Queenie: One Elephant’s Story

by Corinne Fenton & Peter'Gouldthorpe

There was a time when for tuppence you could ride on the back of an elephant at a zoo. Queenie was one such elephant. Until her death in 1945, she patiently carried up to 500 people a day. Queenie: One Elephant’s Story is an exquisite picture book evoking a time when elephants were giving rides in zoos all over the world.

Honour Book, Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, CBCA Awards, 2007

Queenie: One elephant’s story

 

“This is the true story of a gentle Indian elephant called Queenie, who was a legend at Melbourne Zoo, loved by generations of children and adults. From around 1905, Queenie began to carry passengers and people came from everywhere to ride on her back. A poignant tale from our past, with divine illustrations and a sad ending, handled well.”
— The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Book of the Month, August 2006 

 

“Vigorously researched, this picture book is a short biography of Queenie, following her birth in the Indian jungle, her separation from her family and long passage to Australia … It’s a moving story of an animal whose natural inclinations are tamed by humans. Peter Gouldthorpe’s illustrations bring this story to colourful life.”
— The Weekend Australian

 

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