| Praise by National Award winning teachers for Viku and the Ivory Thieves |
| “Debu Majumdar captures the true spirit of children everywhere and their passion for justice as we follow Viku on his journey to protect his friend and their precious land. Young readers will be captivated by the mystery and suspense of this story – brought beautifully to life by Lynn Wolfe’s rich illustrations of India’s land and people. My students were swept up in Viku’s quest for justice in the first two books and again will love reading and discussing the challenges of Viku’s journey in Viku and the Ivory Thieves.” – Roni Gold, Milken Educator Award (2010), 5th grade teacher, Springfield, Massachusetts “Viku and the Ivory Thieves is the third book in a series of stories about an endearing young boy from India named Viku, and his elephant friend and companion, Haatee. This tale continues Viku’s quest to stop poachers from killing the elephants for their tusks and skin. It is easy to feel like you are actually a part of their exciting journey into in the deep forest with the lush beautiful green canopy. It is almost as if Viku and Haatee are faraway friends giving the reader a glimpse of the life they share. One almost feels Viku’s sadness when he realizes that defeating a few poachers will not stop other poachers from coming, and yet you may want to cheer Viku and Haatee on when they conspire with the police to thwart the efforts of the shameless poachers. The reader truly comes to know Viku and Haatee in an intimate and personal way as their adventures lead them to trust others to help them solve their problem. I highly recommend Viku and the Ivory Thieves, as well as Viku and the Elephant and Viku to the Rescue as an excellent series to add to the classroom library. It is a wonderful cultural adventure that speaks to the heart of the reader. I loved these adventures, and I know children will too.” – Kathie Heusel, Milken Educator Award (2008), Great Falls, Montana “Viku and the Ivory Thieves continues the wonderful journey of Viku and his elephant Haatee. This exciting adventure explores the importance of protecting essential habitats and also brings awareness to the terrible plight of the ivory trade. This time, Viku and Haatee’s courageous actions inspire others in the story to help them in their cause. There are always important life long messages in Debu Majumdar’s books and we can all learn how to better our lives from the courage and friendship Viku and Haatee share. Through their journeys, the reader also gets a chance to explore the rich culture, traditions and landscape of India. My students and I have thoroughly enjoyed these stories every year and we are looking forward to more in the future.” – Martin Martinez, Milken Educator Award (2010), Gresham, Oregon “I could feel Viku working through his emotions at the beginning of the book – should he save the thieves or let them parish? He made a wise decision that not many children would make on their own, nor understand why saving the thieves was the right thing to do. The character has stayed true through all 3 books – kind, warm, trusting (almost to a fault), passionate about environmental issues (animal rights), and a good friend/son. I am glad you briefly addressed the “fame” Viku and Hatee discovered when they helped capture the ivory thieves. It was a natural step in their story. The more their story was told throughout the area, the more people knew about their little village and all that it had to offer. However, with fame, comes a whole new set of concerns. Viku handled it well in the end. And again, wonderful illustrations! She does such a good job. I can hardly wait to see the finished product 🙂 – Jennifer Smith, Milken Educator Award (2006), Twentynine Palms, California |