The Child's Elephant

Bat lives with his grandmother in the central African savannah and rears cows. One day he finds a baby elephant, orphaned through poaching - and so begins a very special relationship. But it is Bat’s very expertise with elephants that suddenly catapults him into a new life when he is abducted to become a child soldier.

Rachel Campbell-Johnson lyrically conveys much about life in contemporary Africa: its beauty, its communities and many of the issues surrounding its poverty. Readers will need patience for the more relaxed pace of the first section, but the peaceful life it evokes creates a powerful contrast with what follows – and makes Bat’s determination to return home utterly compelling. This is an unforgettable, beautiful and moving novel about the powerful bond between an elephant and a child.