Mosey: The Remarkable Friendship of a Boy and His Elephant - Hardcover

Helfer, Ralph D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439293138 ISBN 13: 9780439293136

Publisher: Orchard, 2002

Synopsis

The true story of Modoc, the greatest elephant that ever lived. This fascinating, action packed story is sure to be a favorite among middle grade readers.

This is the true story of a boy and an elephant who were born at almost the same moment on a German farm in 1896. They were raised together like siblings. The boy, Bram, expects to be a trainer himself when he grows up. But when he is thirteen years old, the circus animals are sold to an American circus. Bram decides to stow sway on the ship to America carrying Modoc. At sea, the ship sinks in a dramatic scene, and Modoc saves the lives of Bram and many others, keeping them afloat after they are too exhausted to swim. When help arrives, the ship can't hold Modoc, and Bram refuses to abandon her. But Bram and Modoc somehow survive. In a postscript, the author describes how the two are separated for a time when Modoc is sold behind Bram's back, but are eventually reunited.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-8 A true story of Bram Gunterstein, the son of a circus trainer, and a beloved elephant named Mosey. Born on the same day in 1896, the two were inseparable at Wunderzircus, a small German circus. Bram promised his dying father that he would take care of Mosey but Mr. North, her new owner, doesn't include the young handler in his plans to move the show overseas. Syrupy sentimentality gives way to engaging action when Bram stows away aboard the freighter bound for India. Ultimately he is detected after weeks of hiding in the straw among the elephants and is given the job of tending to the herd. He bravely unchains their legs when a fierce storm breaks up the ship. He finds Mosey floating in the ocean and they survive for days until an Indian ferryboat scoops the elephant up on deck using a cargo net. A short postscript informs readers that the pair eluded Mr. North and they lived together happily ever after in India and America. The author notes the story "is as true as I could make it," but the obvious fictionalizing and lengthy passages of dialogue might raise questions about the realm of possibility. The appeal will be the heartwarming relationship between Bram and his oversized friend and the story will make a great read-aloud for younger students. -Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 5-8. Helfer's fictionalized account of several months in the lives of Bram Gunterstein and Mosey, a circus elephant, is an unusual but engaging combination of adventure-survival story and boy-and-his-pet tale. Born on a farm in Germany during the same hour in the year 1896, Bram and Mosey were raised together and shared a special bond. When Bram is 13, his father, a circus elephant trainer, dies, and shortly thereafter, Mosey and the circus are sold. Unable to imagine life without the elephant, Bram stows away on the ship that is taking Mosey to the U.S., a trip that nearly ends in tragedy when a hurricane wrecks the ship. Helfer's writing is occasionally stilted and overly sentimental, but it improves dramatically when the action picks up. There are some exciting descriptions of the hurricane, the foundering ship, the time in the water, and the rescue. Readers wanting a similar, fuller tale might want to take a look at Helfer's adult book Modoc (1997). Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Orchard
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0439293138
• ISBN 13: 9780439293136
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 134