"I've looked and looked,
but I've never found
another like me.
Long ago in the old place,
there were others.
Big ones fighting,
little ones playing."
This is the first book that Nicola Davies has written and illustrated. It is no surprise to me that it is heartfelt and informative. She is an exemplary proponent for the environment and what must be done to protect it.
This is the story of the last Northern White Rhino, named Sudan. He died in 2018. Telling his own story in personal and powerful words, readers learn that the hippo is housed in a very grey and bleak zoo enclosure. Alone and always searching for another animal like himself, he shares memories of an earlier life. In that life, he lived in close proximity to his mother each and every day and night. When a hunter shot her, life changed dramatically.
Captured, boxed, and transported to the place he now inhabits ... there is no grass, no flowers. It a place filled with 'lasts'. Nothing to do, nowhere to go.
"Where are the others for us?
What has happened to the world?"
It takes someone watching and caring for the plight of the animals to make a change. That change is a game preserve where finally he meets another rhino - perhaps the two can ensure they are not the 'last'.
The artwork is as impressive as the story told. The contrast between the gray days of captivity and the lush greens of a return to a natural habitat have tremendous impact for young readers. A note from Ms. Davies about the art introduces the story, and an endnote mentions Sudan, the inspiration for this book.
“I believe that the world can change for the better, but it will change one heart at a time. Change your heart, change the world."
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