On Parade

Gr 4—6—Laidlaw's goal in this heart-wrenching title is to inspire his audience to try to make the world a better place for animals. His description of the hard life of Jumbo, an unfortunate elephant, is cringe-worthy. Captured in Africa as a baby after his mother was killed, Jumbo was forced into performing for audiences in Europe and North America, before being killed in a train accident in Canada. Photographs of chained, caged, and tethered animals are disheartening. A leashed bear is shown performing on a bicycle. Dogfights, bullfighting, horse racing, etc., are detailed, and reprehensible breeding practices are mentioned. It would be a rare individual who would not come away from this book horrified by the suffering of these creatures. The title ends with suggested ways to help entertainment animals and a list of helpful organizations to contact. The cover, showing a circus elephant performing a stunt, seems adorable at first. After reading the book, it seems cruel. This is a difficult, important topic, and Laidlaw does a worthy job of bringing the suffering of these animals to light.—Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI