“The Biggest Shadow in the Zoo” is the story of Goober, a circus elephant who thinks he’s very special. He lives on an a little island with a moat around it, but there’s another reason he thinks he’s special. Every day, children paid ten cents to ride on a box strapped to his back. That was pretty cool, but that wasn’t the only thing that made him special.
As Goober looked around at the other animals, he noticed they all had shadows shaped like themselves. His shadow was the biggest of them all, and that is why he thought he was so special. Plus, he and his shadow were good friends, and being friends is always helpful when you live with someone.
One day, something tragic happened. While catching peanuts, Goober nearly fell into the moat, and his shadow actually did. When he looked in the moat, he could see his shadow on the bottom. He watched it carefully. It wasn’t moving.
It was dead! Oh, how terrible! Goober shook his head at the shame, but then he noticed that his shadow moved too. Oh, thank goodness, it wasn’t dead after all. But it was still trapped at the bottom of the moat.
It came time for the elephant ride, but Goober didn’t want to leave his shadow all alone on the bottom of the moat. He refused to budge, making the trainers frustrated. They tugged and pushed, but he wouldn’t go.
The animal doctor came, but could find nothing wrong with him. A storm came up, and still he stayed by the moat, not moving. He didn’t want to leave his shadow alone in such frightful weather.
By morning, the storm had stopped, but the cloud cover was heavy and Goober could no longer see his shadow. Believing it gone forever, he slowly wandered into his barn. He had never felt so sad.
When the doctor came in to see him, he carried a lamp. Suddenly, there was Goober’s shadow, alive and well! If you’ve never seen an elephant do a happy dance, you are seriously missing out. He danced and danced for joy, and he and his shadow were together again from then on.
(This book was published in 1992 by Gareth Stevens Publishing and is designed to be a discussion book between parents and children.)
Related Blogs: