Natumi Takes the Lead

After losing her mother, shy Natumi is rescued by a team that runs an orphanage for baby elephants. At the shelter, Natumi hides behind keepers’ legs to watch the other elephants at the shelter. But soon, she meets several other orphans, and the eight of them play together in the surrounding bush, drink hungrily from milk bottles, and take daily baths in the nearby mudhole. As the babies become closer and more like a real family, they need a leader, someone they can trust. Can Natumi grow into this role? Which elephant will take charge to warn the others of danger, encourage the youngest when they are scared, and turn this group of elephants into a real family? Join the herd to find out what happens when they travel back into the wild. This sweet story, with its heartwarming photographs, explores the challenges and joys of family, love, and growing up, and is a perfect bedtime tale.