Tsuchiya, Yukio (1951). The Faithful Elephants - A True Story of Animals, People and War. Boston, MA: Houghton, Mifflin Company. 

Translated by Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes in 1988. llustrations by Ted Lewin. ISBN:  0-395-46555-9. 

 

During World War II and the intermittent bombing of Tokyo, the Japanese Army instructed the zoo keepers to kill the animals at the Ueno Zoo to prevent the animals from escaping and running through the streets.  This sad story describes how war can affect even animals.

 

Illustrations are done in water color. 

 

Rating:  5Q/4P 

Curriculum Use 

World War II, Japan

Atomic Bomb

MWood

 

Tsuchiya, Y.  and Lewin, t. (Ills.). (1988). Faithful elephants: A true story of animals, people and war. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0-395-46555-9.

 

Annotation – The true story of Ueno, Japan zoo animals disposed of during the last days World War II when the allies continually bombed Tokyo.

Media – watercolor  

Rating – 4 Quality of Text and Illustrations and 4 Popularity

Curricular Connection – For upper elementary students discussing world history and the United States part in bringing to a close World War II in the Pacific Theatre, this book would be a way to stimulate discussion about the cruelties of war on innocent lives. Open-ended questions could be used, for example: Do you think the zoo keepers made the right decision to kill the animals? Could they have done anything else to ease the suffering of the elephants? What kind of public relations campaign could have been waged to keep the animals in the zoo and not have the people around become frightened?

Nancy

 

Tsuchiya, Y. (1988). Faithful elephants: a true story of animals, people, and war. Illustrated by Ted Lewin. English translation by Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780395465554

 

 

5Q/4P

As bombs dropped on Tokyo, zookeepers were ordered to destroy the animals. However, the task proved very difficult and emotionally disturbing as the keepers tried to euthanize their favorite elephants, John, Tonky, and Wanly.

 

 

Media: Watercolors.

 

 

This picture book presents a situation not often found in history books about war: zoo animals being destroyed to prevent their inadvertent release into the streets should a bomb hit the zoo.  Documenting a real situation during World War II in Tokyo, students of literature can find metaphorical or allegorical components; students in social studies will identify ethical dilemmas within the horrors of war.

 

 

Lesson Plan:

 

Tsuchiya, Y. (1988). Faithful elephants: a true story of animals, people, and war.

            Illustrated by Ted Lewin. English translation by Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes.

            Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780395465554

 

 

 

Vaughan, B. K. (2006). Pride of Baghdad.  Illustrated by Niko Henrichon. New York:

            DC Comics. ISBN: 9781401203146

Objective: Learning lessons in world history, literature, and ethics and understanding the universal consequences of war and war’s impact on innocent lives.

1) Based upon the readings in your textbook, summarize the events that resulted in the bombings of Tokyo during World War II and the bombings of Iraq in this decade, then respond to the following questions:

a. How are these wars similar and how are they different?

b. How could these wars have been prevented?

2) An allegory in literature can employ characters and situations that exemplify interpretations associated with people and events. For example, the death of the elephants in Tokyo may represent the defeat and surrender of Japan in World War II. What allegorical elements can you identify in Pride of Baghdad?

3) Zookeepers’ primary responsibility is to care for the animals in their charge. Faced with an order for euthanasia during war time, many face a disturbing ethical dilemma. Break into groups and discuss alternative approaches on how best to handle such a situation. Note two or three ideas to share with the class.

TK 4/29/08

 

Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya and Ted Lewin, ill. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988.  0-395-46555-9

 

Annotation:Recounts how three elephants in a Tokyo zoo were put to death because of a war, focusing on the pain shared by the elephants and the keepers who must starve them.

Media: watercolor

Rating: 5th-7th 4Q/3P

Literary Device: Symbolism; onomatopoeia

Curriculum Connection: History and culture from an unusual inside perspective

 

Onomatopoeia -

      One of the elephants throws a bad potato to the ground, “Kerplunk!”

lvanburen/6-09

 

 

Citation: Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War by Yukio Tsuchiya and Ted Lewin, ill. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988.

 

 

ISBN: 0395861373

 

 

Annotation: During WWII, Tokyo is bombarded with bombs. A local zoo fears their wild animals will escape into the city, so the army commands that the animals be killed.

           

Media: Watercolors

 

Curricular Connections: 5th-9th grade History/Social Studies. Subjects- WWII, Tokyo, horrors of war

 

Rating: 5Q/5P

 

S.F 06/21/0