I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This early reader book by Remy Lai is adorable! My littles will absolutely love it! I hope that it's the beginning of a series.

A quick glance will tell you most of what you need to know about the plot of this book. Most books about juvenile animals are intended to do a couple of things: teach us facts about the animal species and teach us to empathize with the animal and thus to be more open to conservation/ecology efforts. This is done through subtle coding, slipping in the message with cute behavior. First we see Star interacting with the mother, learning to survive the natural environment. Then they are threatened by fires, habitat loss, hunting, etc. It's a pretty basic formula. We learn from the afterward that the story is based on real situations. The factual basis will be appealing to adults, the simple illustrations appealing to very young readers.

Star is a young elephant living in a herd with his mom and aunt, but the herd needs to find a new home because resources are becoming scarce. During the journey, Star is separated from his family and left to find his own way to safety and, hopefully, his family. Inspired by a 1990 story about bull elephants losing their home, Star's story has some differences, noted in the back matter, but the heart of the story is the same: deforestation and human interference are causing animals to lose their homes. Star's fear of humans is not without cause, but there's some tension as readers worry that Star won't be able to tell the difference between harmful humans and the humans who wants to keep elephants safe, bringing them to a sanctuary. Star reacts in a very relatable, childlike way to being separated from family and to stranger danger. The colorful artwork and dialogue makes for a very readable animal story; back matter includes deeper insight on the 1990 story that inspired Star's tale, elephant facts, and ways kids can help keep the Earth livable for everyone.

Engaging graphic novel, exploring how climate change and people’s actions can hurt/ help wildlife. Perfect for young readers!

I received a free digital ARC from Henry, Holt & Co. via NetGalley. This second graphic novel in the Surviving the Wild series by Remy Lai follows Star the Elephant and their family through deforestation that has them swimming to an island to find food. This is an emotional story that makes the plight of our wildlife very real for grades 1-4 in an easy to read and visual format.

I love Remy's work and her approach to MG graphic novels. This one hit me in my feels in a way that I wasn't expecting. It tackled the crisis around animals, specifically Elephants in this case, in the wild in a beautiful yet unexpected way since there was this social-emotional aspect to it. I think it's important to encourage kids to be more aware of the various issues of our world and show them how we can be more compassionate to our fellow earth inhabitants. I hope that educators and librarians as well as wild life advocates will use these books to help further children's comprehension around these issues.

The cover illustration and title drew me to this book. Most young children enjoy stories about animals and I had to read this to see if it was one I thought my students would like.

This was a simple story, about a young elephant named Star and his family. Due to deforestation, Star has to flee his home with his aunt and mother. The book follows Star through his journey to find a new home. At the end of the book are facts about deforestation and ways that humans can help to prevent it. The steps are simple so that children understand how they can help the earth. Children are also sure to be drawn into the story by the colorful and appealing illustrations.

While I do not see this as a read-aloud book to use with a whole class, it is a perfect book to read one-on-one with a child or for a child who is a stronger reader to use as an independent reading book. This book would appeal to children in Kindergarten through second or third grade.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #SurvivingtheWild:StartheElephant by #RemyLai in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are completely my own.

This beautifully illustrated book is part of an environmental series. This one features Star the Elephant. Star, her mother and aunt, are Asian elephants, who lost their home due to deforestation. Elephants are great swimmers so they swam across a strait to a populated island. Here they were captured and transferred to an animal sanctuary. This is inspired by true events.

The story begins quite happily until the elephants run out of the food. Star.’s mother is constantly trying to protect her little one yet Star gets tranquilized and nearly drowns while swimming, and becomes separated from her mother. But don’t worry, a happy reunion occurs and they go off to live happily ever after.

At the conclusion, readers are advised of tips for protecting our environment and keeping animal sanctuaries intact


The illustrations are bright, happy and should appeal well to children. The author told a sweet story of animals with an important message,

I gave four stars and nit five because I thought the story was a little lengthy for a picture book.

Thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the ARC.

Very cute children's graphic novel about an elephant. This is a fictionalized story inspired by true events of elephant herds searching for new habitats after climate change, habitat loss, etc. A great way to teach kids about elephants and how to help protect nature while still being an engaging story.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Based on experiences with real elephants. Lai brings readers on the journey with Star and his family as they seek a safe home from humans who are encroaching on their areas. She approaches this with sensitivity and humor alongside sharing information on what is happening to these environments. The artwork is charming and colorful to appeal to young readers. I appreciate the further illustrations and text that follows the story to share further information on what is happening with elephants and other wildlife.

Remy Lai does it again! A beautiful graphic novel for readers of all ages. Kids will learn about elephants, deforestation, and conservation while enjoying a sweet (and sometimes suspenseful) story of a young elephant named Star. Star, his mother, and his aunt are all trying to survive as the land where they live is slowly being developed. A beautiful book that kids, teachers, and parents will all love!

Surviving the Wild series: Rainbow the Koala, Star the Elephant by Remy Lai

Remy Lai, author and artist, has two new early reader graphic novels in a series featuring animals in heroic situations and perilous adventures. Graphic novels are an alternative for early readers compared to the standard easy reader books, and increasingly there are more graphic novels for ages 4 to 8, although middle grades are probably the prime targets of this series. Kids who have a difficult time engaging with regular books or are learning to read can be drawn to graphic novels and these might inspire otherwise reluctant participants to eventually become voracious readers.

Both books are lengthy (over 100 pages) and beautifully illustrated. The narratives, however, touch on serious subjects such as environmental changes, separation anxiety from parents/herds, food insecurity, survival skills, injuries and questionable interaction with humans. Each book has an explanation at the end on what inspired the story, which develops a deeper appreciation of storytelling.

For Star the Elephant, the story is based on three elephants that lost their home due to deforestation and then swam across a strait to a populated island, necessitating a capture and transfer to an animal sanctuary.

For Rainbow the Koala, the inspiration was about the bush wildfires in Australia wherein millions of animals perished. Koalas were found by specially trained dogs, treated in animal hospitals and released back into forested areas.

There are a lot of sensitive scenes, as I mentioned above, that might be upsetting to a younger range of readers, so I’d recommend these for readers 8 and older. Star gets tranquilized and nearly drowns while swimming. Rainbow must flee the raging forest fires. Both are seen struggling to find food and are saddened when they are separated from their mothers (no worries, happy reunions occur). But both tales are ultimately charming. The author is expanding the series with a future book, Sunny the Shark, to be published in August 2022.

The illustrations are wonderful and add to the storytelling immensely. Included are numerous facts about the featured animals and their homelands. Remy Lai is multitalented storyteller and should have great success with this environmentally minded series. 5 stars.

Thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the ARCs of this series.

This is both a sweet and educational graphic novel about the true story of Star the elephant, how she and her mom and aunt were displaced due to deforestation, and how they were saved. I also loved the final pages that had further educational information about Star's story, elephants and other animals that appear in the story, and tips about how kids can be involved in being more conscious about the Earth, protecting animals, and recycling.

Very cute artwork and text. I'm always looking for rising reader graphics and this fits the bill. Makes me want to check out the author's other works!

I love that it's a conservation/environmentalism story that isn't heavy-handed or depressing. I love that it's told from the animal's perspective and has a happy ending. this is just the kind of environmental fiction we need!

Star and his family are forced to move further and further away from their home due to deforestation. although this easier graphic novel is fictionalized (talking animals) we learn a lot about deforestation and elephants. The back matter includes great information about elephants, the true story behind the inspiration for this book, and ways to help wildlife. The story is well-written and easy to follow. It's filled with heart and hope. The art is really nice as well.

I love elephants and this is a great book to any student who loves them too. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it even better. Readers will really fall in love with Star.

Enjoyable story with a timely message. I love Remy Lai's artwork, and the colors make for an inviting story.

"Surviving the Wild: Star the Elephant" is an adorable graphic novel for young readers that depicts the plight of a young elephant and their family as the herd faces the threat of deforestation. Star's herd is forced to split up in search of a new home, and while they try their best to avoid contact with humans, they eventually are caught and happily moved to an elephant sanctuary. Backmatter includes information on the true story that inspired this graphic novel, along with helpful tips for children on how to get involved in reducing deforestation and saving wildlife. The illustrations are cute and will be appealing to the target age range. Recommended for all children's collections.