Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends |  | Author: Carol Buckley
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $9.67
as of 11/23/2009 04:51 CST details
You Save: $7.32 (43%)
New (29) Used (7) from $9.42
Seller: zp_books
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 1011
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Pages: 32
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.4
ISBN: 0399254439
Dewey Decimal Number: 599.676
EAN: 9780399254437
ASIN: 0399254439
Publication Date: September 8, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Best friends come in all shapes and sizes! After retiring from the circus, Tarra became the first resident of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. When other elephants moved in and developed close friendships, only Tarra remained independent until the day she met a stray mixed-breed dog named Bella. It was love at first sight as this unlikely duo became inseparable. They ate together, slept together, and even understood each others language. And when Bella suffered a severe spinal injury, Tarra stayed by her side and was there for her until Bella regained her health. Brilliant color photographs of Tarra and Bella at home in the Elephant Sanctuary deftly illustrate this inspiring story of companionship, and an informative note about the Sanctuary provides a great resource for parents and teachers.
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| Customer Reviews:
This was one of the most heartwarming & AWESOME stories of love and friendship I've read in some time! November 6, 2009
D. Fowler (Vermont)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Tarra had a long career as an entertainer and even appeared in an episode of "Little House on the Prairie." She was a standout on the set, but even elephants need to retire at some point in time and she was the "first resident of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee." There she would not be asked to roller-skate, stand on her hind legs while standing on a small bench or play a bit part in a movie. Tarra could just be herself and roam the Sanctuary at her will instead of being cooped up in a zoo. Other elephants began to arrive and as they settled in they made a "special friend." There were Winkie and Sissy and Dulary and Misty, but Tarra just had not found a special companion.
Then one day this scruffy yellow stray dog named Bella was sleeping next to her when she woke up. Tarra began to chirp with delight and somehow the two became fast friends. Mind you, elephants don't cotton to dogs, but now the Sanctuary saw the "beginning of an amazing relationship . . . Tarra and Bella began to do everything together." They swam together, they ran together, they ate together and they even learned to talk to each other. One day Bella was nowhere to be found and Tarra, who probably was very frightened, refused to budge from where she was standing. Bella was found and she was injured. What was going to happen to these two friends now?
This was one of the most heartwarming stories of love and friendship I've read in some time. It's now a widely known story about Tarra and Bella's extraordinary friendship, but I was still awed by the story and the photographs were awesome to say the least. This is a simple, yet powerful story of friendship that has a few subtle messages that we can all learn to incorporate in our hearts. In the back of the book is more information about the Elephant Sanctuary and provides an online link to a "real-time video" of the residents. Look for the EleCam and see if you can identify any of the elephants. Awesome, simply awesome!
Great story about friendship November 1, 2009
Katie Hendricks (Morgan Hill, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I saw Steve Hartman's Assignment America on the CBS Evening News about Tarra and Bella and fell in love. When I heard that there was a book coming out about the two friends, I pre-ordered it. I teach second grade, and have been working on community building in my classroom for the first part of the year. There had been some issues with tattling, unkind words, etc. amongst the kids, and I was able to create a lesson on the importance of kindness and friendship that revolved around Tarra and Bella's story. The pictures are phenomenal, many of them stills from the CBS piece, but the story is more detailed than what originally aired. I still get choked up when I read it!
Touching book! October 30, 2009
R. Hunt (scottsdale, AZ)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a picture book that I got for myself but my daughter also loved it. I think that The Elephant Sanctuary, where the elephant and dog met, is such a special place. It was featured in a segment on 60 minutes.
Children of All Ages October 6, 2009
Robert D. Shoop
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
One of my goals in life is to grow up and become a kid. Some people say I am a perpetual kid. In either case I like Tarra & Bella. It is a fun and friendly book for children of all ages.
Great for all ages September 11, 2009
N. Bass (Nashville, TN)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
This book tells the true story of Tarra and Bella, and how much Tarra missed her friend when Bella was injured in a fall. It's a perfect read for children, and this 40-year-old enjoyed it, too! Plenty of wonderful photos, and educational too (there are details about the differences between African and Asian elephants, their diets, etc). It's a book any elephant fan (and dog fans, too!) would enjoy. The friendship between these two is absolutely charming. Photos include frame-by-frame images from video taken of the moment Tarra and Bella were reunited while Bella was convalescing.
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