The Last Elephant

The Last Elephant is the post-apocalyptic tale of a seemingly chance meeting between a boy and an elephant who have each lost their families and communities. They do not realize that the world has been destroyed. This is revealed in a story that the boy, Hara, reads to Ahimsa the elephant about how humans and animals lived harmoniously on earth until the cycles of greed, destruction and war ensued. The Last Elephant ends with bittersweet hope for saving the world. From the Introduction, "The idea for The Last Elephant came to me when I saw a photograph of a boy sitting with an open book in front of an elephant. It was part of a spectacular exhibit called Ashes and Snow by photographer, Gregory Colbert. The intent of The Last Flower, a treasured childhood book of mine, coalesced with the image of the boy and the elephant and with a true story about a destroyed island renewing itself.......... While The Last Elephant is not a happy tale, it is ultimately a hopeful one, and it is with that hope that I share it with you and hope you will share it with others."