Illustrator: Ken Stark
Genre Study--Historical Fiction
Seeing the Elephant is a moving story of heroism, determination, and patriotism. Israel, a young boy of ten, waves goodbye to his older brothers who have gone into the Civil War to fight on behalf of the North. While the brothers are gone, Israel writes numerous letters to them, and when one of them comes home with typhoid, he hopes to rekindle their brotherly affection. Instead, their relationship has changed, most likely on account of the war, and Israel is sad. But no sadness can describe how he feels when an acquaintance named Graff dies in the hospital. Graff, a Rebel fighter from South Carolina, makes an unlikely friend with Israel, and when Graff dies, Israel realizes the true cost of the war. This somewhat-true account of a staunch Union family meeting a Confederate army man is captivating. What surprised me the most is the maturity of this particular 10-year-old. The book reflects the belief that "war makes boys into men," and even though Israel was too young to fight, he realized the gravity of the situation. I would definitely recommend this book to older elementary children as a piece of historical fiction. It is truly a window into a different era; an era that would change the face of America for decades.
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