SHE LEADS: The Elephant Matriarch

Anchoring this in Covid19 time:

Currently heading into week 9 (or is it 10?) of restricted life. The longer this proceeds the more time becomes distorted, days blending each other. I had hoped to receive this new release in time for Mother's Day, but it arrived too late. Even so, the conceptual connection is timeless, and the date is arbitrary. Perhaps that is a healthy way to view our containment and gradual, eventual resumption of social lives. 
Timeless. 
Interdependent.
Connected to those that matter most.
Valuing and protecting each other across generations.

SHE LEADS: The Elephant Matriarch is written by June Smalls and illustrated by Yumi Kimoshawara. Brilliant illustrations, book design, parallel text, and the universal appeal of baby animals interact perfectly in this oversized, square-trim picture book.  The end product forms a perfect landscape to portray the majestic lives of elephants. Simpler, lyrical text in large font offers a narrative describing the multigenerational expanse of elephant herds and individuals. In smaller font, with finer detail, more detailed text expands our understanding of these complex lives.The thoughtful arrangement of text on expansive white backgrounds allows the elephants to reveal themselves fully and beyond the scope of the words.. 

The all-female cows and young in elephant herds incorporate siblings, aunts, cousins, and grandchildren. The point is both stated and revealed that knowledge, skills, and wisdom essential for immediate and longterm survival are accrued over time and space. As an admitted fan of elephants, I've supported certified elephant sanctuaries and follow the eventual recovery and adjustment of individual rescued elehants. In these illustrations , the majesty and elegance of elephants in natural herds are irresistible, expressive, and awe-inspiring.

This nonfiction picture book is a treasure. It will likely launch further reading  about elephants in other, more scientifically expanded books: ones with glossary, index, labeled figures, maps, and bibliography, etc. I firmly believe that a book such as this, one that introduces and celebrates the "big picture" of an intriguing subject, is the best possible introduction to nonfiction.

Endpapers: SHE LEADS The Elephant Matriarch

It is also a reminder to me of the importance of physical picture books, as opposed to digital apps and eBooks. As I wrote in the first paragraph, the potential to adapt design in the physical format allows it to convey the magnitude of these magnificent animals. Endpapers might at first glance seem to be randomly swirling lines, but a reader's focus will easily  sense an interpretation of the complex wrinkles and folds of elephant skin, a fingerprint of the landscape of their bodies. Sliding my hand across the surface of those papers proved them to be surprisingly smooth, since they provided such a strong sense of the texture and dimensionality of a matriarch's shoulder or cheek. 

My original motivation for launching this blog, nearly a decade ago, was a controversial article proclaiming that physical picture books would soon disappear due to the  growth of screen access. That has not happened, and consensus (plus sales reports) suggest that picture books are here to stay. A recent article speaks out on this very topic. 
SHE LEADS is an example of why this is the case. Imagine this book, opened wide on the floor in front of a single or several sprawled readers. Imagine the conversations that arise about the details revealed in print and image, the memories triggered of personal encounters with elephants, spontaneous  'I wonder..." or "What if..." questions. 
That's the point at which internet access might provide opportunities for further exploration, for videos of elephants in the wild, or searching for additional related titles to add to hold lists at the library.

This may not have reached me in time for a Mother's Day post, but it was worth the wait.

Speaking of libraries, I missed my public library service deeply for our first six weeks SafeAtHome. Yes, eBook files were an option, but I ached for the physical books on my hold shelf, waiting just beyond those locked library doors. Then those clever folks figured out a safe and sane way to allow patrons to place books on hold, confirm their arrival, and schedule a safe curbside pick-up. This particular book was a purchase (from a local indie bookstore) but at my side are now stacks of books recently retrieved from the library. Support your local library and the essential workers who provide this service.