Will the rains come in time?

Even though Jacob and his father used a "rifle" dart gun, this pistol version uses the same darts.

If you think that the Author created this part of the book out of his imagination, think again!  Just north of the area where this book takes place, is a large mountain.  This mountain sits astride the Uganda - Kenya boarder and is now protected as a Kenya National Park.  Its name is Mount Elgon.   Read through this web page and find out a bit more about elephants and caves.

As a closing activity for this book, discuss this information as a class group.

Background information:

Time has passed since this book was written, and great political pressure has been brought to bear upon some African countries to lift the international ban on selling elephant ivory -- the "ivory ban". 

These countries, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and others, argue that there are places where the population of elephant has grown to such a size that they need to "cull" or selectively kill some elephants to control their populations. Elephants in these areas have become so plentiful that they are causing problems for people, destroying crops and killing trees.   Since these countries have large amounts of ivory in holding buildings, they believe that they should be able to sell it.

Then there is the other view point, represented at this web site.   Read this page and learn about the many different groups that have an interest in this activity. 

Discuss among your class:

For a real challenge, do some extra research on the Internet, and find out more about both sides of this story. 

And one last thing!  Go back to Lesson 1 and look at the picture you created with the idea of "Africa."  Have the images in your mind changed now that you have read this book?  Would you draw a different picture now?  If you would like, make a second picture from the same instructions. 

Possible extra reading or research material

     Disappearing world. Masai women [videorecording] / produced and directed by Chris Curling. [Mahweh, N.J.] : Shanachie, [1994].

    Dorros, Arthur. Elephant families / Arthur Dorros. New York : HarperCollins, c1994.

    Payne, Katharine. Silent thunder : in the presence of elephants / Katy Payne ; [illustrations by Laura Payne]. New York : Simon & Schuster, c1998.

Margolies, Barbara A., 1939- Olbalbal : a day in Maasailand / Barbara A. Margolies. New York : Four Winds Press ; Toronto : Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; New York : Maxwell Macmillan International, c1994.

Moon, Bernice. Kenya is my country / Bernice and Cliff Moon. -- Hove : Wayland, 1985.

    Ole Saibull, Solomon. Herd and spear : the Maasai of East Africa / Solomon ole Saibull and Rachel Carr ; foreword by Edward Moringe ole Sokoine. -- London : Collins and Harvill Press, 1981.

    Owens, Delia. The eye of the elephant : an epic adventure in the African wilderness / Delia and Mark Owens. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1992.  (This is an excellent read for a teacher, and passages could be shared with the class.)

      Read, David, 1921- Barefoot over the Serengeti / David Read. -- London : Cassell, 1979.

    Sobol, Richard. One more elephant : the fight to save wildlife in Uganda / written and photographed by Richard Sobol. New York : Cobblehill Books/Dutton, c1995.

      The Kenyan way of life [videorecording] / directed and photographed by Brian Crance ; produced by Brian Crance, Jon Kroll. Scarborough, Ont. : Canadian Learning Company Inc. ; Chatsworth, Calif. : Aims Media, [1993].

    Aardema, Verna. Who's in Rabbit's house? : a Masai tale / retold by Verna Aardema ; pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York : Dial Press, c1977.

    Aardema, Verna. The lonely lioness and the ostrich chicks : a Masai tale / retold by Verna Aardema ; illustrated by Yumi Heo. New York : A.A. Knopf ; Distributed by Random House, Inc. , c1996.

    Campbell, Eric (Eric M.) Papa Tembo / Eric Campbell. San Diego, Calif. : Harcourt Brace, 1998.

    Carrick, Malcolm. I can squash elephants : a Masai tale about monsters / Malcolm Carrick. -- New York : Viking Press, 1978.

    Hirsh, Marilyn. Hannibal and his 37 elephants / written and illustrated by Marilyn Hirsh. -- New York : Holiday House, c1977.

    Mollel, Tololwa M. (Tololwa Marti) The orphan boy [sound recording] / [written and] read by Tololwa M. Mollel. Don Mills, Ont. : Oxford University Press, [1992].

    Mollel, Tololwa M. (Tololwa Marti) Rhinos for lunch and elephants for supper! [sound recording] / by Tololwa M. Mollel. Toronto, Ont. : Oxford University Press, c1992.

    Stokes, Jack. 107 3/4 elephant jokes / written and illustrated by Jack Stokes. -- Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, c1979.