Deep in Africa in a sheltered valley protected from hunters lived a small elephant named Toto. Carefully Toto's mother had taught him never to wander beyond the hills that sheltered their valley.

Just outside the valley, a small boy lived with his family. At seven Suku was old enough to go into the bush with the other boys and young men; but Suku feared the lions, and he had not yet the courage to venture far away from his village. 

One moonlit evening Toto's curiosity led him outside the valley, where he was caught in a poacher's trap. Early the next morning it was Suku who found Toto and freed him. But the little elephant would not leave Suku's side, and Suku realized that he had to lead Toto back into the bush no matter how afraid he was.

Marietta Moskin's warm and understanding story of a boy and an elephant growing up also presents an authentic picture of a small African village. Rocco Negri's bold, dramatic woodcuts capture the atmosphere of Africa, the people, and the many animals that live there.

From the dust jacket