Description

In the days immediately following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, author J. A. Louthain watched with concern as the media interviewed confused children. Raised on TV and video games, children couldn't understand why America didn't just "go wipe out the bad guys".  Louthain, who was retired from the Department of Defense after 32 years, knew that someone should be teaching children about terrorism.  It was then that she decided to write her animal story Ame the Elephant: Terrorized by Evil Mice.

Louthain wanted to "gently" explain the complexities of terrorism to these confused children, but she also wanted to create a history of 9/11 that could be shared with younger children and those born after 9/11 as they began to ask questions about this strange war on terrorism.

Louthain uses animals such as elephants, mice, lions and shrews to represent countries and individuals that were involved in or impacted by the 9/11 attack on America. It's a charming, non-violent book that teachers and parents can read aloud as they discuss terrorism with the young ones. It's also an excellent way to teach kids about dealing with bullies, regardless of their size.

Not only is this an entertaining history lesson, but Louthain also worked with the National Zoo in Washington to assure her descriptions of elephant life and culture were accurate. There's even a few Swahili words for the young reader to learn.

Target ages: 8-12, Reading level: Grade 5, Paperback, 56 pages, Dimensions: 8 x 10 x .25 inches, 10 full-page, full color illustrations by artist Andrea Eberbach.

Reviews

"Award nominee J. A. Louthain presents Ame The Elephant: Terrorized By Evil Mice, an original and highly recommended children's picture book...A metaphor of responding to the September 11th attacks, Ame the Elephant tells of using strength to defend oneself when other recourses fail."

James A. Cox,
Midwest Book Review

"Ame the Elephant is the first book to bring together the essence of children's questions... They [colorful analogies] demonstrate to children the importance of getting along, how to initiate dialogue between friends and enemies, and the significance of understanding multi-dimensional cultures."

Craig O. Thompson
Counterterrorism expert and author of Omar

"AME the Elephant, Terrorized by Evil Mice is a remarkable book. I love how Louthain was able to retell the story of 9-11 in a non-threatening environment. Not only does the story... captivate the minds of young children, it teaches them about diplomacy, politics, and how Elephants live!"

Alyice Edrich
Editor-in-Chief of The Dabbling Mum.com
Anational publication for BUSY parents

"Ultimately, I can't imagine a better book to use with children to examine the motivations and reactions of people and governments worldwide concerning the attacks."

Tom Person,
Laughing Bear Newsletter

"We found this book very entertaining and informative, and would be a great book to read in class or just to your children. A great concept!"

Vicki Duby
Scribes World