shows the easy, generous friendship between two powerful, very different leaders.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
